Shanghai Surprise.

Hidden in the valley of love, main street New Norfolk is the Divine Shanghai Chinese restaurant. Its cheap its cosy and the food is really good. You can also BYO beer, wine or pre mixed, making even more of a saving.

The menu is huge, if you cant find it on the menu just ask and mostly it can be cooked for you. There is even a banquet for 2 at $26 and another for $28. Banquets for 4 or more are also available. This gives you a good variety of soup, entree, main and dessert.

I really judge a Chinese restaurant on their ability to make a broth for the soups, usually the same broth is used for all soups, with the extras added in later. The chicken and corn soup is Divine, tasty, plenty of chicken and the lovely egg running through.

Entrees are nice little nibbles of your favourites like, prawn crackers, spring rolls,dim Sims, prawn cutlets etc, most looking home made and tasting authentic.

Mains are reasonably priced with not alot over $20, even for prawn and scallop dishes. Cantonese, sweet and sour, combinations, all freshly prepared with quality produce, duck is even on the menu. The sweet and sour combination is delightful, with a good mix of beef, pork, ham, chicken and prawns. The fried rice includes chicken, shrimp, ham and char shew in it and is very tasty. If your going to share dishes let them know and you will get the extra plates needed. If you intend to try a few dishes, have the sweet and sour last as the sweetness can make other dishes seem very bland in comparison.

If you have room for dessert, try the deep fried ice cream, a coconut crumbed batter covering a vanilla ice cream ball with macadamia nuts inside. Very refreshing after a good pig out on all the wonderful tastes on offer.

Open for lunch or dinner, even Sunday nights, lunch time has a special half price menu that is exceptionaly good value and the quality and quantity is the same.

Its not a fancy restaurant, with no exceptional decor, but it is clean, the staff friendly and helpful and service is quick. I really have to give this 4 out of 5 because i keep going back, the distance doesn't put me off, and I even think about the food when I'm hungry. A most enjoyable yet simple experience.