"You won't need to book ahead on a Tuesday night!" laughed a friend when I told her I was making arrangements for dinner. Ordinarily this would be true, but she evidently hadn't been to the Tomato Kitchen Café either. Sat at the bar while waiting for a table (at 6.50pm!) I had time to ponder what makes this place so popular. Is it just the lakeside view? It's certainly the best in Ligongdi with even the distant buoys lit up prettily in the shape of mini-pagodas. (I don't know what the SIP's power consumption is like,  but don't tell Al Gore). Back inside, a half-open kitchen gives an air of transparency to the brisk proceedings and most of the dishes are equally reassuring. The Panfried Goose Liver with Red Berry Juice (78 RMB) tasted almost too good to actually be liver and the juice had a savory jam consistency. OK, the vegetables in the Cooked Vegetable Salad with Smoked Salmon (32 RMB) weren't actually cooked, but, hey, I'm all for healthier options. That left the Roasted Herb Marinated Chicken with Rice (38 RMB) to end the meal on a high note, which it did with aplomb – and was a steal considering the price and the generosity of the portion. 

56 Ligongdi, SIP 苏州工业园区李公堤56号, Daily 11.30am-11pm. All cards. Tel: 6287 5966