Shanghai Dilly

"Orange beef" is the one dish that has been served every time I've eaten here. Thin-sliced, dredged in cornstarch, fried up as crunchy as pork rinds, and sauced with dried peel that tastes a bit like Seville orange marmalade, this cries out for a bowl of plain steamed rice, which, as is the custom in banquet-style Chinese restaurants, is served only on request. If you want to be sure that some is available, request it when you make your reservation.

A simple stir-fry of celery and dried tofu was similar to the cilantro and dried tofu appetizer, and was a nice palate cleanser for the following rich dish of braised pork shank (often called honey ham on Shanghai menus). The sauce was incredible, and great with rice, though the meat might have benefited from cooking a bit longer.

Stir-fried eggplant had such intense wok hay (a Chinese term for the unique flavors created by expert wok cooking) that it almost tasted grilled. A pinch of sugar added to the caramel and crust, and was balanced with something sour so the dish didn't taste sweet.

The final dish was a scrumptious, stewlike hot pot of meaty eel (or perhaps lamprey), soft taro dumplings, whole garlic, and cilantro. With a fancier presentation, this dish could fit on the menu of the most expensive French-Asian fusion restaurant. It seemed an odd note to end on. Next time, when reserving I'll ask to end with a light dish and fresh fruit.

Jai Yun has a small selection of beers, including Tsingtao, which would have been great with the cold appetizers. There's also a limited choice of wine, but you'd do better to take advantage of the no-corkage-charge policy and bring your own.

The price per person starts at $45. Pay more and you get more appetizers, additional courses, and fancier ingredients such as abalone and eel. The meal in this review was $80; I feared the top-priced $100 menu might substitute items such as shark's fin that are prized more for their rarity and expense than for their flavor.

Jai Yun isn't cheap, but few S.F. restaurants give as much value for your money. This is as good as Chinese food gets in this town, so get a group together and take a crack at making a reservation.