Enter Sholk, or Silk.
This Chinese restaurant is a welcome addition to the upper-Tverskaya dining scene, and not just for soaking up Yakitoria's spillover.
Although the posh-looking exterior can be offputting, the management seems to be attempting to dispel expectations of metal detectors, face control and exorbitant prices with cheerful banners outside advertising "100% Chinese Food." Inside, you'll find a warm atmosphere, friendly service, high-quality food and prices that would mostly qualify as "democratic."
The modern, minimalist interior has two rooms separated by large, bubbling tanks inhabited by tranquil goldfish -- a relaxing sight to gaze upon as you sip the complimentary jasmine tea. There is also a number of private booths, including some romantic little hideaways by the windows.
The head chef is said to be from Beijing, and the management prides itself on offering real Chinese food, unadapted for European palates. Northern Chinese cuisine dominates the menu, although there is a page of spicier southern dishes.
We started with the jellyfish salad (168 rubles): transparent, noodle-like, delightfully springy strands of jellyfish with cucumber -- perfect for reinvigorating jaded dining companions. Equally good was the delicate and subtle Silk Thread salad (161 rubles), with its thread-like Chinese golden mushrooms among equally thread-like strips of carrot and cucumber in garlic vinegar.
Other tasty choices include the fried shrimp (252 rubles) -- which our helpful waitress instructed us should be eaten with the shell on -- and the Dunbei dumplings filled with green beans, shrimp, pork, ginger, spices and red pepper (224 rubles).
Moving on to the main courses -- after vowing to try the delicious-sounding soups next visit -- we found the chicken with peanuts (254 rubles) to be a spicy surprise with dried red chili peppers, nicely complemented by a serving of fresh, firm snow peas (196 rubles). We splurged on half a Chinese fried duck with an aromatic crust (956 rubles), which was as fatty as expected but had ample tender meat, irresistible crispy skin and just-right sauces -- soybean paste and sweet "icy flowers" jam.
As for the steamed rice, it was free on our second visit after costing 36 rubles a serving the time before, which management explained by saying it depends on what you have it with.
Drinks-wise, we started with Edelweiss draft unfiltered beer (129 rubles for a half-liter), but our lovely waitress -- always on top of things -- was wise enough to recommend the Chinese bottled beers for our second round. The Tsingtao and Laoshan (both 90 rubles a bottle) were crisp, cold and refreshing, with the less well-known Laoshan probably the better of the two.
"I'm surprised," said one of our dining companions as we finished up. "It's restored my faith in Chinese food."
29 1st Tverskaya-Yamskaya Ulitsa, Bldg. 1 (facing Ploshchad Tverskoi Zastavy). Metro Belorusskaya. Tel. 251-4134, 250-5389. 11 a.m. to 5 a.m. (or until last customer).
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