Shanghai Restaurant Reviews

Reviewer: Foodnut.com

We recently finished a culinary tour of China in the Summer of 2025. Shanghai is a world class city full of great food. Most of the Chinese food was superior to that in the San Francisco Bay Area and even Vancouver, BC Canada.

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. We have full reviews for places we deemed important enough;

Other Shanghai reviews: Din Tai Fung, Fu 1039, Jardin de Jade – Jade Garden,  Jia Jia Tang Bao, South Beauty, Yang’s Dumplings, Nanling Restaurant.

If a restaurant does not have a website, we link to their Dianping page.

 

2025 Shanghai Restaurant Reviews (Includes Suzhou)

5/18/25

Lai Lai Xiao Long Bao (莱莱小笼)

504 Tianjin Rd, Huangpu
Shanghai, China, 200001
021 63520230

Lai Lai is known for top rated xiao long bao XLB or soup dumplings. We’ve been to Yu garden, Jia jia, DTF and several other places on past trips, so it was time for a new place. This is the original location (4 total) and had a 25 minute line that extended to both sides of the street! There is also a popular noodle eatery near the end of this block.

We stuck to the standard pork xlb, feeling that paying more for crab and other variants is not necessary.

Service was pretty much queue, order and pay at the counter, grab a seat ancnyd wait. Expect to share tables. Better decor and environment than Shu Cai Ji.

Food Review:

Pork xiao long bao (CN¥28 for 8 = USD$3.88) were fairly delicate. It was hard to pick them up without soup leaking. Nice small size and thin wrapper. Soup was plentiful but not robust. Comparing them to ones back home in San Francisco at Dumpling Home – these are definitely better but the margin on victory is like 100% vs 92%. Dumplings back home have really improved. We ate at Jia Jia the next day and found their version not as good with not much soup in many dumplings. 10/10

Deep Fried cutlet (CN¥25) was eggless and freshly fried. Good size pre-cut to help add contrast to the XLB. 8.5/10

Overall – Very Good
Food – Excellent
Decor – Fair
Service – Good
Value – Excellent

Would we return? – Yes

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5/18/25

Shu Cai Ji 舒蔡记

146 Yunnan Zhong Lu,
near Shantou Lu
Huangpu
Shanghai, China
6360 8817

Shu Cai Ji was our pick for Sheng Jian Bao or Pan Fried Pork Buns. They’ve been around since 1980. Even though this spot was rated a low 3.6 on Dianping, it was recommended by rachelgouk.com. We’ve been to Da Chun, Yang’s on previous trips.
This location is in Huangpu, not far from Lai Lai. We walked from our hotel near the Bund for about 20 minutes to this restaurant. We would next get XLB from Lai Lai, which is a 6 minute walk.

You go inside, pay at the counter, then wait in line at the front to collect your food. There was a short line on the sidewalk. Lot of delivery folks whizzing by. The dining room is very small and literally has holes in the wall!

Service was pretty brusque, nothing special.

Food Review:

Sheng Jian Bao (CN¥12 for 4) were piping hot out of the fan. Lots of soup and a huge meat ball. The dough is a lot thicker than back home. We ate at Yang’s Dumpling the next day and prefered that one. It had a more uniform skin and better flavor. Dumpling Home back in San Francisco is definitely a tier below these bad boys, so get over here. 9.5/10

Chi Fan 上海菜饭 (15) or Shanghai fried rice had a pretty large portion. A bit on the greasy side and not a lot of meat. All in all a great version of the classic dish we love. Our reference back home is Little Shanghai in San Mateo. 9.5/10

Overall – Very Good
Food – Excellent
Decor – Fair
Service – Good
Value – Excellent

Would we return? – Yes

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5/18/25

Qi Bao Old Street

Chinese Name: 七宝老街

All food lovers need to visit Shanghai’s less touristy area – Qi Bao. Qing and Ming Dynasty style building with commercial stalls. It is home to lots of small shops and food stalls. Many locals were walking around and very few western tourists. Try street food with less worries. We always avoid food that is left uncovered to open air. Ice and uncooked items we eat with caution.

Stand out food stalls:
Tofu stand almost next to Mixue

Mango stand next door to Tofu stand

Cong you bing – Scallion pancake spot across the street from the other Mixue

Fried pork belly stall near Tofu stand

Fresh Sugar cane juice stall with juicer in the front.

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5/18/25

Nanlu Zheli (Bund Branch) aka Le Patio La Famille 南麓•浙里

216 Sichuan Middle Road 四川中路216号
Shanghai, China
021 63231797

Le Patio La Famille had a Michelin Star 2017-2022. (Was there stars given during Pandemic?) We dined here because it was 2 blocks from our Hotel, only 1 block from the Bund and the 4.6 rating on Dianping was great. They specialize in Zhejiang / Hangzhou cuisine. The interior features classic wood panels.

Food was definitely elevated with good presentation and flavors. Price to match it, but not extravagantly so.

Service was excellent with the server watching for needs almost too much. They really helped us order from the menu.

Food Review:
Scallion pancakes with foie gras (CN¥78) was not what we expected. Small discs that you spread the foie onto. In the end, you still got some smoothie duck liver! 8.5/10

Chinese Yam with blueberry jam (32) is a nice subtle starter. Need to use the sauce to get flavor. 8.5/10

Crispy Duck (CN¥196) was very crispy and includes some really good deep fried rice pieces. 9/10

Sauteed Shrimp (198) on Signature dishes, are tiny shrimp with shells on. You can eat the entire beast or breakoff the head and slurp them down. Nice classic slighly sweet sauce. 9/10

Stir fried Bean Shoots aka Sauteed Pea Shoots (88) were on the greasy side but fit the bill for a veggie dish. 8.5/10

Braised pork in brown sauce with preserved vegetables or Dong Po Pork (38 for single serving) was just enough to get a sense of this classic dish. Tender soft pork with lots of flavor. Looks great. 8/10

Red Bean Puree with rice dumplings (26 per bowl) with some small dumplings was fine. 8/10

Overall – Excellent
Food – Excellent
Decor – Excellent
Service – Excellent
Value – Very Good

Would we return? – Yes

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5/19/25

Lei Garden Pudong aka Liyuan Restaurant (Guojin Center Branch)

7-18, 3/F, Shanghai ifc Mall
8 Century Avenue, Lujiazui
Pudong New Area, Shanghai
+86 21 5106 1688
https://leigarden.hk/location/shanghai/

We’ve been to several Lei Garden locations across Asia and we’ve always had great Cantonese Chinese meals here. This one has one Michelin star and is located in the very upscale IFC Mall. Why get Cantonese food in Shanghai? We’ve had a bunch of Shanghai food already, plus we did not get a high end dinner at Hong Kong. The decor at this location was top notch.

Lei Garden is not cheap, but had special bundle deals for dinner. With our party of 5, we took advantage of a 9 course dinner special for 2 at CN¥544 = USD$75 and added a bunch of dishes. The menu is a minefield of expensive “per person” items. Carefully adding dishes we wanted plus some a filler starch was our goal.

Service was superb, from helping us order using an app to near constant plate changes. No glitches. They used a robot server once.

Food Review:
Dinner for 2 with 9 courses (CN¥544) – Standout dishes were the fish soup, chilled mango sago dessert. Our meal was really kicked up a notch with our a la carte iteme. 8/10

Three Cup chicken (130) is a Taiwanese dish, so we were suprised to see it here. The chicken was very tender, sauce not too sweet. Several folks really liked it. Good quantity 9.5/10

Sauteed Pork Slices with chinese Zucchini and termite mushroom (130) also surpised us with really tender pork along with lots off perfectly cooked veggies. 9/10

Sauteed Black Fungus, bean curd, and vegetables (110) is a vegan dish cooked just right. Mushrooms and bean curd were great. 10/10

Crispy Roasted Pork Belly (98) was a dish we had to try. Cut up into little fine cubes of crisp skin and not too fat meat. 9/10

Crispy Roast Pigeon or Fried Squab (110) was not as juicy or as good as the Crispy Roast Duckling but still very good. No seasoning salt. 8.5/10

BBQ Honey Pork or Char siu pork (110) was a condensed version slightly over charred. Still good on flavor and sweetness. 8.5/10

Crispy Roast Duckling (140) was bigger than the squab and juicier. Boney of course and lots of crisp skin. 9.5/10

Stir-Fried Flat Rice Noodle with beef (128) hit the mark but was light on beef quantity. 8.5/10

Overall – Excellent
Food – Excellent
Decor – Excellent
Service – Excellent
Value – Very Good

Would we return? – Yes

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5/20/25

Wai King Kok

2 Zhongshan Rd (E-1)
Waldorf Astoria Hotel on the Bund
Waitan, Huangpu, Shanghai, China, 200002
Phone: +86 21 6322 9988

We had a credit at the hotel and decided to use this on the High end Cantonese Chinese restaurant, Wai King Kok. It is located on the 5th floor of the old Waldorf Astoria Hotel building. You can see beautiful lit up Pudoing through the small windows.

Like Lei Garden, the menu is a minefield of expensive “per person” expensive seafood items. Carefully adding dishes we wanted plus some a filler starch was our goal.

Food was very good to excellent, not surprising at these prices.

Service was very good but should have been better. The servers did not come by and scan very often. They were helpful with ordering and such.

Food Review:
Signature Assorted Duo Barbecue Platter (CN¥198) had Crispy pork and Char siu. Both were top notch. The Char Siu has a lot of fat and is topped with honey sauce. The crispy pork is cut into small cubes and is crispy. 9.5/10

Seasonal Vegetables – Gai Lan – Poached in Broth (88) look great and tasted like that too. Tender veggies in a light broth. 9.5/10

Braised pork ribs with preseved vegetables in Hakka Homemade wine (78 per person) had tender pork ribs topped with lots of preserved veggies. 8.5/10

Minced Wagyu Beef fried rice with green onion (168) was a large portion of fried rice with chopped up beef. Couldn’t tell if it was waguy. 8.5/10

Mango Pomello Sago Sweet soup (45) was sweeter than the one at Lei Garden, but still very worthwhile. One mango chunk.

Overall – Excellent
Food – Excellent
Decor – Excellent
Service – Very Good
Value – Good

Would we return? – Maybe

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5/21/25

Wei Ji Ao Mian Guan (East Baita Road)

266 East Baita Road, Gusu
Suzhou, China

Wei Ji Ao Mian Guan is bib gourmand in the Michelin 2025 guide. It is not big and a hectic scene. You order and pay at the counter, battle to get a seat, and go to the counter to get your food.

Service
Food Review:
Noodles with cold duck (CN¥15) was a big bowl of Aozao noodle soup, a Kunshan speciality. Lots of thin eggless noodles cooked al dente. Broth was basic. The chicken was passable, not great. Could use some veggies. 8.5/10
We also got the same dish with egg battered fried pork chops. (20)

Overall – Very Good
Food – Very Good
Decor – Good
Service – Fair
Value – Excellent

Would we return? – No

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5/21/25

YaBa ShengJian 哑巴生煎（临顿路店)

平江区临顿路温家岸12号
12 Wenjiaan, Lindun Road
Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
+86 512 6720 8077

YaBa is in the touristy area and reknown for their pan fried pork buns. Established in 1943, we stopped by for a quick snack. Yaba means the person cannot talk but can hear. This place has lines during peak times of the day. Battling for a table is a pain.

FYI: The store to the left of the restaurant sells many varieties of zong at low prices. We bought a couple.

Service is pretty much order when you come in, line up for the food, and fight for a table.

Food Review:
Pan Fried Pork Buns (CN¥20 for 8pc) did not have very much soup but had lots of meat and a nice textured surface. Different style when compared to Yang’s Dumplings. 8.5/10
They also have vegetarian pork buns.

Wonton soup was not supposed to have egg but did. Lots of wontons in a light broth. 8/10

Dessert soup with dumplings was pretty bland. 7.5/10

Overall – Very Good
Food – Very Good
Decor – Good
Service – Fair
Value – Excellent

Would we return? – Maybe

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5/21/25

Wu Yue Rong Ji 吴越荣记 (月光码头一店)

Moon Marina Yi Shop
Suzhou, China
+86 51265857117

We were walking around the lake and came to the cluster of restaurants/shops and picked Wu Yue Rong Ji. There were many tables in use and the prices were reasonable. This restaurant has many other locations. They are known for the fish that costs only 198 and cheap Peking duck.

You are supposed to order by the app, but need a China phone number to do so. Food quality was okay but not great.

Service was pretty much drop and go. Had to grab them to order, etc.

Food Review:
Cold Greens (CN¥18) are an appetizer and hit the spot, hard to mess them up. 8.5/10

Shanghai River Shrimp (CN¥118) had lots of tiny shrimp along with a spoon full on vinegar nodules. Really small, so it took a lot to fill a spoon. Solid flavor, no starchy sauce. 8/10

Peking Duck (88 for half) was pretty cheap and was more like Roast duck with pancakes, scallions, sauce and more. You can optionally get the bones make into soup or salt/pepper fried style. 8/10

Greens (32) were cooked just right and had ample quantity. 8.5/10

Overall – Very Good
Food – Very Good
Decor – Excellent
Service – Good
Value – Excellent

Would we return? – No

2010 Shanghai Restaurant Reviews

Pankoo Korean Restaurant – 釜山料理

Looking for a change from Chinese food, so we tried Pankoo and were pleasantly surprised. Better Korean food compared to back home in the San Francisco Bay Area. Korean BBQ chain restaurant opened in 1999, with locations in Beijing, Shanghai, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Shenyang. Lots of Fun, this restaurant features booths and tables with cooking pits to cook your food. This location is a short walk from People’s Square.

Hits: Ribeye, mushrooms, Chop choy noodle, green tea slush, traditional Korean soup, beef hoisin sauce stone pot rice

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

Come Back – Yes

Pankoo Korean Restaurant
6/F, Raffles City, 268 Xizang Nan Lu, near Fuzhou Lu
Shanghai, China
6340 3181

Pankoo Korean Restaurant

Xiao Shao Xing – 小绍兴 (云南店)

Famous for their Chicken Congee, Xiao Shao Xing’s downstairs is informal and crowded, while the 2nd floor is another world. Founded in 1943 by Shaoxing residents from the Zhejiang Province. This restaurant specializes in chicken congee and has very reasonable prices. Multiple locations.

Hits: Bitter melon, steamed chicken, cold crab claws, fish fillets, Lions head sweet glutinous balls

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

Come Back – Yes

Xiao Shao Xing
118 Yunnan Rd.(S)
Shanghai, China
63260845

Dianping

Zen – The Original Shanghai Cuisine Restaurant – 异彩采蝶轩老菜馆

Zen is located on the 6th floor of a large shopping mall. It was not our first choice and proved to be just slightly above average. Avoid fair Cantonese dim sum and stick to Sichuan or Shanghainese dishes. Many locations.
Subway: Xujiahui

Hits: river shrimp, crispy chicken, jellyfish, eel

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

Come Back – Maybe

Zen – The Original Shanghai Cuisine Restaurant
6/F Grand Gateway, No.1 Hongqiao Rd, Xujiahui
Shanghai, China
021-6407909
Dianping

Paul

An outpost of a French bakery chain we visited in Paris, but quality of the breads was poor. No hint of French wonder here.

Hits: None

Overall rating (Stars) – 1.5
Food Rating – 1.5
Service Rating – 2
Atmosphere Rating – 2.5
Value – 2.5
Guide: 0 = poor, 1 = Fair/Average, 2 = Good, 2.5 = Very Good, 3 = Excellent , 4 = Extraordinary

Come Back – No

Xintiandi North Block,
Lane 181 Taicang Lu, near Madang Lu
Shanghai, China
021-5306 7191
Website

Restaurant Map: