DIM sum specialists The House of Lily recently opened a new branch at the Bailian Shiji Shopping center. Here guests can enjoy a variety of delicious and reasonably priced Cantonese treats in a relaxing family-style dining environment.

Covering an area of 700 square meters, the restaurant has 230 seats and two private rooms, as well as four outdoor tables providing spectacular views of Lujiazui.

With its modern atmosphere, the decor features a gold and white color scheme with carved wood and marble corrugated walls.

Welcomed by a large open kitchen, guests may first notice pig-shaped buns in stacks of bamboo baskets. These cute treats are stuffed with chashao, or pork skewered with long forks. According to the restaurant’s chef, the bun filling is made with barbecued pork seasoned with honey, five-spice powder, red fermented bean curd, dark soy sauce, hoisin sauce and rice wine. Three such buns cost 19 yuan (US$2.9).

This time of year, start with sea snail soup to warm your body and help relieve winter dryness.

The chef chooses imported sea nails and cooks them with jujube, gouqi (wolfberries), chongcao (Chinese caterpillar fungus), pork and chicken for six and a half hours. To order this soup though, a reservation is required. Other available soups include pork soup with gingko and bean curds, duck soup with lotus leaves and grouper soup with shashen (root of straight ladybell).

Popular cold dishes include chicken leg seasoned with ginger, cherry tomatoes with preserved plum and jelly fish with bamboo shoots.

“Freshness and hand preparation are the keys to our success,” said Dick Li, manager of the restaurant. “We make sure all the ingredients are imported from local regions.”

The roast baby duck is a must-try. Dipped in a sauce made with more than 10 spices, including anise and cinnamon, the ducks are roasted on an open flame. The chefs make sure the meat is evenly roasted and richly browned.

“In order to keep the tender and juicy texture of the duck, we choose fresh ducks according to strict standards of weight, shape and age,” said Li.

Of course, the menu also includes a full range of dim sum choices.

Popular items include pan-fired pork dumpling, water chestnut cake, pan-fried Waygu beef bun, turnip pastry roll and milk tea tart.

No meal is complete without dessert. Here, the must-tries are mango cream with pomelo, chocolate pudding and double boiled lotus seeds pudding.

The House of lily

Opening hours: 11am-10pm

Average price: 100 yuan

Address: 5/F, 1217 Century Ave

Tel: 6882-1088