The dessert platter ends the meal with a fun twist: a scoop of ice cream flavored with black rice vinegar from Zhenjiang, a city in East China that has almost been the synonym of the "hometown of Chinese vinegar".

Taking a spoonful of the silky cream into the mouth, at first we were frowning with the unasked question: "Where is the vinegar?" But as the cream melts on the tongue, the sour-sweetness reluctantly crawls out and tingles the palate relentlessly, and frowns unfold into knowing smiles.

If a dessert ends a meal like a punctuation mark ends a sentence, this one is more than a full stop. It is an exclamation point - or perhaps a question mark: Can I have a second one, please?

IF YOU GO

Xindalu

11:30 am－2:30 pm for lunch, 5:30-10:30 pm for dinner, daily. (Reservation is strongly recommended especially if ordering the signature duck; limited numbers available.) 1/F, Hyatt on the Bund, 199 Huangpu Lu (Road), Huangpu district, Shanghai. 021-6393-1234 or－6318.

Average cost per head: 250 yuan ($40).

Recommended: Wood-fire-roasted Duck, Bean Curd with Toon Shoots and Conpoy, Deep-fried Sweet Fish with Longjing Tea, Vinegar-Flavored Ice Cream.