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Shirley Lau

33-35 Staunton Street, SoHo.

Tel: 2136 0886

Opening: 12pm-3pm, 6pm-11pm

If the SoHo dining scene seems too western and nouveau for your tastes, this hole-in-the-wall, inspired by an  ancient Chinese poem and specialising in rarer dishes from Shanghai,  may be  the answer.

Yi Jiang Nan, meaning 'reminiscent of the southern river',  strives to be  different. And judging by the stream of local and expat customers, it seems the  simple touch works.

The popularity of Yi Jiang Nan - the title of a ci (a poetry style backed by folk music) written 1,300 years ago in the Tang dynasty by renowned poet Bai Juyi - is due to the  reputation it earned at its previous site in Elgin Street. The homely atmosphere, menu and decor remain the same. But regulars who used to rub shoulders in the previous cramped diner should be delighted with the high-ceilinged, spacious new venue.

Having been sent into raptures by the melt-in-the-mouth crispy lamb and fresh, simple vegetable jade on previous occasions, we looked forward to our visit. We started off with the drunken chicken ($98), which was soaked in a copious amount of Chinese wine that we found too strong. The leathery meat and fatty skin  failed to do justice to the dish.

The hot and sour soup ($98) in a bowl so big it would have satisfied four instead of the suggested two, had me oohing and aahing as it was bursting with pungency. I was worried it would come with the off-putting frozen chicken blood that is so typical of such soups in Hong Kong, but was relieved there were only slices of soft chicken. But my guest was almost reduced to tears by the chilli.

The fried fresh shrimp with egg white ($88) tasted as good as it looked and went well with the plain noodles in high soup ($20), which, despite its simplicity, was flavourful. But the braised bean curd ($78) was a let-down. This dish is usually silky soft and rich in tofu flavour. But this serving was just the opposite, with the fried bean curd having no taste at all. On the whole, the food was in line with village lifestyle in southern China - a simple affair with no-fuss presentation. But the price was metropolitan. Dinner for two, including a pot of chrysanthemum tea, came to $454.



Yi Jiang Nan