Shinsekai Saikan (or Xinshijie Caiguan, to give it the proper Pinyin reading) has plied its trade at the Jinbocho Crossing since 1946 -- so long, indeed, that it's become one of the neighborhood landmarks. The name may be "New World Restaurant," but this is definitely an establishment of the old school.

However, aside from a few retro flourishes -- the window display, with its faded silicon food models; the black bow ties of the waiters -- Shinsekai really doesn't look its age. Thanks to a face-lift in the not too distant past, it boasts the kind of smart, generic-Chinese decor of the kind favored by mid- to upper-level eateries for the past 50 years. No new-wave fusion here, and not a hint of any designer furnishings either. It's all as polished as you'd find in the dining room of a venerable hotel on the mainland.

The service is straightforward and unpretentious, and so is the cooking. Shinsekai is of the Shanghainese persuasion, which means the sweet, oil-laden dishes of the China's eastern provinces predominate. But there is also a strong infusion of Sichuan influences to enliven the palate with plenty of chili and huajiao (prickly ash pepper). The trilingual menu has all the usual categories and is easy enough to navigate.