Western Star

Wok-fried prawn Sichuan style.[Photo provided to China Daily]

In the Zhong restaurant dining room, the star of the menu is Wong's Xixia roasted lamb spare ribs. The grass-fed lamb comes from the nearby city of Yanchi, and the chef credits the region's environment－where the Yellow River, the Gobi desert and the sheltering face of Helan Mountain meet to create an ideal environment for producing high-quality meat that is both tender and aromatic. Wong says his secret method of marinating the roasted lamb skin is what gives his signature dish its richly flavored crust.

Our meal starts with a European-style presentation of amuse bouche, created by the Hong Kong master chef who is now equally at home with Ningxia cuisine. On any given night, the veritable parade of nibbles may include spicy beef, pickled vegetable Sichuan style, steamed Chinese date stuffed with glutinous rice, cuttlefish with pepper, chili ring with soy sauce, fish filet with sweet sour sauce, and cabbage mustard with soya beans.

Before the signature lamb arrives, the hotel's general manager, Detlef Winter, takes us on a quick tour of the dining area. Beyond the public area are 24 private dining rooms that can accommodate parties of six to 20, beautifully appointed with Chinese and Western elements and featuring expansive views of the city. Beyond, there is Helan Mountain, with rich farmlands on the eastern side and far-reaching desert on the other.

There is also a well-stocked wine room where, Winter notes, a top-notch selection of French Bordeaux and Burgundy wines has pride of place. Ningxia, of course, is an up-and-coming wine region itself－much of the talk at nearby tables, whether populated by local Chinese or visiting Europeans, seems to be about viticulture, and local labels have won a place on the restaurant's wine list.