Attached to the airport, on the ground floor of the Regal Airport Hotel, Shanghainese restaurant, The Dragon Inn looks like any number of other Chinese hotel restaurants. Dark woodwork and dragon embroidery abound but the space itself is well proportioned and pleasant without succumbing to the tacky pitfalls of other Chinese banquet destinations. The staff is well turned out and the interior is warm and welcoming with especially charming booths for smaller groups wanting a degree of privacy. Although nothing extraordinary, the décor is worlds away from the other airport dining options.

Ostensibly a Shanghainese restaurant, the menu at the Regal Airport hotel’s Dragon Inn seems fairly split between Shanghai and Yangzhou cuisine. The dishes on offer include all of the typical banquet standbys but there are also some surprises to be found and are universally made up of fresh, high-quality ingredients. The cold starters are solid but with few surprises. The chilled black fungus in homemade sauce (HK$78) provides a refreshing vinegary crunch and prepares the palate for the upcoming dishes. The marinated duck tongues (HK$88) are delicious, plump and flavourful, seasoned with more kick than other more boring versions of the dish elsewhere. However skip the smoked egg with shrimp roe (HK$68), which does not approach traditional Shanghai, smoked eggs. The mains are for the most part quite good although typically heavy and thickly sauced. The camphor tea-smoked duck (HK$168) has a delicious flavour but the meat is much too dry. Two signature dishes, a braised pork belly with egg (HK$108) and pan-fried prawn with salty egg yolk and stir-fried river shrimps (HK$288) are both delicious if heavy. The stars of the meal are a Tientsin cabbage soup with Yunnan Ham and conpoy (HK$98) and the assorted osmanthus puddings desert (HK$48), which are both excellent.

The wine selection at Dragon Inn, while not exceptional, is sufficient and includes wines that are diverse both economically and geographically. The staff is well-acquainted with the wine list even if their recommendations are sometimes bizarre. The by-the-glass and half-bottle selections are especially impressive.

The service is efficient, professional and eager to please. Even with a slight language barrier, their knowledge of the daunting menu and wine list is apparent and much appreciated.

Although no bargain, for the most part the menu and wine list are reasonably priced. Just watch for a price jump on premium items. Dinner for two with wine will cost about HK$xxx.