Shanghai

Simply Thai
Larb is in the air

North block Xintiandi, along
Huangpi Nan Lu Lane 181
Taicang Lu
Tel: 021 6326 2088

If you're hungry on a sunny spring afternoon in Luwan District - there's been a rash of those lately - and the typical grilled ciabatta sandwich with a side of fries of so many Xintiandi haunts just won't do, you could do plenty worse than Simply Thai. The restaurant has been solid enough since it first appeared in 1999 to rack up four locations in Shanghai. This one has the luxury of over 80 outdoor seats along the outer edge of the dining-shopping compound, nicely isolated from the relentless tourist foot traffic of the interior. Daily lunch offerings like Thai spring rolls and spicy larb are served in generous portions for surprisingly little (around RMB32), and new chef specialities like steamed Mandarin fish and taro with shrimp are tempting, and only as hot as you want them. Rice helpings and refills are gratis, just as they should be, though the staff seemed a bit too easily confused. But as you enjoy a gentle breeze under a clear-blue April sky, sipping tom yam goong, minor annoyances gently melt away.

Beijing

Luce Caf¨¦
Italian style in a hutong

138 Jiu Gulou Lu
Xicheng District
Tel: 010 84024417

Luce opened a year ago to bring the best of Italian food and joie de vivre to a hutong in Gulou, the heart of old Beijing. You squeeze through the old red door into a courtyard which has been roofed so that sunshine pours through a glass ceiling. The d¨¦cor, all whites and soft tones, is intended to reflect the simplicity of the Italian countryside. A menu heavy on pastas and risottos yielded a pan-roasted sea bass and kalamata olive tapenade (RMB40) and, also pan-roasted baby chicken with lemon butter (RMB40). Both were served with potato pur¨¦e and leek in portions that are artfully presented and teasingly tasteful rather than filling.

Like true Italians, Luce's pleasant Chinese staff know how to brew a good coffee. After a latt¨¦ (RMB20) we took a five-minute stroll to gaze on the nearby historic Drum Tower, a nice postre before getting back to work. Luce is an inconspicuous Italian treat. Though it's conveniently located on the well known Guloudajie road Luce is smartly sensitive to the surrounding old buildings, so don't expect any big signage.