[Shanghai] Sichuan Citizen
Sichuan Citizen | www.citizenshanghai.com | Dianping
Address: 东湖路30号(近淮海中路) – 30 Donghu Rd near Huaihai Middle Rd (徐汇区 Xuhui District)
Date visited: 2013.09
Total bill: RMB¥540 for four people
Will return: Will probably be forced to
What to get:
– Black Fungus
– Lion’s Head Pork Meatballs
– Fish in Spicy Broth
I am in Chinatown America. This place feels like a scene out of Rush Hour 2. The food is fine and I never have a bad time eating it but it is very western Chinese food. Authenticity is not what you will find here but these Americanized dishes can hold their own. I do prefer other Chinese restaurants over this because, well, I am in China. To my friends who live nearby and make us come here out of sheer laziness, stahp it.
P.S. They charge ¥2 for a glass of regular water (not a huge deal but who does that these days). If I get charged for water, it better be coming out of a bottle.
Black Fungus (RMB¥22)
Recommend: yes
I quite like the slightly spicy and tangy flavors in this.
Sweet Lotus (RMB¥28)
Recommend: no
Sweet lotus is actually a Shanghainese cold dish but here I am sitting in a western Sichuan restaurant eating it hot. It’s a little off. The lotus needed to be cooked a bit more for softness as well. We keep getting this and I keep forgetting this is the case.
Snow Pea Sprout (RMB¥42)
Recommend: it’s the same everywhere
Lion’s Head Pork Meatballs (RMB¥68)
Recommend: yes
Lion’s Head is another Shanghainese dish yet I find myself eating a different interpretation of it here. Rather than deep fried on the outside, this was covered in rice. While it is not the most authentic experience, I do like this dish. There is also sweet squash mash underneath meatballs, which I liked as well.
Chicken Soup (RMB¥58)
Recommend: no
Good broth flavor but but was not a fan of the stringy vegetable fillers in the soup.
Fish in Spicy Broth (RMB¥78)
Recommend: yes
This is a signature dish here. You can’t (and shouldn’t) drink the actual broth nor eat the pieces of spices in this because they are only meant to flavor the fish. The fish is boneless for the most part but you might find some pieces with just a bit of bone attached so be careful. I like this with some white rice for balance.
Walnut Prawns (RMB¥78)
Recommend: yes
We spent a great deal debating whether one of our friends’ dad invent walnut prawns or not (the conclusion was that it was highly probable). There is hella mayo on this, which makes it super heavy. It’s not the greatest walnut prawns (I have had better in Philly Chinatown) but I don’t mind it.
