Hidden Huaiyang

You might have already heard about this restaurant. Its English name is Villa Du Lac, yet it seems that too few Shanghailanders have ventured into this three-story, restored [i]shikomen[/i] near Xintiandi to enjoy some modern, upscale, Huaiyang cuisine. This 80-seat exclusive venue boasts five private dining rooms--the large dining space on the top floor is often used for private functions and has its own terrace overlooking Shanghai and Taipingqiao lake below. [i]Huaiyang cai[/i] is known for its seafood and light flavors, so it's no wonder that this venue features a wide range of shark's fin and abalone dishes with shark fin soups starting at YY158 and main courses running up to YY1,280. Other well-known dished are the Hu Ting drunken chicken (YY68) and the Villa Du Lac rice wine marinated duck (YY58), both served cold. Beautifully presented, each bite of the tender duck meat melts in your mouth. For mains we enjoyed the tender pork balls with crab meat in superior soup (YY108), the flavor being a perfect mix of seafood and turf. The wok fried beef sirloin with a special XO sauce (YY98), although not a typical Huaiyang dish, was beautifully presented and a highlight of the meal. We finished by sampling the sweet and savory dim sum selections (YY26-98) before moving upstairs to take in the views offered by the third-floor balcony. For those who appreciate the triple crown of a serene atmosphere, superior service and exquisite food, this restaurant raises the bar for both Western and Chinese establishments. --Jessica Beaton