Shanghai 38

SETTING

Atop the 38th floor of the Sofitel Silom, diners at Shanghai 38 survey Bangkok from ceiling-high windows. As a Chinese singer accompanied by a pianist croons popular favourites, guests at burgundy and white clothtopped tables enjoy Cantonese menus.

FOOD

Hong Kong native chef Lin Yu’s a la carte menu features over 155 entrees; together with the dim sum and set menus available both lunch and evening, this gives diners an exhaustive display of Cantonese cuisine’s traditional possibilities with some modern updates. Begin with Shanghai combination, a heaping platter featuring boiled chicken in Chinese wine, red pork, steamed pork slices, squid, duck and fettuccine-like jellyfish. Then move on to appetising deep-fried bean curd with five-spice salt, soft-shell crab with garlic and lily buds with XO sauce. Roasted suckling pig Hong-Kong style or barbequed peking duck is not to be missed at a Chinese dinner, and braised abalone in oyster sauce is also highly recommended. Pan-fried cod fish with XO sauce is incredible, a generous serving of sweet, tender fish. To close, try fried Chinese pancakes or mango panna cotta.

WINES

A thoughtful, eclectic range of moderately priced (1,200-2,500 baht) good-value wines from around the world, regularly updated.

SERVICE

Attractively attired bilingual staff is pleasant, helpful with the menu and discreet, but slow on water refills and plate changes.

PRICE

Expensive if you order abalone; if not two can enjoy a meal for under 3,000 baht.

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