Organ is an excellent café with Japanese leanings. It’s two stories, but the first smells and looks like a fish and chip shop. So go up a floor, where friendly staff greet you in Japanese, with a hint of surprise that you actually found the place. The second floor features a tall wall of windows looking out onto the treetops. It’s a treehouse bungalow where an art gallery owner might live.

The handmade, handwritten menus are a nice touch, but be warned that a good half of it is written in Japanese and Chinese, with only some offerings in English. There’s beer, tea and coffee (RMB20-30), wine (RMB35 by the glass, bottles up to RMB350) and cocktails. All the food is under RMB60 and spans traditional Japanese to Western favorites with a Japanese twist. We flipped through the gold-rimmed menu, took its advice to “enjoy our favorite tipple” and ordered the chai tea with rum (RMB35 with rum, RMB30 without). Unfortunately, the weak tea meant it tasted like hot, watered down rum with ginger.

Our waiter recommended the Japanese-style fried chicken (RMB35), and for good reason:.The sliced cutlet of juicy chicken with a crispy, light panko crust matched its drizzles of tartar sauce quite well. We also tried the salmon main (RMB40), composed of two broiled salmon steaks in a green pesto cream sauce with bacon sautéed potatoes and a mixed green salad. The salmon was devoured and the potatoes are buttery, bacon-y and so good they were gone before the salmon. It’s maximum deliciousness.

Dessert had to be the cheesecake (RMB25), a point of pride at Organ. It has a brown, buttery crust and a rich baked flavor complemented by fresh banana and an ooze of whipped cream. It’s unmissable. We’ll definitely be back to Organ. The food is affordable and very tasty, the ambiance unique and the wine cheap.

DETAILS

What: Organ

Where: 66 Ziyun Xi Lu 紫云西路66号

Tel: 6233-6593