here for the café culture, though, but for the first-floor dining room (painted red, and characteristically shabby) and the fantastic home-style Chinese cooking, much of it in Shanghai-regional style, that you can order there. For this kitchen is extremely competent, making no compromises for the presumed delicate sensibilities/palates of Western diners; and at its best, it rivals any cuisine in this style to be found in London's Chinatown.

An order of the Sichuan classic Ma po tofu, for instance, was exceptional: soft tofu cubes of the proper consistency (trembly yet solid), plus plenty of ground pork, are simmered in a red sauce whose hints of chili oil, fermented black beans, and distinctive mentholated peppercorns gave it serious depth. Wonton soup is a superior version of this staple dish: you get six wontons made in-house, skillfully folded crumpled-paper-style around a juicy filling of pork and bits of shrimp, crowded together in a flavorful chicken broth. A simple stir-fry of baby pak choi and sliced garlic pulled well above its weight: the vegetables resolved into rich, spinach-y bites of leaves, crisper bites of stem, and very sharp bites of garlic. What might have seemed like excess oil complemented the steamed white rice beautifully, turning it into something as rice as fried rice.

Best of all was the Chef's Special Pork, a whole ham hock (or trotter - the bit between the foot and the leg), presented bone-in, then portioned into tender, practically melting shreds and firmer chunks for easy lifting. The meat, which had been slowly stewed in a soy sauce braise sweetened with rice wine and sugar (a style called hong-shao), had penetrating flavours and the gelatinous texture that makes hock such a beguiling, addictive thing to eat. The sauce, an appealing reddish-brown, had the right amount of sweetness and a slightly sticky consistency. This is homey, robust cooking, and among the Chinese dishes available in Cambridge, it's pretty much not to be missed.

Not everything was as good as the best things on the menu. An order of stir-fried squid looked fantastic - carved in 'dragon-scale' rings, its curves accentuated by copious sliced celery and lotus root - but the squid itself lacked flavour, and there seemed too little of it among the pile of humble vegetables. Kung po chicken, the familiar Sichuan dish of chicken and peanuts, was fine but unassertive; it would have benefited from more chili pepper. But neither dish was a disaster, and our table of four polished everything off quite happily.

When we turned up for dinner on a Sunday night, the restaurant was empty and remained so all night. Only a crackling soundtrack of Chinese-approved pop standards (a female vocalist doing Bryan Adams covers, Kenny G., etc.) briefly kept our table company. We sincerely hope that the slow business night does not reflect the general fortunes of this excellent place. The food is delicious, prepared with obvious knowledge and skill; the service is earnest and efficient; everything is reasonably priced. Shanghai Family Restaurant is a real find, and long may it prosper.