The food scene in Hangzhou falls roughly into two parts: the traditional and the new. Hangzhou has a storied, venerable cuisine which has traditionally been of and for the literati. The city's food emphasizes reminders and resonances of the literary arts, especially poetry. However, the traditional dishes of Hangzhou (which was a world cultural center in the Song Dynasty and was visited at its peak by Marco Polo) are few - according to the chief chef at Lou Wai Lou, they number only about 40.

Tourists, especially Chinese tourists, flock to Hangzhou as it is considered one of the loveliest places in China. These tourists tend to eat at the traditional restaurants and focus on those 40 famous, often literary-themed dishes. Local Hangzhou people, however, have understandably grown bored with the traditional repertoire and flock to restaurants like the massive and opulent Xin Kai Yuan, where the main appeal is newness. Owner Wang Zhiyuan (who has a chain of restaurants) keeps a staff of ten test chefs whose sole function is to constantly create new recipes.

Personally, I like the traditional places:

Lou Wai Lou. One of the most famous restaurants in China, this place has operated since 1848 on the lovely shores of West Lake in Hangzhou. Its location next to the old Seal Engraving Society helps cement its position as one of the origin points of Hangzhou's literary cuisine. When asked which dish he would present first to a foreign visitor, chef Wu Xunqu chose beggar's chicken, a Chinese dish known all over the world but rarely prepared as well as it is here, where it may in fact have originated. Lou Wai Lou, No. 30, Gu Shan Rd., Hangzhou, China. (0571) 8796-9023. English menu; little English spoken.

Shan Wai Shan. The undeniable top specialty of this peaceful, arboreal restaurant in the Hangzhou Botanical Garden is its justly famed fish head soup (yu tou tang). Other marvelous dishes include Hangzhou jiang ya, a very good cold duck dish; longjing xia ren or shelled shrimp with green tea, a classic of Hangzhou-Suzhou cuisine, and ke se yu pian, or special flavor fish slices. In this last dish, raw fish slices are brought to the table alongside a shallow bowl of near-boiling oil, and are cooked right in front of you by a plunge into the oil. The result is surprisingly light and non-oily. Shan Wai Shan, 8 Yuquan Lu, Hangzhou Botanical Garden. Tel. 0571-87995866. English menu.

Shang Palace, Shangri-La Hotel. Okay, I haven't eaten there, but many food writers pinpoint Shang Palace, the signature restaurant in the posh Shangri-La Hotel, as being Hangzhou's best. So why I haven't I eaten there? Because I freeze when I see white tablecloths and Chinese food in the same establishment, especially when a five-star hotel is involved. Next trip. Shang Palace, Shangri-La Hotel, Beishan Lu 78, on West Lake's north shore. 0571-8797-7951.