LOCATED on the tranquil Shaoxing Lu, the unique New JHD Restaurant sees a bustling trade.

Claiming to have Spanish-styled decorations, the eatery carefully chose its ornaments and above each table hangs a colourful and exquisite lamp. Sichuan and Shanghai dishes accounted for the majority of menu items, although there are some novel and appealing selections.

We ordered the cold dish qiang beiji bei (soft clam marinated with cucumber and garlic in soybean oil). The soft clam absorbed much of the tangy, garlic flavour, but was not so savoury.

It is interesting to watch the waiter prepare Sichuan "douhua" (liquid tofu) for guests. Some type of unidentified green liquid is added to the mix, turning the liquid tofu into a jelly-like substance after several minutes.

The waiter then adds spring onion, preserved Sichuan pickles, quick-fried soybeans, sesame paste and peanut butter to the jelly and mixes the ingredients evenly. The soft tofu has a light fragrance, and a spicy, full flavour.

The dish hua diao ju luyu (weever fish fried with Chinese yellow rice wine) was merely a small, dry fish on a plate. Only the crisp skin was appetizing, while the fish lacked the aroma of the wine. The dish was a complete failure.

The restaurant claims to provide flavourful and tasty dishes, however things seemed opposite on the day of our visit. Seasonings did not permeate the dishes. The ji tang baicai (Chinese cabbage stewed in chicken soup) was a typical example.

Oddly, we found the eatery offers some Indian cakes and Southeast Asian food.

New JHD Restaurant

9 Shaoxing Lu

Tel: 6433-8015

Lu Chang