What do you get when you cross five different cuisines with a bar? The Little Face Asian Restaurant & Bar on Donghu Lu. Since April 2009, Little Face has been striving to fill the void left by the incredibly popular Face Bar in Ruijin Hotel. Those are some might big shoes to fill, and Little Face’s management decided to give it a go by turning the three-story complex into a melting pot of regional flavours.

The first floor boasts Visage (a French Patisserie), while el Wajh (Moroccan) and Hazara (North Indian) hold down the fort on the second floor and Lan Na Thai and Peking Duck top the collection on the third floor. They also managed to squeeze in the cocktail bar for which the building is named, Little Face. Oh, and a pool table...

The concept might sound more like a recipe for a liquid lunch at the UN -- and it is admittedly pretty darn overwhelming at first -- but the staff juggle the different cuisines with skill. Each “restaurant” features its own chef, who hails from the food’s country of origin, creating a veritable potpourri of culinary authenticity. For its most recent addition to the menu, Peking Duck, Little Face poached Chef Liu from Beijing to help build the ultimate roasting oven for the capital’s famous quackers.

Surprisingly enough fusion rarely occurs at this six-venues-for-the-price-of-one establishment. With the exception of the Peking Duck swimming in Thai red curry, each menu remains wholly discrete -- but that doesn’t mean you can’t mix it up. Indecisive diners can easily take a culinary vacation to five countries without ever leaving the complex. Don’t miss the sinfully spicy Tom Yum Goong soup and fresh Papaya Salad from Lan Na Thai, the Kao Ya roasted in peach wood and Mrugh Malai at Hazara.

Little Face. 30 Donghu Lu, near Huaihai Zhong Lu. Tel: 6466-4328.