Xinshikong Apartments- Abest Zhongshan Park No.1

Vegetarian

Restaurant

The dining room in a heritage mansion circa 1920s is furnished in a retro style with a terrace and several private rooms. Unlike its two sisters, the original Fu focuses on home-style Shanghainese cooking, including some multi-step labour-intensive recipes. River fish is one of its strong suits, especially river eels prepared in a myriad of ways. Try also oil-blanched river shrimps that are bouncy in texture and loaded with umami.

All 15 private rooms in the historical villa boast old Shanghai flair, but the food is both traditional and creative. One set menu focuses on Shanghainese classics; the other features seasonal favourites. Specialities include sautéed river shrimps with crabmeat and crab roe. For dessert, classic palates will relish the minced date cake or cashew seaweed puff pastry, whereas neophiles might like to try the soy ice cream with a deep-fried dough stick.

A beautiful tiled entrance, wood panelling and striking light fittings are just some of the original features of this 1920s townhouse. Its 16 traditionally furnished private rooms evoke old Shanghai charm. The food is equally sophisticated: river shrimp are made to order; the smoked mackerel belly dressed in a mildly sweet glaze is crisp but juicy. No meal here is complete without the cashew praline puff pastry.

Chinese

Antique furniture and oil paintings complement the refurbished century-old mansion, whose all-white interior exudes modern European charm. The head chef has over 30 years' experience; Peking duck and Jiangzhe classics are his strong suit. His signature braised "lion's head" pork balls are prepared differently according to the season – with longsnout catfish and bird's nest from May to July, with crabmeat and roe in stock from August to October.