Just down the street from disreputable girly bars Goodfellas, Badlands and Velvet Lounge (yes, Velvet Lounge), Julu Lu is home to classy Cantonese restaurant Manchuria.

Manchuria is housed on floors three and four of the FCC, right above the long established Club Vietnam. The concept is a snappy one-two of authentic Cantonese food and modern Chinese décor.

The restaurant is beautiful – unabashedly Chinese without being kitsch. In different rooms, there are opium beds set back into moon gate walls, flat Chinese puppets on the faces of large circular light shades, and life-sized portraits of Chinese emperors. The designers even gave the restaurant its own scent, a gentler version of what you’d expect to find at a spa.

The menu includes, for me at least, plenty of unfamiliar dishes, but the flavours are right on, so have the confidence to order up a dish of sea whelk (RMB 108), soup-soaked turnip (RMB 55), or porridge-y walnut cream (RMB 30). If you want to play it safe, the deep fried Mandarin fish (RMB 138), salty egg yolk and mantis prawn tofu (RMB 98), and pommello, mango and sago dessert (RMB 30) are all fantastic.

Manchuria’s grand opening takes place this Thursday (November 12), 7pm until late. Go grab a free glass of wine and try some food. It may end up a staple place you take visiting friends and relatives.

Manchuria. 3-4F, Bldgs 11-12, 889 Julu Lu. Tel: 64458082. www.fccshanghai.com