Shanghai Dumpling Shop Restaurant Review, Millbrae

Shanghai Dumpling Shop is a popular Shanghainese Chinese restaurant in Millbrae’s Broadway shopping district. While they have all the ‘standard’ Chinese restaurant dishes, they are specifically known for dishes from Shanghai, including dumplings even though the staff can be heard belting out Cantonese Chinese. Our last visit was in the February 2013.

Check out the review of Jade Garden in China to see what real Shanghainese places serve. Another must visit restaurant in Shanghai, China is Fu1039.

Decor, Vibe – Shanghai Dumpling Shop is a slight step up from average family Chinese restaurant decor. On our last visit in the summer of 2011, we noticed that they slightly upgraded the interior. It was fairly busy during dinner with mostly Asians dining, including some couples, families, and locals.

Shanghai Dumpling Shop Menu Pictures (Click to Zoom into any picture)

Shanghai Dumpling Shop has a wide variety of items in from funds in dumplings to seafood dishes to Shanghai style braised items. The standard Americanized mainstays are here too, but stick to the Shanghai dishes for best quality. On our last visit they added a picture placemat with all their specialty dishes.

Full Shanghai Dumpling Shop menu and image set

Picks:

Shanghai Steamed Dumplings or Xiao Long Bao ($7.50) ten pieces of fairly large pork filled freshly steamed dumplings. These are so big that they seem to be super sized for America with lots of meat! The ones in China or at Din Tai Fung in Bellevue are not this big. A decent amount of warm flavorful soup inside and many with no soup, tender wrapper. The wrapper is very fragile, easy to break and spill its contents. Still, some of the best in the SF Bay Area, although ones from Shanghai are in another world. Other times we got better ones that were more soupy and close to perfect.  Eat them fast before they get soggy.

Salty Pork with Vegetable Rice Clay Pot ($9.95) came in a cast iron pot, but proved to be very good. Lots of ham on the surface along with chopped up ham & vegetables underneath. The edges of the pot helped create some nice burnt crispy rice.

Fried Buns ($3) were six delicious deep friend buns with sweetened condensed milk for dipping. Have not had one that did not taste yummy.

Green Onion Pancake ($4.95) was done well.  Crispy on the sides, no sogginess at all.  It could use a little more green onion flavor though.

Sesame rice dumplings with Rice wine soup ($4.95) had minimal wine flavor in the soup and four huge dumplings filled with very sweet black bean filling.

Sesame Rice Dumplings ($3.95) were four gooey dumplings filled with very sweet black bean paste.  Sticky, sweet, and simple. Soup was on the more neutral side, as there is no need for more sweetness.

Braised string beans ($8.95) was a nice big plate of fresh beans.  Not particularly special but still fulfilling.

Stir Fried Rice Cakes ($7.50) were sticky and chewy, just like they should be. Good amounts of rice cakes and some decent veggies interspersed.

Stir Fried Noodles Shanghai style ($7.50) are a classic Shanghainese dish and were done well here. Nicely cooked noodles even though they told us they are bought from a supplier.

Savory soy bean milk ($1.95) is a salty version of classic soybean milk. They do a good job of this authentic soup like dish.

OK: (order only if you love this dish)

Steamed Threaded Bread ($3) was some steamed bread with sweetened condensed milk for dipping. Not as good as the deep fried stuff. Anything deep fried is better, eh?

Soy Braised Pork Rump ($14.95) looked huge but the meat was overcooked and the greens underneath were not cooked enough. Sauce was not sweet enough.

Sweet and Sour Spareribs ($8.50) was a decent dish. A little on the sweet side and not too sour. Meat has been cooked long enough so it just rolls off the bone.

Sauteed Eels ($12.95) were very greasy and fishy. This is an acquired taste and a tad bit high on quantity.

Green Onion Lamb ($11.95) had lower quality meat, making it quite gamey.

Deep Fried Duck (Half) was a special on their wall.  The duck was all chopped up and full of bones.  Lightly fried but lacking much flavor. An average dish.

Pan fried pumpkin cake with red beans ($4.95) was a soft, greasy cake with not a lot of red bean inside.

Pans: (Avoid)

Pan Fried Pork Buns ($6.25) had eight buns that were not fried too much. Skin was way too thick, no soup! The version at nearby San Bruno’s Sunny Shanghai (RIP) or San Francisco’s Five Happiness is way better.  On another visit, the quality improved, so send them back if they are not cooked right. Re-frying them at home improved them.

Nearby Little Shanghai has about the same caliber of food, but has a lesser quality environment.

Check out our Shanghai restaurant reviews for the real deal, Shanghai food that we have in the San Francisco Bay Area is not very close in quality.

Shanghai Dumpling Shop had decent service but nothing outstanding. You had to track down servers to get things. The food was decent, with the highlights the steamed dumplings. This is the go to place for Shanghai dumplings for those that live nearby. This restaurant has lunch specials during the week.

Also at:

331 Grand Ave.
South San Francisco, CA
650-589-8188

$25 Dining Certificate for $5

Shanghai Dumpling Shop Overall Rating: (Good 2)

Come Back?

Food Rating:	(Very Good)
Service Rating:	(Average)
Atmosphere Rating:	(Good)
Value Rating:	(Very Good)

Guide: 0 = poor, 1 = Below/Average, 2 = Good, 2.5 = Very Good, 3 = Excellent , 4 = Extraordinary

Alcohol:	Beer, Wine
Attire:	Casual
Hours:	Mon - Fri 11am - 3pm, 5-9pm. Sat-Sun 10am - 3pm, 430 - 9pm.
Parking:	Street
Reservations:	Yes
Prices:	$5.75 - $14.95