Lao Shanghai/老上海飯店

Lao Shanghai is a old school Shanghai restaurant in Wan Chai. This post is clearly really old because it is no longer hairy crab season. I thought it was pretty well done here but prefer Liu Yuan Pavillon.

Lao Shanghai/老上海飯店

238 Jaffe Road

Wan Chai

Hong Kong 

Liu Yuan Pavilion 留園雅敘

While I was away in New York, I was always SUPER fomo during hairy crab season when my instagram became floooooded with photos of all the hairy crab dishes. I was finally able to be in town during the peak season :) Liu Yuan has always been a crowd favorite and it did not disappoint! The crab dishes were really good along with the regular dishes. I personally don't think I would order a whole crab again and instead opt for more crab roe dishes. I am quite lazy in dismantling the crab and also just prefer the dishes such as crab roe with noodles or tofu.

Liu Yuan Pavilion 

3/F

The Broadway

54-62 Lockhart Road

Wan Chai 

Hong Kong 

Ye Shanghai

Ahhh more backlogged restaurants! Really need to get a move on and get everything updated because I've got amazing meals planned up to next week already that will also require in-depth blog reviews! I just returned from Kuala Lumpur and am slowly getting back into the usual routine... trying to beat the post holiday depression by planning fun dinners and hitting the gym hard!

Ye Shanghai is a reputable Shanghai restaurant located in Pacific Place that was award 1 Michelin Star. I feel that I must have been here before when I was younger with parents but it is one of those places where I would not specifically remember. The food was very decent and along with the convenient location and appealing decor it is no surprise that this restaurant has made a solid mark in the Shanghai cuisine scene in Hong Kong.

Smoked Egg 熏蛋
Theses were a delicious start to the meal. The yolks were thick, creamy, and just the perfect consistency. The entire egg was very flavorful and I would have been happy to have another 2 plates of these.

Scallion Pastry 蔥油餅 
This version of the scallion pancake is more flaky and buttery as compared to its thinner counterpart. The scallion mixture was moist and complemented the pastry very well. Scallion pancakes are one of my favorites and this one definitely hit the spot!

Drunken Chicken 花雕醉雞
The chicken was infused with the fragrant aroma of the "fa diu" liquor and the pieces were also organized in a very organized and pleasing arrangement. I would not say this was the best drunken chicken I've ever had but it was definitely well done. 

Ham with Osmanthus syrup 桂花蜜汁火方
L absolutely loved this dish and was very eager for M and I to try this. M and I did not enjoy this very much as we thought it was too sweet and the flavor combination was a bit strange. 

Sauteed Shrimp 清炒虾仁 
Up to standard. Nothing particularly memorable. Perhaps could be a bit saltier but I am just being picky.

Sauteed egg whites with crab meat 賽膀蟹 
This was also a standard dish that was made well, I think it would have been a good idea if we also ordered a meat dish with stronger flavors to eat along with this dish and the shrimp because both dishes were a bit light in flavor. This is a dish that I always like to order at Shanghai restaurants and Ye Shanghai's version had a very generous amount of crab meat :) 

We also ordered xiao long bao which was also yummy. Ye Shanghai is definitely a great choice if you are looking for high quality Shanghai cuisine at a comfortable and convenient location. The service was friendly and polite and the food was very consistent. I look forward to coming to Ye Shanghai again to try out more dishes!

Ye Shanghai

Shop 332

Level 3

Pacific Place
88 Queensway

Admiralty

Hong Kong

Ding Tai Feng 鼎泰豐

Ding Tai Feng is an extremely famous award winning restaurant from Taiwan. The restaurant is well known for its xiao long baos and has been named one of the top ten restaurants in the world by the New York Times. Although Ding Tai Feng has various outlets all over the world, I feel that it has been able to maintain is standards which is great because I've seen way too many restaurants's food quality go down due to fame and expansion.

Xiao long bao with crab roe filling
Crab roe is one of my favorite things to eat but sadly it is not always in season. Restaurants tend to always serve it anyways but the most rich and fragrant crab roe is available only during the fall (Oct to Nov). Although we savored this off season, the roe was still delicious :) Will write about the xiao long bao in the next photo.

Success. Did not break. Whew! 

The famous xiao long baos 
These exquisite little buns really do live up to their reputation. The skin, whilst thin, is firm enough to hold all the juicy meaty glory in. Many places have skins that break easily which result in the ultimate xiao long bao fail - all the juices break out. The top of the bun where all the skin is twisted together is not too hard or dried out which is a common mistake. The inside is filled with fresh and well seasoned meat and the juice is delicious and not too oily. My favorite way to eat these is  to wait til they are the perfect temperature and then pop the entire thing in your mouth for the perfect experience. I could eat these all day. 

Dan dan mian
Apart from its famous xiao long baos, the other dishes are Ding Tai Feng are also delicious. The noodles are firm and chewy, the soup is nutty and extremely flavorful. My only complaint is that the serving are way too small! 

Ding Tai Feng (various branches)

11A, 2nd floor 

Building 6

Xin Tian Di South Block

123 Xing Ye Lu

Lu Wan District

Shanghai

China 

小楊生煎 (Xiao Yang San Jian)

Ask anyone about Xiao Yang San Jian, and faces will instantly erupt into expressions of longing and excitement. The fried buns here are TO DIE FOR. I have had a lot of San Jian Baos (fried buns) in my life and these are the best I have ever had. These buns are a mixture between a normal bun and a xiao long bao (thin skin pork dumplings) because the skin is not as thick as a normal bun but definitely not as thin as a dumpling. They are fried until the bottom becomes are delectable crunchy skin and then sprinkled with scallions and sesame. The inside is filled with juicy succulent meat, the amount of juice is one of the main thing that sets this bun apart. Make sure you don't bite into it right away because it will all drip out and burn you! Here is a short article on CNNGo for Xiao Yang San Jian. This is a must try if you are in Shanghai!

Busy churning out these tasty delicious buns! 

Love of my life 

Xiao Yang San Jian
No. 54-60

Wu Jiang Road

Jing'an District

Shanghai

China 

Modern China Restaurant (金滿庭)

Modern China Restaurant's food is similar to that of Crystal Jade but a little bit better. You can tell that the more care and attention have been put into the dishes here than at Crystal Jade but Crystal Jade has some types of dim sum that Modern China Restaurant doesn't have. Both restaurants are very popular and usually have long lines during peak meal hours. The interior design of Modern Chinese Restaurant is also a little bit more exotic. Prices of both restaurants are around the same, Modern Chinese Restaurant may be slightly more expensive.

Salt and pepper spare ribs 

Xiao long bao

Egg white scrambled with conpoy and crab meat

Cabbage in cream sauce

Modern China Restaurant
Shop 1002, 10/F

Food Forum

Times Square

1 Matheson Street

Causeway Bay

Hong Kong

Crystal Jade

Crystal Jade is a restaurant that I have been to numerous times. It is really popular in Hong Kong due to its reasonable prices and convenient locations and there is usually always a wait during peak hours. When you arrive you need to pick up a ticket and a little ticket booth will announce on big red letters which table is ready to go. The food is not the best Shanghai food I've had but its always a enjoyable experience.

Rice sheets with shredded chicken and cucumber in a sesame sauce (雞細粉皮)
One of my favorites, chewing flat rice sheets smothered with a scrumptious sesame sauce with crunchy cucumber threads and chicken. 

Pork Dumplings in Chili Oil (紅油抄手)
These are meaty dumplings soaked in a savory spicy sauce. Always a good choice.

Pork dumplings/Xiao long bao (小籠包)
One of the restaurants specialities. The skin is thin and the filling is juicy and flavorful. These dumplings are not as delicate as the ones from Ding Tai Feng but they are still delicious. Just make sure they don't break when you pick them up with your chopsticks!

Noodle in spicy sesame broth with minced pork and peanuts (擔擔麵)
The noodles are chewing and the broth is rich and aromatic. There is a sprinkle of scallions and crushed peanuts for a nice balance of textures.

Crystal Jade (Various Locations)

Shop 2018-2020

IFC 

Central

Hong Kong