Not such a simple house

King prawnin ared coat of spicy sauce. [Photo by Pauline D. Loh / China Daily]

First to arrive was a pretty platter of appetizers, including marinated scallops, thin slices of soy-stock braised beef shin, asparagus shoots wrapped in ham, blanched and skinned cherry tomatoes and a colorful assortment of vegetables.

It was a telling plate that gave hints of the food to follow. Unlike traditional Chinese appetizers that form the "cold plate" served at the beginning of the meal, the chef here makes his starter a showcase of flavors. That the form is so artful is only a bonus for the eye.

The soup that came next was a pleasant surprise. Simple House may be Shandong-inspired, but this soup is proudly called Best Flavors from Jiangnan. The milky soup paid tribute to Lu cuisine with the addition of a spiky sea cucumber, but the salted meat batons, that single piece of tender bamboo shoot and the knotted beancurd skin displayed the flavors nearer Hangzhou and Shanghai.

My host had thoughtfully asked for smaller portions for our lunch, but the next dish of a single king prawn wearing a coat of red and spicy sauce was just right. The "bamboo basket" that accompanied the crustacean held spears of asparagus, a vegetable surely chosen to complement the sweet crunch of the prawn.

The fish that followed is a square fillet of sole topped with saffron-colored cordyceps mushrooms. The fish had the slightest bite of miso, but the tender flesh was very easy on the palate and the crisp julienne of orange mushrooms completed the mouth-feel satisfaction.

When the next dish arrived, my host sat up and said: "You have to try this. The lotus leaf makes it very fragrant."