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cityweekend

Chao Lou presents light and fresh flavors perfect for the season. Pastels, dark wood tones and mini-chandeliers create a welcoming, if gaudy, atmosphere while the service is attentive and helpful. The frozen tayenus (¥38), chilled red mullet served with preserved soybean sauce, were flakey and fresh with no disarming odor. The sauce provided requisite saltiness. The daily soup of pig tail, peanuts a n d l o t u s r o o t ( ¥ 1 2 ) wa s l i gh t bu t s u r p ri s i ng ly r i c h . R i b s w i t h plum sauce (¥38) were fried but not greasy; the sauce added a subtle accent. Pu Ning bean curd (¥28) had an elastic exterior but remained light and creamy. There are nearly twenty varieties of sweet soup and the black sesame soup (¥16) deftly balanced sweet and sesame flavors. Bathrooms are external to the restaurant, portions tend to be small and the menu can be difficult to navigate so we suggest asking for recommendations. That being said, Chao L o u p r o v i d e s a refreshing menu in a clean atmosphere, a good choice for a light summer meal. –Bryan Harsar