SINCE there is no heating to warm you up in Shenzhen, you have to resort to other heat sources to keep yourself cozy. What better way can you think of than hot delicious food to fuel your energy in the cold drizzling weather?

    Xin Thai, a restaurant chain featuring Southeast Asian cuisine, has reshuffled their menu and offered up 10 new dishes especially for winter starting in 2016.

    Banana flower and coconut salad, cucumber served with eggplant sauce, papaya and shrimp salad and roasted pork neck are the light starters that will work up your appetite, followed up by Thai-style stir-fried Chinese broccoli, pomfret cooked with ginger and red curry, beef ribs roasted with lemongrass sauce, pork stir-fried grains and rice, and green curry shrimp soup.

    A must-try is the tom yum kung seafood hotpot, which will certainly satisfy your palate and warm you up.

    A Thai soup usually cooked with shrimp, the dish is widely served in neighboring countries such as Cambodia, Brunei, Malaysia and Singapore, and has been popularized around the world.

    “Tom” refers to boiling process, while “yum” refers to a Thai spicy and sour salad. Characterized by its distinct hot and sour flavors, fragrant spices and herbs — such as lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, lime juice, fish sauce, and crushed chili peppers — are used in the broth.

    Founded in 2006, the Thai restaurant chain opened its ninth store at Avic Center 9 Square in downtown Huaqiangbei in Futian District at the end of last year.

    Featuring wooden sculptures and other Buddhist art pieces, the Thai-flavored deco inside the new store provides an elegant and posh dining environment.

    It also comes with a spacious open terrace where people can chat and enjoy the delicacies as well as a view of the bustling city. (Debra Li)