HANGZHOU, capital of East China's Zhejiang Province, is renowned for its delicious and exquisite cuisine. To taste it, Shenzheners don't have to travel to Hangzhou, for they can enjoy it here at the Xihumingzhu Restaurant.

Located in the Tairan Hotel, the Xihumingzhu Restaurant grew out of the Longjing Restaurant, Shenzhen's first eatery specializing in genuine Hangzhou dishes which was quite well-known among local patrons.

Hangzhou dishes are typically delicate, tender, fresh and crisp, said Zhu Jieping, the restaurant's vice manager. They not only taste wonderful, but are also exquisitely presented: a feast for both the eyes and the palate. Therefore Hangzhou cuisine emphasizes careful selection of materials and ingredients, painstaking preparation and sophisticated cooking.

At the Xihumingzhu, the most popular dish is the famous Dongpo pork, a true benchmark of Hangzhou cuisine, which is named after Su Dongpo, a distinguished poet of the Song Dynasty. As a gourmet and excellent chef, this man of letters was good at stewing pork. The recipe for Dongpo pork is said to have been invented by him. It is made by gently simmering small chunks of streaky pork with soy sauce, yellow wine, ginger, sugar, scallions in a covered pot. Served individually in clay bowls, it looks a little fatty, but not greasy. The meat is so tender that it melts in your mouth.

Another pork dish, steamed pork in the pyramid shape, is a specialty of the restaurant. It is made from one big chunk of boneless rib meat cut into unbroken layers in the shape of the pyramid. Cooked in sophisticated technique, the meat is crisp but not smashed, oily but not greasy.

One of the great attractions of Hangzhou cuisine is that it draws ingredients from the famed West Lake. Many dishes include seafood, or more accurately, lake food. To name a few, the West Lake vinegar fish features tender fish meat with sweet and sour sauce, which tastes just like crab meat. The dragon well shrimps is shrimp meat cooked in dragon well tea. The orange with crab meat is a famous dish from the Song Dyansty. The chef first has to carve away the top of the orange for later use as a lid and remove the orange meat. Then he sautes crab meat, orange meat and other ingredients together and put them back into the orange and steam. A perfect fusion of orange flavor and crab meat, it is uniquely presented and tastes great.

Bamboo shoot is an indispensable part of Hangzhou cuisine. In the eyes of Hangzhou people, bamboo shoot comes first among vegetables. And they follow season change while consuming bamboo shoots.

Another must for diners is the West Lake water shield soup. Made with water shield, a vegetable indigenous to the West Lake, the soup not only sends forth a delicate aroma but also appeals in appearance with a lotus flower floating on the surface. And most importantly, it helps relieve heat and quench thirst in hot summer.

Many agree with the saying that environment is also a dish. Xihumingzhu's ambience and decor are elegant and relaxing. Here patrons can enjoy their meal in an atmosphere echoing strong Hangzhou cultural overtones.

To have such delicacies in this exquisite environment, many may wonder how much it costs. Zhu said their price is very reasonable. For seven to eight people, the bill should easily come in at under 20 yuan per person if you choose to stay away from the pricier foods like crab.

Editor: Wings