It seems that fortune cookies rarely predict destinies anymore, and certainly mine at Shangri-La was somewhat self-serving considering the source: “A good way to keep healthy is to eat more Chinese food.” However, it could have just as easily read that a good way to stay happy is to eat more Chinese food.

Especially at Shangri-La.

This Chinese restaurant in the city’s northeast quadrant does little to distinguish its strip mall exterior. What a surprise to discover a tastefully decorated, upscale eatery that highlights its Mandarin and Sichuan cuisine without resorting to kitsch. What a greater delight to find exceptional service and well-prepared food.

Yes, Shangri-La offers the usual sweet and sour suspects, along with other standards associated with Chinese restaurants, but more is available to expand one’s culinary horizons. Nonetheless, we started with something familiar: crab rangoon ($6.25) and pork steamed dumplings ($8.25).

The crab appetizers are essentially fried wontons filled with a mix of crab and cream cheese. The shell’s crunchiness complements the soft filling, creating a perfect union of textures. A few dipping sauces accompanied the dumplings, including sinus-clearing mustard, sweet and sour sauce and a soy/sesame sauce.

Half a dozen soups are available, but the one that stood out was the create-your-own noodle soup ($13.25 for beef, chicken, pork or vegetable and $14.25 for shrimp or combination). It’s not just the protein that’s selected but the type of noodle: choices include vermicelli, rice noodles, egg noodles or chow fun noodles.

For our entrees we chose to sample some of the chefs specials: walnut prawns ($17.75) and Beef and Scallops in a Sizzling Plate ($21.75). We also ordered the Bar-be-Que Pork with mixed vegetables ($13.25) and chicken chow fun ($12.25).

I have difficulty resisting chow fun. At Shangri-La the wide noodles wear a light coat of sesame oil and share the plate with an array of vegetables, including asparagus, baby corn, onion, broccoli, carrots. The thinly sliced pieces of chicken are tender. The chow fun, as with all entrees, comes with a choice of steamed white or brown rice. Given that the dish is composed of rice noodles, I passed on the opportunity to eat rice in two different forms.

I should mention that the plating is impressive. Most of the entrees arrive in domed serving plates. The exception was the beef and scallops. The sizzling plate is no misnomer. What amounts to a handful of sliced onions are placed on a metal plate inset in a wooden tray. The metal is so hot that, first, the onions and then the remaining ingredients do, in fact, sizzle. Our server explained that the onions help keep the beef, and everything else, from sticking to the metal plate. They also provide an enticing aroma and the sound is dramatic.

This dish is chock full of pieces of scallops, thinly sliced beef and a medley of veggies. I was surprised, however, to see that tiny, perfectly cubed carrots and peas, suggestive of the variety found in a supermarket frozen food section, were part of the ensemble.

The size of the prawns and the number served were impressive. Their sweet flavor was enhanced by a light citrus egg wash and the walnuts.

The barbecue pork featured the same assortment of vegetables as our other dishes. The flavor of the pork was tangy and an odd, mauve color. As we shared dishes, this and the prawns appealed to everyone the most. These were the two items not to make it home as leftovers.

Shangri-La does a brisk takeout business and, like most Chinese restaurants, offers lunch specials significantly less expensive than the same items at dinner. But the atmosphere for the evening meal has more of a special- occasion ambiance. Gone are the place mats and in their stead are linen tablecloths, and warm dinner plates arrive just before the entrees. The ambiance in the evening is more subdued as if to enhance lingering over the various courses rather than having everything served on a single plate.

If I follow my fortune cookie’s claim, then eating Chinese food at Shangri-La should keep me healthy – and I know it will make me happy.