Food Reviews
Friday, 09 October 2009 02:10
Written by Jalean Wong

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It’s been such a long time coming, we almost thought they’d lost their way. Yes folks, it’s open (finally). The first thing that hits you is the overwhelming sense of déjà vu. Stained wood, dim lighting and liberal splashes of red all contribute to the uber-exotic and utterly romantic setting. It’s pretty much everything you loved about the original branch only, it’s three times as big. And not only is it a restaurant, it’s a home furnishings boutique. Oh, and a bar as well.

But let’s talk about the food. Much of it is as good as we remember. Standby dishes like their Dai Tribe seven spice chicken (RMB60) and Yi Tribe spicy beef (RMB68) are telling examples. Slivers of tender shredded chicken blend tastily with fresh basil and chilies, while the beef is seriously spicy and not for the faint of heart.

Nevertheless, while we like what they do here, we’ll readily admit it has always seemed geared toward Western tastes, which is why we were surprised to see some more exotic additions to the menu, like the songjin salad (RMB60). Native to Yunnan, this herb resembles a sprig of rosemary and has a unique peppery flavor. It complements nicely with the chopped peanuts and sliced cucumbers. As it happens, October is prime songjin season, so now is the time to try it. But other dishes, like their surprisingly bland pork with ‘tree butterfly’ mushrooms (RMB60), could use some more time in the test kitchen.

Also, be warned: for the time being, finding this place may be a little tricky as they’ve set up shop in the midst of a major construction project. But if you look up, you can’t miss it; it’s the nicest looking building on the block by a long shot.

Lost Heaven

Mon-Sun 12-2pm, 5pm-1am (10.30pm last order) No cards. 17 Yan’an Dong Lu, near Sichuan Nan Lu (6330 0967)

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