Covering two floors, the interior of this modern Chinese restaurant seems more suited to the trendy Xintiandi area of Shanghai than to an anonymous part of Notting Hill. Moody colours and chic furnishings predominate.
The broad menu covers Cantonese, Shanghainese and Sichuan cuisines, and includes a selection of offal dishes such as pork lung slices and pig’s tripe. We started with a credible xiao long bun from the very short dim sum menu, followed by an overcooked razor clam served with a slapdash combo of spring onions and Shaoxing wine.
‘Sea and land’ pot, in which plump prawns and scallops complemented the meaty flavour of thinly sliced beef fillet, was let down by a bland Sichuan vinegar chilli sauce.
We would have traded everything for another plate of the soft Japanese-style tofu, which had marvellous flavour and texture. It arrived with mixed vegetables, including carrots carved in the shape of small ducks, and a sauce sexed up with abalone.
The manager apart, staff were glum and seemed to verge on the narcoleptic; we really wished for a brighter atmosphere at lunch.