I rarely write reviews but I thought I'd make an exception for Alisan as the restaurant (especially dim sum) is really exceptional.

I live about 40 minutes from Alisan but I've dined there over 5 times now in the space of 2 months and am always impressed with the quality of food served. I love dim sum and have eaten it at several different Chinese restaurants and none of them even compare to Alisan. What I like most is that they manage to keep the food traditional but with a contemporary edge. Also I've found that some Chinese restaurants seem to use quite low quality ingredients and ‘fillers’ rather than actual meat and prawns in their dim sum especially in shumai and dumplings. You can tell Alisan however uses high quality ingredients which is reflected in the taste. If you were to compare dim sum to sausages, Alisan's would be in the gourmet category.

I've also been there for dinner a few times and would definitely recommend the Cantonese style fillet steak, seafood and tofu hot pot, and steamed seabass in soya sauce. The Jasmine tea has a lovely fragrance and you can tell it's of good quality. The cocktails are really yummy too, especially the Pina Coladas and Long Island ice teas (word of warning: they are rather generous with the alcohol!)

In terms of the decor, it's relaxed with a contemporary feel and importantly clean (including the bathroom). The service is good, wouldn't say it's exceptional but everyone has been polite every time I go there. To be honest, the quality of food is what I care about the most, the decor and service will always be secondary.

Overall, a fantastic restaurant and one that I've recommended to many of my friends and family, all of whom agree that Alisan was worth the trip and serves delicious food.