Best Food In China

The dfcor of this bistro, on the second floor of an historic Xintiandi shikumen is uninspiring - low ceilings, contemporary but dark wood, banquettes, an open kitchen and blaring music.

Chef Jean Alberti's French-Mediterranean menu lives up to its bistro label with food that is fresh, prepared with a minimum of fuss and a preponderance of seafood and produce from the garden. Starters include fried zucchi cakes, bursting with the flavor of flesh zucchini and served on a nicely complementary yogurt-cucumber salad. There's also a scallop carpaccio with slightly bland, paper-thin scallop slices drizzled with walnut oil and fresh dill. The duck leg conflt, however, is a real bistro dish - hearty and full of flavor. Mains include substantial grilled-lamb chops, moistly cooked exactly as requested and served with potatoes and a lemon and oregano vinaigrette. The wood-oven-roasted snapper filet, billed as plaki style, has the clean flavors of a flesh fish with a crust that makes a nice contrast to the soft flesh. There is no dessert menu, but waiters are happy to recite the three or four cakes and tortes offered on a particular evening, including a delicious molten chocolate cake.

A good representation from both the Old and New Worlds, with 19 wines available by the glass. The drinks are categorized by flavor, e.g.
"Peaches, apples, toast, fun", allowing for easier matching with food.

The service is well-intentioned but erratic. New waiters are prone to confusion, and their seniors don't coordinate table visits.

PRICE: At RMB320 per person, it's expensive But the food quality makes it worthwhile.

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