XLB and braised dishes are probably the best ways to assess a place, but here's what I got:
#3 Shanghai pan fried pork bun (sheng jian bao): pretty good. Bottom crisp and thinner than the rest of the bun, evenly steamed dough, flavorful juicy filling with a droplet of loose liquid. Topped with black sesame seeds and slices of scallion. Not accompanied by a dish of vinegar. Much better than Shanghai Dumpling King's fluffy version.
#11 Shanghai omelet pancake :This item is listed on the take-out menu, but not the restaurant menu, and they no longer make it. The chef was kind enough to make an exception for me, but I could see why they put it to pasture. The search for dan bing continues ...
#80 Lady shong's fish soup : a thickened soup containing little chunks of fish and ji cai (shepherd's purse). Good texture but some pieces of fish tasted a bit off. I've not eaten this dish before, but it in no way resembles the several centuries old mock crab chowder described elsewhere as Madam / Lady Song's fish soup.
#105 Yangzhou boiled and dried bean curd : Thin strips of pressed tofu with chicken, shrimp, and ham. This is a light dish that I could see balancing out an otherwise rich meal. I wasn't sure what you're supposed to do with the cupful of salty broth leftover.
#110 Fried celery with ginkgo nuts : My first time eating ginkgo nuts. Dense and kind of waxy, they're an interesting texture contrast to celery. Another simple dish to cut the fat of heartier ones.
They've got a very large staff and the service was very attentive. The largest tables seat about 8. There's one seat that might fit up to ten.
↧