At Merrylin, the lunch shift bustles to full capacity with businessmen and office ladies alike, taking advantage of this crystalline-dripped eatery. In typical Shanghainese-style, we began with several starters. The shredded turnip and jellyfish (¥28) was, disappointingly, a bit hard to chew through and oily, but the kaofu with mushrooms and black fungus (¥12), was delicious with a distinctive star anise aroma. We wanted something light, but our vegetarian rolls wrapped in bean curd (¥25) tasted oily instead, masking the flavors of the carrots and mushrooms inside. Something on the menu caught our eye—beef with chocolate sauce (¥38). The chops of beef were tender, drizzled in a sauce so surprising in flavor and peppery in taste that for a minute we thought we were dining at a Western restaurant. However, the coconut-bottomed red bean layer cake (¥8) brought our tastebuds back to Chinese fare. Merrylin is a convenient lunch spot, but if you’re looking for something more palatable, venture out for dinner.

Perfect For: a luchtime run

Add: 1/F World Trade Tower, 500 Guangdong Lu

Tel: 6362-1176

The Verdict: 2