Douglas Williams/Shanghai Daily news

The Sheraton Grand Tai Ping Yang Shanghai is one of the oldest and most respected five-star hotels in Shanghai.
The hotel's Japanese restaurant, one of five other restaurants to be found in the Sheraton, has recently been refurbished and Hanano is now an exceedingly lovely restaurant. It's perhaps the light that seems to glow from the natural cherry wood flooring and shoji screens that makes this Japanese restaurant a little bit special. The whole place is imbued with a warmth and a subtle, relaxed feeling that conjures up impressions far, far removed from what is essentially a hotel restaurant, all be it a classy five-star one at that. Perhaps it's the fact that it's not even that large, seating as it does, a maximum of 111 diners that cleverly conceals the corporate chain setting.
Being in the heart of Shanghai's Japanese community and next to the Intex exhibition center, Hanano isn't short of customers but the layout manages to absorb fellow diners comfortably. When combined with the ever so efficient and discreet service the overall feeling is of enjoyable and peaceful industry. This feels a million miles from the automatic piano plus gift shop hotel lobby, identical to probably another million hotel lobbies the world over, that potential patrons must endure to access Hanano.
Following the obligatory sashimi starter, sea bream, sea bass, salmon, yellow tail, tuna and cuttlefish all flown in from Japan and fresh as dew we moved on to a dish involving the king of the fungi world - matsutake. It's a mushroom that flourishes under the fallen leaves of autumnal trees, particularly the Japanese Red Pine and its spicy, cinnamony flavor lingers like aromatic pipe tobacco. Japanese production of this mushroom has recently been decimated by a vicious worm and prices have gone through the roof, not that they were ever cheap.
The way to really impress a Japanese associate is with a gift of matsutake. We had them wrapped in seaweed with crab meat, very low key, intriguing and delightfully unique. Cups were refilled, plates replaced and other dishes appeared as if by magic; the deep cream and brown carpet deadened all noise so that the faint traditional Japanese music was but a gurgling brook and welcome for it.
On to the Australian sirloin, rare and juicy with slivers of garlic and a grilled mackerel: simplicity itself. Some cold, homemade noodles with miso and pickle and the meal was almost complete, little more required. Readers may recall my enthusiasm for T8's smoked salmon ice cream, possibly even Eest's sweet avocado mouse now it would seem the desert with a twist idea has gone too far: wasabe ice-cream! Interesting for perhaps the first half second of the first tea spoonful but thereafter the novelty wears out completely.
There is a terrific set lunch menu for Saturdays and Sundays at 150 yuan (US$18.52) for three people (a fourth person can be added for 60 yuan).