Alfred Zhang

JUST a stone's throw away from the Shenzhen Economic Daily Building, Meiluxuan (Idyllic Cottage) is a place not unlike Chinese restaurants of its class, where the interior reflects classic Chinese decoration with a modern touch, the kitchen offers a fusion of Cantonese, Shanghai and Jiangxi-style cuisines, and waitresses attend to tables with care.

However, Meiluxuan is different from many other Chinese restaurants in that it does not serve just one type of tea in a big pot, but instead lets each diner choose his or her favorite tea from a selection comprising Oolong tea, green tea, Pu'er tea and daisy tea. If you're not sure which one to choose, go for the daisy tea, as it is good for the throat.

My colleague Ranajit Dam, who had eaten here a few weeks previously, recommended the prawns fried with tea leaves. We also ordered crisp country-style chicken, stewed rice field eel, fish and turnip soup.

The prawns fried with tea leaves (茶叶虾), originally a Shanghai-style dish that comprises peeled prawns stir-fried with tea leaves, is cooked in a different way at Meiluxuan. The unpeeled prawns are deep fried together with tea leaves, and to some extent resemble the signature Cantonese dish salty crispy prawns. But don't waste your time questioning the authenticity of the dish. It is really hard to resist these crispy prawns buried in a heap of tea leaves. While eating the prawns you will taste a slight hint of tea that is delicate and delightful. Priced at 38 yuan, the portion is enough for three people.

Another dish we ordered also bears a tantalizing golden look---the crisp country-style chicken. This Cantonese-style dish comprises farm-raised chicken will is finely roasted and served with a small tray of sweet-and-spicy sauce.

The stewed rice-field eel (鳝糊), 38 yuan, a typical Shanghai-style dish ordered by another colleague Cynthia Song, did not appeal to me as much as the previous two dishes, since it used too much soybean oil, a seasoning often used excessively in Shanghai cuisine. Also as rice-field eel is a bit of an acquired taste, I would avoid recommending it.

However, the fish and turnip soup (萝卜鲫鱼汤), 28 yuan, also ordered by Song, deserves two thumbs up. It is a very good choice for autumn, when the turnips are ripe and fish mature. The soup is very tasty, with the natural flavors of the fish and turnip perfectly complementing each other in a milky broth.

The final pleasant suprise at Meiluxuan was the bill. Between the three of us, we spent less than 200 yuan, which is very reasonable for a a restaurant of its quality.

Add: 1,2/F, Zhenyejingzhou Building, Shangbao Road East, Futian District (福田区商报东路振业景洲大厦一二层)

Buses: 15, 25, 35, 73 (get off at Shangbao stop 商报站下)

Tel: 8352-3411

Hours: 9;30 a.m. -10 p.m.