2009 Shanghai Restaurant Reviews

Reviewer: Foodnut.com

We recently finished a culinary tour of China. Shanghai is a world class city full of great food. Most of the food was different from food in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Here are some quick mini reviews of places we ate at, so you can understand how Shanghai food compares, and so you select the best places on your visit. If a restaurant does not have a website, we link to their dianping page.

Other Shanghai reviews: 2010 Shanghai mini Restaurant Reviews, Din Tai Fung, Fu 1039, Jardin de Jade – Jade Garden Jia Jia Tang Bao, South Beauty, Yang’s Fry Dumplings, 6Sens Shanghai Expo.

85C Bakery Cafe – Shanghai
A new chain that is called the Starbucks of Taiwan. Coffee, pearl drinks, and a big bakery. One has already opened in Irvine. Watch out for this name, the stores were packed.

85C Bakery Cafe Shanghai 2

85C Bakery Cafe Shanghai 7

85C Bakery Cafe Shanghai 6

Overall rating (Stars) – 2
Food Rating – 2
Service Rating – 2
Atmosphere Rating – 2
Value – 2.5
Guide: 0 = poor, 1 = Fair/Average, 2 = Good, 2.5 = Very Good, 3 = Excellent , 4 = Extraordinary

Come Back – Y

Website

Central Hotel Shanghai Banquet Hall Wang Bao He – Shanghai
Central Hotel Shanghai Banquet Hall is known for Hairy Crab from Yang Cheng Lake. The crab was good, very sweet, but keep in mind the claws are small so you gotta eat the guts. Their live Chinese music was nice plus.

Hits: Hairy Crab, Hot Noodle Soup, Green onion pancakes

Central Hotel Shanghai Banquet Hall Wang Bao He 10

Central Hotel Shanghai Banquet Hall Wang Bao He 6

Central Hotel Shanghai Banquet Hall Wang Bao He 5

Overall rating (Stars) – 2.5
Food Rating – 2.5
Service Rating – 2.5
Atmosphere Rating – 2.5
Value – 2
Come Back – Maybe

555 Jiujian Roard
Shanghai, China
86-21-5396-5000
Website

Hyatt Aroma Buffet – Shanghai
Western style buffet but with six main live kitchen stations serving Chinese roast duck, Italian cuisine with a brick pizza oven, Japanese sushi and yakitori, grilled meats, seafood specialties with custom freshly shucked oysters, and desserts.
Price was a reasonable (US$30) for dinner. Be sure to go upstairs to the roof Vue Bar, the view is AWESOME. Roof top jacuzzi too.

Hyatt Buffet Aroma Shanghai 16

Hyatt Buffet Aroma Shanghai 17

Hyatt Buffet Aroma Shanghai 5

Hyatt Buffet Aroma Shanghai 7

Overall rating (Stars) – 2.5
Food Rating – 2.5
Service Rating – 2
Atmosphere Rating – 3
Value – 2
Come Back – Y

Hyatt on the bund
199 Huang Pu Road
Shanghai, China 200080
+86 21 6393 1234
Website

Jesse Restaurant – Shanghai
A small 12 table Shanghainese restaurant with stylish but not fancy decor. Waiters dress up in polo shirts. Prices are reasonable and food is very good.

Hits: Tiny shrimp, Chicken, Dates with glutinous rice, winter melon soup, Braised pork shoulder.

Jesse Restaurant Shanghai 3

Jesse Restaurant Shanghai 7

Jesse Restaurant Shanghai 5

Overall rating (Stars) – 2.5
Food Rating – 2.5
Service Rating – 2
Atmosphere Rating – 2
Value – 2
Come Back – Y

No. 41 Tian Ping Road
Shanghai, China
6282-9260
Website

Jia Jia Tang Bao – Shanghai
Jia Jia Tang Bao is a small but popular dumpling or Xiao long bao shop in Shanghai. There was a line when we went there. The cheapest are the delicious but small pork dumplings. (RMB$7.50)
Learn to nibble, suck out the juice, then eat them. This is a great place to visit because across the street is the great Fried dumpling restaurant, so do not eat too much.

Hits: Pork Dumplings

Jia Jia Tang Bao Shanghai 11

Jia Jia Tang Bao Shanghai 4

Overall rating (Stars) – 2.5
Food Rating – 2.5
Service Rating – 1
Atmosphere Rating – 1
Value – 3
Come Back – Y

Huangpu District
Road 90 Yellow River Road
Shanghai, China
021-63276878

Website

Latina Grill – Shanghai
Latina Grill is a Brazillian Churrascaria steakhouse in the trendy Xin Tian Di shopping zone. All you can eat meats served on the skewer to your table, as well as on buffet items like salads, hot entrees, and dessert. San Francisco’s Espetus had far better meat quality.

Latina Grill Shanghai 13

Latina Grill Shanghai 21

Overall rating (Stars) – 2
Food Rating – 1.5
Service Rating – 2
Atmosphere Rating – 2
Value – 2
Come Back – N

Unit 101 & 201
House 5, S. Block, Lane 123,
XinYe Rd.(inside Xin Tian Di)
Shanghai, China
6320-3566
Website

Nanxiang Mantou Dian – Shanghai
Nanxiang Mantou Dian is a place almost everyone goes to when visiting Shanghai’s popular Yu Garden. The ground floor lines for the to go are super long. Upstairs charges more but serves the same stuff. Jia Jia tastes a little better, but this place is so convenient.

Nanxiang Mantou Dian Shanghai Kitchen

Nanxiang Mantou Dian Shanghai 9

Nanxiang Mantou Dian Shanghai 7

Overall rating (Stars) – 2.5
Food Rating – 2.5
Service Rating – 1.5
Atmosphere Rating – 2
Value – 2
Come Back – Y

No 85 Yuyuan Rd
Old Town God’s Temple
Shanghai, China
Website

South Beauty – Shanghai
South Beauty is a very beautiful restaurant located in the Super Brand Mall in Pudong. The view of the Bund was awesome. They have several branches in China. The menu had beautiful pictures but was SUPER long. As we suspected, the view outshone the food. Food was decidedly average, service was good as labor is cheap here.

South Beauty Shanghai 83

South Beauty Shanghai 72

South Beauty Shanghai 4

The only other thing memorable was the weird urinal! If you really want to come, stay for drink and appetizers.

Overall rating (Stars) – 2
Food Rating – 1.5
Service Rating – 2.5
Atmosphere Rating – 3.5
Value – 2
Come Back – N

Website

Yang’s Fry Dumpling – Shanghai
Yang’s Fry Dumpling is a small but popular fried dumpling shop in Shanghai. They have several locations. There was a line when we went there. They are crunchy on top and filled with delicious juice. (RMB$3)
This is a great place to visit, because across the street is another great dumpling restaurant, so do not eat too much at this one. This is one of those MUST visit hole in the wall places.

Hits: Dumplings

Yangs Fry Dumpling Shanghai 10

Yangs Fry Dumpling Shanghai 4

Overall rating (Stars) – 2.5
Food Rating – 2.5
Service Rating – 1.5
Atmosphere Rating – 1
Value – 3
Come Back – Y

Huangpu District
97 Yellow River Road
Shanghai, China

Website

Restaurant Map:


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5 Comments

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    September 3, 2009 at 11:28 am

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  • Shanghai Flavor Shop Restaurant, Sunnyvale | Foodnut.com
    August 1, 2010 at 1:30 pm

    […] Fried Pork Buns ($5.75 for 6) were good but not as great as we have had in Shanghai. Crunchy top that is a little too thick, flavorful and juicy inside. Served steaming hot out of the […]

  • Kharanet
    April 20, 2015 at 4:04 am

    Wow you went to some crappy restaurants when you visited Shanghai (with the exception of Jia Jia Tang Bao). Haha I mean seriously, it’s like going to San Fransisco and eating at some shitty hotel buffets, McDonald’s and maybe some local tourist trap in a mall and giving the local food scene average ratings.

    Rubbish.

  • Foodnut.com
    April 21, 2015 at 10:13 am

    What places do you recommend?

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