Restaurants

The grand interior of this little neighbourhood restaurant – from the elegant dragon-shaped chopstick holders to the shimmering gold napkins, mirrors and framed calligraphy on the walls – stands in stark contrast to the simple unfussiness of the food. Menu-wise, diners should skip the first five or so pages of standard Anglo-Chinese fare and head straight for the dedicated north-eastern specialities at the back. Sanxian (‘three flavour’) dumplings started off the meal well, with traditional thick and chewy wrappers, but tomato and egg soup was a timid rendition that lacked the essential sweet-sour tang. We were delighted to find tu dou si (a popular Beijing dish of stir-fried shredded potato with green chillies), but were let down by its lack of chilli heat. Still, the crunchy shreds were extremely moreish and lifted by the sharpness of vinegar. The north’s penchant for sour flavours continued with our final dish, stewed pork with chinese cabbage and potato noodles, which came steaming in a large clay pot. The meal was enjoyable, but we get the impression that Chinoise favours style over substance.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2009