This Shanghai restaurant is located in Wanchai, on the basement of Novotel Hotel, very near to my office. As its name implies, the restaurant did have a long history and is one of those which offered the traditional style of Shanghai cuisine. The decor is pretty old-style as well, but overall still fairly decent.
With my mother along the three of us can order a bit more, starting with the signature Smoked Eggs. It is really good, with a running yolk, and the egg white fused with the smoky flavors and seasoned nicely. For those who prefer a bit more saltiness there is also the five spice salt provided but for me the original flavors are already great.
Another dish we ordered is the Stir-fried Small Shrimps. A very traditional and common dish for all Shanghai restaurant, it is a testament to the quality in my opinion. The size of the shrimps is appropriate, and certainly requires a lot of effort to peel the shell and remove the intestines. The seasoning is also spot-on, with a little spring onion added to enhance the flavors, and the Zhejiang vinegar just made the whole experience fantastic. The dish did pass my test here.
We also ordered the Sweet and Sour Deep-fried Mandarin Fish with Pinenuts. Again a traditional dish, the fish is deep-fried nicely, with a crispy skin while the meat is still tender and not dried up. The sweet and sour sauce has the right balance, mouth-watering and appetizing. Another good dish that meets my high expectation.
The other dish ordered was Chicken and Dumpling Soup in Clay Pot. The portion was enough for 4, with half a chicken and eight dumplings in total. The soup is rich in flavors, but I would say is a bit too salty. The fillings of the dumpling are also a bit 'hard' for me, feeling like the meat is mechanically minced and compressed too much in the process. It would also be nice if the restaurant can add a bit of vegetable like Chinese Cabbage to lighten the saltiness of the soup and adding the sweetness from the vegetable.
The service is decent, with nothing special offered, and I can see from the responses that the restaurant did have a lot of loyal customers who are getting all the attention of the staff. For those non-frequent customers like us there is much less warmth and enthusiasm. With two bowls of rice and no drink, the total bill was $1,100. It was quite expensive compared with what normally you would expect for the likes.
If you want to sample some authentic and traditional Shanghai cuisine flavors, this restaurant is worth exploring though there are also a lot of other quality choices if you are willing to pay that price.
The service is decent, with nothing special offered, and I can see from the responses that the restaurant did have a lot of loyal customers who are getting all the attention of the staff. For those non-frequent customers like us there is much less warmth and enthusiasm. With two bowls of rice and no drink, the total bill was $1,100. It was quite expensive compared with what normally you would expect for the likes.
If you want to sample some authentic and traditional Shanghai cuisine flavors, this restaurant is worth exploring though there are also a lot of other quality choices if you are willing to pay that price.
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