I used not to believe in horoscopes, but I recently changed my mind about the Chinese variety.

Earlier this month we entered the Year of the Rabbit. People born in this year are — a website told me — “articulate, talented, and ambitious. They are virtuous, reserved, and have excellent taste. Rabbit people are admired, trusted, and are often financially lucky”. I was born in the Year of the Rabbit, in 1951. No more need be said.

Having discovered what all-round splendid people we rabbits are, I naturally felt inclined to celebrate the dawn of our year. The website told me this would occur on February 3. Shanghai 30’s, an excellent Chinese restaurant which I reviewed on its opening some five years ago, seemed the ideal place to go. The venue had to be a good one, for another thing about rabbits is our “uncanny gift of choosing the right thing”.

The restaurant has its own considerable presence online: a £22 a head special menu was being advertised. I made a booking for dinner. On arrival the next night, we were treated with great charm by the staff. We were seated at a fine table, looking out over St Aldates (goodness me: how many completely empty buses pass by!). Two menus were handed to us; neither was for New Year. Had my ‘uncanny gift’ failed? It had. The Chinese New Year festivities, like our own, occur the night before the big day. There had been, we learned, a very good evening at Shanghai 30’s.

But what was the problem? We were there. The place was busy, buzzy, full. Rosemarie and I could have a new year party of our own. There would have been even more incentive for this had I known then what we were shortly to discover — that we were to be treated to a VIP welcome. This was a consequence, I suppose, of not concealing my identity when I made the booking. On the way in, I’d noticed my 2005 review still pinned up beside the door.

The revelation came when we were midway through our starters. We were tucking into a shared platter of hors d’oeuvres, thinking what a generous assortment it was. We had portions each of spare ribs glazed in a honey and champagne sauce, minced chicken breast patties coated with sliced almonds and served with lemon sauce, crispy fried king prawns in thin pastry with sweet chilli sauce, and vegetarian spring rolls. To this already bountiful feast was added, compliments of the management, a giant prawn, near lobster-size, on sesame seed toast.

The menu at Shanghai 30’s is designed to reflect the opulent style of cuisine to be found in the Chinese city in its inter-war heyday. It features both classic and contemporary dishes from Shanghai and the surrounding areas — Shaoxing and Yangchow — as well as popular dishes from Sichuan, Peking and Canton. Visual attraction is a feature of presentation, with flowers and other decorations often used.

That said, there was nothing especially appealing, to my eyes at least, in my main course dish of mango and black cod rolls — though it tasted absolutely delicious. Thick rounds of cod loin (said to be ‘champagne marinated’, though there was no way of knowing) had been wrapped with fresh mango and seaweed in thin pastry, and served in a glutinous clear lemon sauce.

From the chef’s special menu I had also ordered ‘cabbage in heaven’, which turned out not to be a misnomer for lightly steamed Chinese leaves, spread fanwise and served with a ginger and soy sauce.

Rosemarie’s sea-spiced chicken featured stir-fried shredded breast, with wood ear mushrooms and ginger in a sweet and sour sauce. In fact, good though it was, much of it was set aside in favour of the VIP gift of sizzling beef fillet. This was fried slices of brandy-marinated beef with onion and pepper in a honey and black pepper sauce.

A feature of the New Year menu that had greatly appealed to the Billy Bunter within me had been the pudding of Crispy Fried Custard Cream Buns. Since these didn’t figure on tonight’s menu (luckily!) I decided enough was enough and let Rosemarie get on with her poached snow pears and ice cream.

A final traditional treat was the offering of fortune cookies. The message with mine seemed somewhat appropriate in the circumstances: “People will be listening to what you have to say.” I do hope so.