Yum yum: review of Wang Jia Sha

Vibe: Despite being in a food court-style section of the mall, this branch of Wang Jia Sha has made a lot of effort when it comes to appearance. Turquoise wooden "cages" above tables, traditional - though white-lacquered - Chinese cabinets, and a bold pink and yellow back wall make it look more high-end than it is.

Who to bring: Hungry shoppers, your movie date when you've met way too early, and anyone that can't be bothered to queue for Din Tai Fung.

What's hot: There's a huge menu, featuring everything you'd expect, but also with some interesting twists on the traditional. Siu mai, for example, come stuffed with glutinous rice instead of pork and shrimp.

There's a wide choice of veg, and they're cooked just right - the amaranth with tomato was surprisingly light and fresh.

This freshness is another high: dishes don't have that overcooked or over-salted quality often found at Chinese restaurants. Even the broth in which the chicken wontons came was delicate, with the flavour of coriander, not MSG, shining through. Another bonus, if you sometimes struggle with Shanghainese, is that nothing was too spicy - the wontons in chilli oil had a kick, but it was well balanced with garlic and a slight sweetness.

What's not: You're sitting in a mall. It's loud, you can hear everyone else chattering and clattering, so you can't exactly have a private conversation.

The glutinous rice siu mai, while interesting, needed a dipping sauce; luckily there was the chilli oil from the wontons. And given that xiao long bao are kind of a big deal in Shanghainese restaurants, these had rather tough skin at the top, but were too thin near the bottom and burst too easily.

Cost: Appetisers are HK$42-HK$88. Dim sum is from HK$24 for different steamed buns to HK$56 for crabmeat filled dumplings.

Mains cost around HK$50 to HK$190, vegetables are HK$56-HK$78, and rice and noodles - a selection that includes Shanghai rice cakes - are HK$32 to HK$68. Desserts are around HK$30 to HK$40.