Shanghai Fengwei Canting
When members of former president Jiang Zemin's powerful Shanghai Clique come to Beijing, this is where they dine. Set inside an elaborate and truly breathtaking fake forest, with rounded stone pathways that wind past misty waterfalls and plant-shielded private dining nooks, it may be Beijing's most authentic Shanghai restaurant, and is certainly its most lavish. The central dining room is sumptuously furnished with Ming-style tables and chairs, dark polished wood floors, delicately latticed windows looking out onto the forest, and an elaborate gilded dragon set in the ceiling. The chef specializes in hairy crab (available July-Dec) and light, flavorful, stir-fried vegetables cooked with a spoonful of reduced soup. Dishes aren't really worth the prices, but the setting is. The gold and cream decor of the upstairs dining area is nice but not nearly as impressive.
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| Cuisine | Shanghai | |
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| Hours | Daily 9am-2pm and 5:30-9:30pm | |
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| Address | Xinyuan Nan Lu 2 | |
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| Location | Inside the Kunlun Hotel, block west of East Third Ring Road, Chaoyang East | |
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| Reservations | Reservations absolutely required | |
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| Phone | 010/6590-3388 ext. 5620 | |
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| Prices | Meal for 2 ¥400-¥480 ($50-$60) | |
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| Credit Cards | AE, DC, MC, V | |