It has always been hustling and bustling along Huanghe Lu with restaurants lined up on both sides, but in the short food street you can easily find the Qianlong Meishi Restaurant.

Although bearing the name of Emperor Qianlong from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), it is a restaurant for ordinary people with a mixed menu of various dishes.

We arrived early before 6:00pm but diners soon occupied all the tables in the big hall and the noise level kept rising.

The restaurant has some traces of traditional Chinese decor from tea pots to some porcelain fishes on the wall symbolizing wealth.

One noticeable feature is the decision of Qianlong Meishi's owner to hang pictures of her with pop stars around the hall, adding a bit of pop glamour to the restaurant.

Among the cold dishes, the mango salad became our favourite. It was its fresh orange colour that attracted me at first, and then the unique taste of mango filled my mouth.

Luhao gansi is a light fried dish made with shredded dried bean curd and a Chinese vegetable called luhao.

I can remember my mother telling me that luhao is a kind of wild plant that grows on river banks and people usually eat its crisp, white root. Now, with more people fond of the vegetable, it is planted by farmers.

Luhao has a special smell which wins a lot of praise from most diners but the light smell turns off some people.

We ordered a pot of hen soup, a popular soup with Chinese, which is considered to be full of nutrition, especially good for weak people. Usually, mushrooms and edible fungus would be added to the soup to make it more tasty. However, unlike other hen soups I had had before, no such things were found in the soup but a piece of bacon.

Many may not want to have the hen soup in summer days due to its heavy grease, but the adding of bacon is really appetizing.

( Shanghai Star August 21, 2002)