By Aubrey Buckingham (Shanghai Daily)
Updated: 2007-12-10 10:45

One of the greatest paradoxes faced by many an expat is that Chinese food is just not very good in China. Partly due to the lack of exposure many local chefs are faced with and partly due to the rigid nature of Chinese kitchens, the average Chinese restaurant does not stack up with its counterparts overseas.

Things are different if you are willing to pay for it, however. While hope springs eternal that there exists that elusive corner shop which serves sublime fare for cheap, the truth is those searching decent local cuisine will have to visit one of the posher establishments.

For starters, the dining environment in such places is infinitely more pleasant than those lesser eateries. There is little need to yell in order to be heard and there is no permanent haze of cigarette smoke making your eyes smart. Service is refined, the food more delicate - which is what most people are looking for in the first place.

Xiao Shan Qing at the new Shile boutique lifestyle center is a new concept of fine dining in Pudong. Set back off Fangdian Road near Century Park, eagle eyes are required to spot the most understated entrance denoted only by the Chinese character for shile (ten pleasures). Aimed at the ultra-exclusive set, the restaurant serves nutritious Huaiyang cuisine to those with the necessary means.

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