Douglas Williams/Shanghai Daily news

It has been brought to our attention here that there is something of a lack of Chinese restaurants being written about in these pages.
In an attempt to rectify the situation, this week we take a look at the Rendezvous Hotel's very fine Straits restaurant and some of the exquisite dishes being cooked up by Executive Chef Michael Ho and his team.
The four-star, 32-floor, 342-bedroom Rendezvous is to be found on the North side of Yan'an Road W., between the junction with Wulumuqi Road and Zhenning Road.
The straits restaurant is on the fifth floor, Tony Quek, food and beverage manager, describes the menu as 70 percent Chinese, 30 percent western.
Shanghai daily was treated to an eight-course tour de force of Ho's extensive repertoire and in the process was reminded just what a sublime dining experience fine Chinese cuisine makes for.
A combination platter teed off proceedings with jelly fish, eel, beef and chicken all surrounding a round of marinated winter bamboo shoot wrapped in bamboo sheet.
These were morsels and acted as quality amusement for the mouth in a sincere, non-pretentious way.
Birds' nest soup is so named because it is a soup made from birds' nests. These nests are not of the common or garden variety, twigs do not figure. A tiny swift-like bird found in Indonesia and parts of India has a cunning trick whereby it somehow turns its saliva into a nest.
Chinese chefs use the nests as a thickening agent in a similar way that other chefs use corn flour except that, unlike corn flour, the nests reputedly increase longevity.
Alas, this particular potage didn't figure in my lunch although it is available in the Straits restaurant.
Shark fin soup did figure. As I write, it's "special" properties are yet to make themselves known, perhaps later. It was tasty in a chicken flavored type way, although my conscience is still smarting.
Abalone comes with no conscience nibbling extras and no "special" properties, but it is equipped with bundles of taste and a totally unique texture. This was served with sea cucumber and oyster sauce.
Ho's trick with the Australian abalone is to create the oyster sauce that it is served with in the same long process as the cooking of the abalone itself. Usually, this is done separately.
Abalone, in my book, is now right up there with lobster and queenie scallops at the top of the league table of savory things to eat.
The baked Soon Hock, a Vietnamese fish also known as lazy fish, was excellent as were the fried scallops with asparagus.
The straits restaurant provides a peaceful, spacious and relaxed dining area, with two private rooms.
It's an ideal place to enjoy a long lazy lunch or dinner with friends or family. The menu is extensive but not of the intimidatingly, encyclopedic nature.
Address: 396 Yanan Road W.
Tel: 6249-5588