Teppanyaki with an eye on health

Shanghai

Greenhouse restaurant sits on a quiet street in Hongqiao, one of the busiest commercial districts in Shanghai where many expatriate businessmen gather. The owner of the restaurant himself is from Taiwan.

Wu Caixiong, 58, opened Greenhouse six years ago in his first attempt at the food and beverage trade, and he has been rewarded with recognition from the foodies in his neighborhood.

Wu has great ideas on healthy cuisine, and he has brought these even to the teppanyaki grill. For example, instead of the traditional butter used on the hot plate, the restaurant uses tea oil, extracted from the tea camellia seeds, a very high-grade oil.

"It's much better for health," says Peng Huaiwei, deputy manager of the restaurant.

There is also a special salt Greenhouse uses that is imported from Bolivia, rose-colored crystals that are very rare.

"It can bring out the best taste of ingredients," says Gao Naijing, the head chef who has more than 20 years experience at the teppanyaki grill.

"We place a lot of emphasis on high-fiber content and low-fat food."

Quality is the emphasis, and for a premium price of 1,420 yuan ($216), diners can enjoy Australian lobster, French foie gras and top-grade steak. Not all set meals cost that much, and prices start at an affordable 360 yuan.

The mushroom soup was singled out by the chef as a stellar example of the restaurant's healthy approach to good-eating. Instead of using cream and flour, the traditional thickening agents, the chef uses a rice milk to reduce the fat content while retaining the richness of the flavors.

A special salad of mountain yam (burdock), lotus and raisins is doused in a special dressing - and proving extremely popular with diners who believe that it can help reduce blood sugar.

Greenhouse may be an unusual destination for a reunion dinner gathering this year, but more and more people in Shanghai are eating out for that all-important meal.

Greenhouse is already 70 percent booked for Lunar New Year eve, and the restaurant is responding to the good demand with elegant gift sets for customers over 60 - little bottles of home-made XO sauce and Bolivian rose salt crystals.

The restaurant's warm, eco-friendly ambience will also be a soothing setting for the reunion gatherings.

Much of its dcor is Bali-inspired with plenty of water features, potted plants and little bridges.

Comfortable cherry wood chairs with black leather seats and randomly scattered pieces of antique furniture add to the low-key luxury.