Our expectations for Wulixiang were high when its Shanghainese chef said he would scout out the ingredients of our pre-selected orders at the morning market.

Starters begin Frisbeeing in as soon as we arrive. Oil and sugar are the true architects behind much of Shanghai cuisine – and for good reason. The kaofu, a staple snack of gluten, sits like squares of sponge, with sweet juice held captive inside its honeycomb, oozing when bitten. Equally moreish is the smoked fish. Chunks of carp fatten to a crispy bite, the tiny edible bones adding crunch. The distinctively herbal malan shoot is the final starter. A typically southern vegetable, here it’s finely diced with dried bean curd. While light and refreshing, an excessive dash of sesame oil overpowers the fragrant taste of the malan itself.

The mains begin with crab roe tofu. Golden morsels of fresh crab roe and fecks of crabmeat have been poured over a bed of soft tofu. There is little to fault with this popular dish, but we’d like more ginger or stronger seasoning to provide a contrast to the mild base.

Our highly anticipated braised chicken and chestnut turns out to be a nondescript wallow of sweet sauce that not only lacks depth, but also drowns out any original favour–we could barely tell between chestnut and garlic. Our disappointment fades quickly with the arrival of the toothed-burclovea shoot in white spirit. A splash of baijiu simmers gently with the fine-stemmed vegetable and wafts across the table. Special attention is required to ensure it doesn’t wilt like spinach, and in this case, it was executed with precision.Address: No. 3 Shajing Hutong, Dongcheng District 东城区沙井胡同3号Source: timeoutbeijing.com