PEOPLE often say eating out is an adventure. One of the best ways to play safe is to follow veteran diners' advice. Nanshan's OCT (Overseas Chinese Town), one of the most exotic places in Shenzhen, is without doubt top of their list of recommendations. An exponent of taste and nobility, OCT is a place where different cultures coexist and merge, and the harmony applies to food as well.

Paella

Paella is typical Spanish food and is a gourmets' must-have choice at InterContinental Shenzhen's buffet.

Its luxury open kitchen enables diners to watch the whole process of making the stir-fried rice. The word "luxury" is definitely not an overstatement, which is embodied in the appliances used in the kitchen. The stove alone is worth 1.8 million yuan (US$240,000) and hailed as the "Rolls-Royce of the stove scene."

Cooked differently from Chinese-style fried rice, in which rice is steamed first before being stir-fried, its Spanish counterpart is fried directly. While stir-frying the rice, the chef pours chicken soup into the pan. Once the soup is totally absorbed by the rice, the chef pours another bowl of chicken soup. The whole process usually takes more than half an hour.

Portofino's Italian flavor

Portofino, the name of a seaside town in Italy, has become the symbol of noble residence in Shenzhen. Its strong Italian flavor is shown not only in its elaborately designed buildings, but also a fine array of Italian-style restaurants.

Ancient Rome Coffee is one of the first restaurants to have opened in Portofino. Owned by a Malaysian-Chinese who once lived in Italy, the bar offers authentic Italian food with ingredients including extra virgin olive oil and Mozzarella cheese imported from Italy.

Pizza is said to be a combination of the essences of Italian cuisine. Rather than some Italian-style restaurants in China which offer pizza of various thickness, the bar owner insists pizza can only be made in one style to ensure the best taste.

Diners can enjoy a whole range of Italian food from pasta to desserts by spending 299-489 yuan.

Red wine is another highlight of Portofino which is home to four red wine stores. An international red wine festival is also now being held in Portfino every July.

Loft's coffee language

OCT's Loft, which has been converted from warehouses, is now home to a group of avant-garde artists whose original ideas have brought new life to the dull buildings. Many of them have been transformed into coffee bars.

My Coffee is one of the most renowned. Owned by a famous Hong Kong interior designer Gao Wen'an, it boasts a large number of his ornaments, which are an attraction to diners. For less than 40 yuan, diners can enjoy a cup of coffee and some cookies. Sipping coffee and indulging yourself in a cozy sofa on an uneventful afternoon, what else can you ask for?

Crayfish Street

OCT is home to not only expensive restaurants, but also cheaply priced Hunan, Sichuan, Chaozhou and Hakka-style eateries which nestle on a small street behind Sea View Hotel. Despite coming from different parts of China, they have one thing in common -- selling crayfish, a small river creature with a crab-like hard shell which was unfamiliar to Shenzheners until it was first introduced to the city almost 10 years ago by a restaurant named "Jing Garden."

Jing Garden, serving Hunan cuisine, started a craze for eating crayfish in OCT before the fever spread throughout the city. Even though the craze faded about three years ago when many crayfish restaurants in the city closed their doors, Jing Yuan and its peers on the street have retained their fame among seafood fans.

(Wu Tong)