Food review: Rainbow Chinese Cuisine is elegant with good service

When I told friends I was reviewing Rainbow Chinese Cuisine, they were shocked, thinking I was visiting the open-air seafood restaurant on Lamma Island. I had to clarify that this one is in Wan Chai, and has no connection with the other.

The two couldn't be further apart. While Rainbow Seafood is relaxed and alfresco, serving food that is fine for its casual setting, Rainbow Chinese Cuisine is much more upmarket.

It's discreet (the entrance is on the ground floor, but you're escorted to the lift which takes you to the restaurant), the interior is elegant, and the service is watchful and helpful. We were there for dinner, but they offered to let us order some dishes from the lunch menu.

Aside from the sautéed king prawn with pomelo sauce (HK$120 per person), we had the greatest success with the humble sounding dishes. The prawn was elegantly presented, with the head detached and served to the side of the plate, and the sweet, crunchy prawn meat was perched on a crisp fried pastry cup.

Braised chicken with Chinese wine in clay pot (HK$180) was hearty and homely, and the rich sauce begged to be soaked up with a bowl of white rice.

Fresh oysters (HK$160) were - we suspect - fried before being simmered in a clay pot with spring onions, ginger and other ingredients and the bivalves were moist and sweet. Steamed eggplant topped with Chiu Chow preserved vegetable (HK$100) was subtle and delicate.