The newly opened Habibi caf¨¦ pub is a surprise to almost all newcomers. Dazzled by the strong beams injected along the porches and in the houses in a huge, dark garden, I wondered briefly whether I was in an extravagant Las Vegas palace. But this one, undoubtedly, is built in the East Lake Park instead of the American desert.

The 20,000-square-meter gar-den is along a U-shaped brook in the park. The buildings have separate functions such as the dining hall, the private bar and the karaoke room. The theme bar facing the dining hall across the brook will open on Monday (Dec. 8).

Habibi is designed in a Middle-East style, according to Nelson Choi, a manager with the caf¨¦. So I was right when I felt that I was in a remote, strange place where I might have some unique experiences.

Many decorations were bought in Monaco by the Hong Kong businessman-owner, said Choi. For example, the flake-shaped pool and a carpet in front of the theme bar were decorated with imported ceramic mosaics, which took workers almost a month to piece together.

Other artistic works include the iron torches lined along the bridge, the tiny but exquisite lamps on the dining table and the iron-carved screen covered with a piece of red gauge at the main entrance of the dining hall, to name just a few.

The three private bars are Habibi's specialty and the facilities I liked most. (My next favorite place was the lady's room, which includes a pool and a plant corner. The room must be a product of an intelligent designer, though I can't tell it from the man's room from the outside without the help of a waiter.)

Each of these bars is equipped with a private bar counter, a good choice for small parties. The decorations in contrasting colors and the heavy-scented fragrance again reminded me that I was in an exotic and mysterious place, seemingly far away from the reality.

The spacious garden was peaceful that night despite the dance show in the dining hall. The caf¨¦'s designer was so considerate that he or she added a long and narrow counter to the rails near the brook. What a wonderful night it would be to drink with a friend at the counter, enjoying the light-dressed night scene and listening to the quiet flow of the water.

It seems to me that food is the least important thing in such a multifunctional place for entertaining and socializing. However, as in many of Shekou's well-known bars, it is not neglected at Habibi. In fact, the chef was brought from one such bar.

Its menu features French and Thai food, though it will feature some Mediterranean dishes in the near future, according to Choi.

The three dishes I tried were scallops baked with prosciutto and parmesan cheese, hot and spicy prawn soup (tom yum kung), mutton made with house sauce and herbs. The scallop and mutton were pleasantly medium-flavored. However, the soup was very hot and I had to be careful not to drink the red chili oil floating on it.

The chef must be good at using herbs, which gave distinct flavors to each of the superb dishes. The dessert I chose, the chocolate mousse with fruits, was beautifully arranged and best of all, not too sweet.

So far, the caf¨¦ is open only in the nights as it is still under a trial operation. So now it may be the best time to go before it is jammed with Shenzhen's gourmets and bar-hoppers.

Editor: Catherine