Sweet and Suave
By Amy Shi, that's Shanghai
Updated: 2004-01-15 16:27

Goumet 120 jouins the slew of Shanghai restaurants that, for want of a more creative moniker, turn to their mailboxes for inpiration inserting, say, a 120,7 or 1221.

On the site of an old piston factory at 120 Jinxian Lu, this fledgling restaurant emu lates classier Shanghai easteries in other ways too. It isn't one of those department store-sized  Chinese establishments with brassy chandeliers and Baroque cherubs, nor is it a sleek, modern joint with trendy trick toliets. Rather, Gourmet 120 is a calm, dignified restaurant of the breed that boasts upholstered dining chairs, crisp linen tablecloths and beer served in (cringe) with wine glasses. Antique pieces as well as the ceramic works of local artist Fang Jia Huan pepper the dining area which seats 150, with smaller tables downstairs and six large private rooms on the second floor.

But it is the quality fare sercved up at reasonable prices that truly distinguishes Gourmet 120. Described as "modern Shanghai food," the dishes draw on influences from a variety of Chinese cuisines tossed in the great Shanghai melting pot. The result is traditional food with a twist, neither sickly sweet or overly salty. The menu is adjusted according to the seasons - summer, winter... hairy crab.

We stuck our necks out and tried house specialities like a cold dish of baby turtle (zu long tong zi jia yu, RMB 32) prized for its health benefits and rubbery brim around the shell, and Huo tui yu mian jing guo zai (RMB 32) consisting of soft fish 'pillows', ham and mushrooms bobbing in a cloudy broth. The loose, flaky xie ke huang (RMB 10/3 pieces) is a savoury dim sum treat, rarely found on city menus.

Other favourites included lanky strips of tender beef encrusted with black pepper and cumin, served on a bed of prawn cracker (zu lan cong kao niu rou, RMB 38) and xie fen shi zi tou (RMB 38), a loose, golf ball-sized pork and crab meatball in a rich golden oil. In fact, every dish, cane basket, clay pot and hotplate delivered to the table was just about licked clean. Our feast for four came to just RMB 350.

City gourmands are notorious for being hypercritical judges. The fact that our Shanghainese guests didn't venture a single remark along the lines of too salty, sweet or expensive, and have a private room booked for the entire clan this Chinese New Year, is perhaps highest praise of all.

Place: 120 Jinxianlu, By Maoming Nan Lu

Opening time: daily, 11am-2pm, 5-9pm.

Tel : 62564168

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