LOOKING for a quick and affordable meal? You will find that you are spoilt for choice in the crowded Jordan district. There are numerous small restaurants in the area, ranging from Chinese to Japanese and Malaysian, catering for those who want to stop and have a quick bite in between their shopping sprees. At the quieter end of Jordan Road is Cho Choi Restaurant, which offers Chinese dishes in a casual but friendly environment. A large signboard outside makes it hard to miss. We arrived shortly after 6.30pm one Sunday to find the place almost full. We were directed to a small table in the corner. The decor is minimalistic, with wooden stools arranged around the tables and the walls painted a flawless white. The only decorations are newspaper cuttings at the front door and autographs of celebrities including director Ann Hui On-wah on the walls. Chopsticks are arranged in a container on each table, as in most no-frills eateries around town. A waiter served us tea in plastic glasses while we looked through the menu. Cho Choi offers a variety of dishes inspired by the different cuisines in China. There is also a variety of congees for those wanting a lighter meal. A number of similar restaurants have opened in Hong Kong, taking traditional local favourites and adapting them to suit modern tastes. We decided to make 1,000-year eggs with pickled ginger ($16) our appetiser. While retaining the spice, the pickled ginger did not taste as sharp as raw ginger and the sourness went very well with the 1,000-year eggs, which can be a little heavy on their own. It would have been better if the eggs were cut into halves, not quarters, because they tend to get mushy in small pieces. The next dish that arrived was deep-fried Cambodian fish served with cold sweet sauce ($48). We wondered if the temperature of the sauce would spoil the taste and the texture of the fish, but the combination turned out to be refreshing. The fish was hot and crisp, in stark contrast with the cold sauce, made from onions, tomatoes and pineapple. Steamed eel with prunes ($55) is known to be a delicacy at Cho Choi, so we decided to try it. It was served in a bamboo basket lined beautifully with lotus leaf. The freshness of the eel and the tanginess of the prunes brought out the best of each other. It was a delightful dish to have with plain boiled rice. The steamed bean curd with spicy sauce ($38) is a dish created by the owner of the restaurant, connoisseur and food writer Chua Lam. The sauce was made from salted fish, dried vegetables and chilli, and gave the otherwise bland bean curd a spicy touch. You can take a jar of the sauce home for $48. The bean curd was steamed to perfection, although we found the use of oil a little too generous. For those not fond of spices, the bean curd on a bed of enoki mushrooms ($38) would be a good and healthy choice. We decided to stretch our stomachs a little by ordering stir-fried salted pork with lotus root ($42), garnished with a small serving of chilli. In Chinese cuisine, lotus root is often used in making soups but it is an unusual ingredient in stir-fries. The dish was surprisingly good: the thinly sliced lotus root was crunchy and tasted wonderful with the gravy. The pork was very tender, although it was a little over-salted. We were too full to order dessert, but a glance at the menu showed that the only thing available was sweet potato soup ($10). It would have been a perfect warming end to the meal. Cho Choi Restaurant, 10 Jordan Road, Jordan, Tel: 2735 5526, Open: 11.30am-11.30pm