[Shanghai] Shanghai Tang Cafe 上海滩

Shanghai Tang Cafe 上海滩 | Dianping
Address: 2F/3F, 黄陂南路333号近湖滨路 – 2F/3F, 333 Huangpi South Rd near Hubin Rd in Xintiandi
Date visited: 2013.11 for weekday lunch
Total bill: RMB¥228 for three people (~RMB¥76 per person)
Will return: Yes
What to get:
– Crystal shrimp dumplings
– Green onion pie
– Pan-fried dumpling
– Crispy durian puff
– Braised radish with soy sauce
– Yellow croaker soup noodles

Part of the Xintiandi Work Lunch Series

Many people may know Shanghai Tang as a clothing store under the luxury brand group Richemont (which also owns Cartier, Montblanc, and Panerai among others)… or maybe only I knew and now you all know. Like the other brands under the Richemont umbrella, Shanghai Tang ain’t cheap. For some reason, the Xintiandi branch has a restaurant extension to the store and offers food of the Shanghainese variety. The food is quite good actually and not nearly as expensive as the clothes. I frequent this place for lunch on weekdays.

Dishes on the Shanghai Tang menu can range from double digits (dim sum) to triple digits (signature braised beef) so your total bill is really dependent on what you get. I mean, I have seen people drop 800 bucks at Family Mart, which is why I don’t even try to categorize restaurants by price anymore. For weekday lunch, Shanghai Tang discounts select dishes from the regular menu at 25% off. There is quite a wide selection of dishes on this discount menu, which is a major plus over some of the nearby restaurants that only offer a few choices for discount lunch sets. You can also order items from the regular menu but those will not be discounted. I suggest coming here in multiples of three for maximum dish variety and also because most of the dim sum comes in pieces of 3.

Original prices are shown on the discount lunch menu and the bill will show an additional 25% off.

Tea is RMB¥6 per person with free water refills for the pot.

Crystal shrimp dumplings (RMB¥28 for four pieces)
Recommend: yes
When it comes to dim sum, people love shrimp dumplings but I never had an affinity for them because the ones I have tasted were mostly bland. I am more of a shengjianbao person anyway. But the shrimp dumplings here are flavorful and have some soup inside. Liked.

Red bean paste cake (RMB¥18 for three pieces)
Recommend: no
We all agreed the dough had a rubbery texture and didn’t like it. I won’t be getting this next time but it’s okay because there are plenty of other great dishes here to make up for it.

Pan-fried dumpling (RMB¥36 for three pieces)
Recommend: yes
My number one love is shengjianbao and this version definitely does not disappoint. Yang’s Dumplings 小杨生煎 is my go-to for shengjianbao and I don’t tend to order these at sit down restaurants because they usually sell really polished versions that do not taste quite as good. But Shanghai Tang’s interpretation of shengjianbao is an exception. Inside the fluffy bun is not only the pork filling but also built-in vinegar! Vinegar from the inside out is so genius and you don’t have to worry about spilling anything by trying to dip the bao into the vinegar dish. Like like like.

Green onion pie (RMB¥18 for three pieces)
Recommend: yes
Not quite as greasy and savory as the ones found on the street but good nonetheless. At least the oil here is less questionable than the stands on the street (I hope).

Crispy durian puff (RMB¥26 for three pieces)
Recommend: yes
My first time trying durian anything. I really liked the light durian flavor in between flakey pastry layers. This is definitely encouraging me to branch out and try other durian things.

Braised radish with soy sauce (RMB¥48)
Recommend: yes
My friend slash coworker highly recommended this after having eaten this previously with other coworkers. If you like radish, you will definitely like this as I do.

Stewed chicken with three special sauce (RMB¥58)
Recommend: maybe
Not bad but I just don’t particularly like to eat meat with bones still attached and this has bones attached.

Yellow croaker soup noodles (RMB¥48)
Recommend: yes
One of Shanghai Tang’s signature dishes. The opaque broth is well seasoned and has plenty of tender boneless fish pieces. Great choice if you want a warm bowl of soup on a cold day.

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