Modern Shanghai in the recently opened Yoho Mall serves home-cooked Shanghainese recipes, with simple but hearty meals that revive traditions and memories. The old Shanghai style of the restaurant brings back the golden era of the coastal city where these dishes were born. The restaurant was buzzing with families from nearby Yuen Long town when we went there, and there were a few tourists too. It does not take reservations, and on weekends you can expect a wait of 15 to 20 minutes during dinner hours.

We started with the Jiangsu-style smoked fish (HK$68), which was deep-fried and had a sweet and sour taste. The fish was fresh and the skin crispy. The honey-glazed Jinhua ham (HK$128) was wrapped in rice bread and is eaten with a rich soya sauce. The ham had a smoky flavour, and the portion is adequate for two.

The spiced salt king fish (HK$98) is a good side dish, though one has to be careful to take out the fine bones while eating. However, the effort is worth the tastiness of the fish.