I got a bit worried when I saw the sign reading, 'Please wear proper attire. Thank you for your co-operation'. But a quick look around told me I was not out of place in my trainers and army pants. Looks can be deceiving and clean, crisp tablecloths are no guarantee of good food.
It took ages for our hot and spicy soup ($50 per person) to arrive but when it did, it was nicely presented in a covered bowl. It was full of shrimps and pieces of bean curd but was neither hot nor spicy. I should have guessed it would need flavour when the waiter placed pepper on the table at the start.
We were more hopeful when the chef's recommendation, sauteed jumbo shrimps ($120), arrived. The shrimps were huge and the orange-coloured sauce with chopped onions and peppers looked good, but after biting into the shrimp it wasn't clear if it was an actual shrimp or one of the fake varieties popular in vegetarian restaurants. My dinner companion, who is usually forgiving, was the first to comment on the blandness.
The stewed seasonal vegetables, gingko and bean curd skin in superior soup ($75) was an improvement. At least it had flavour, and the mustard plant and straw mushrooms were fresh.
Crab baked in golden sauce ($118) was a chef's recommendation only available on the Chinese menu. The golden sauce turned out to be a light curry and cream sauce with small chunks of sweet potato; an interesting combination that didn't quite work.
Generally it wasn't a good night; the restaurant was not even half full and we were pretty much ignored the entire evening. Worse still, only when I asked for another look at the menu did I realise we had not been shown the list of promotional dishes.