LIKE the hotel itself, the Chinese restaurant Li Palace inside maintains a low-key presence to the public. Although the hotel, which used to receive only national figures, has been opened to ordinary customers, the splendid restaurant seems still to be quite exclusive, with a small number of diners, mostly officials and successful businessmen.

Perhaps with an eye to changing its aloof image, the restaurant has recently started an all-you-can-eat dim sum promotion for weekend lunch. Altogether, 24 dim sum are prepared at customers' request, all in classic Cantonese style.

In my personal view, to judge whether a Cantonese restaurant is authentic or not, the best way is to try its cha shao (barbecued pork). The test of dim sum is cha shao su (barbecued pork puff). The pork should not be greasy and filled with honey juice. The cha shao su in Li Palace is close to that standard. Another point that reveals the Assistant Chinese Master Chef Ron Qiu's excellent culinary skills is the dozens-of-layer crispy crust wrapping around the pork, which soon melts in the mouth leaving a creamy aftertaste.

The other dim sum that are included in the menu are, for example, steamed dumplings stuffed with pork, shrimp & crab roe, pork ribs in black bean sauce, and crispy egg tart.

The young chef has specialized in Cantonese cuisine for 14 years and once worked in one of Shanghai's earliest Cantonese restaurants in the Renaissance Yangtze Hotel. His creations are in Chinese flavour but presented in Western style. Along with the dim sum promotion, there is also a Summer Chef Specialities event ongoing in the restaurant.

Qiu borrows ingredients from Western cuisines, such as goose liver, prawn with asparagus and grilled cod. He insisted on imported goose liver because the domestic goose liver is too thin and not rich enough. A spicy homemade sauce goes with it. This dish could be better if the chef had used a bigger slice of the goose liver.

The best among everything I tried was the crab salad with lily bulbs in brandy flavour. Besides the salad there were two shelled crab pincers, without any seasoning but still tasty.

However, for the Summer Chef Specialities, you have to go there with your wallet full.

Li Palace

78 Xingguo Lu

Tel: 6212-9998

Average cost: 108 yuan (US$13) per person plus 15 per cent service charge, 200 to 400 yuan (US$24 to 48) for Summer Chef Specialities.