Shanghai Restaurant Tips by xuessium

Little Huia: A taste of Kiwi

Not the bird mind you...but a Kiwi restaurant in Shanghai. Newly opened in 2010, the restaurant offers a slice of Kiwi culinary to the cosmopolitan palette that is already available in Shanghai.

A Kiwi colleague informed me about the existence of the place. It offers all day breakfast, and it was the main reason that I decided to check out the place.

Named after a yellow-feathered bird unique to New Zealand, The 'Little Huia' is located along the rather eclectic "Tai Gu Street" neat West Nanjing Road.

The interior is comfortable, set in a western style setting. I found the tables near to the door to be brighter (as I had a book with me) and there is a huge menu behind the cashier listing what was on offer.

From the menu, I could see the place offering specialties of New Zealand (such as NZ oysters), as well as a collection of reds and whites from Australia and New Zealand.

The breakfast menu is rather standard for Oceania. You get the standard "Big Brekkie", French Toast, Eggs Benedicts...you get the drift.

Favorite Dish: I had the Eggs Benedicts, done using muffins, which is the way I prefer them, but they were a tad smaller compared to the versions I get Downunder. I had a side order of cooked spinach, done with local spinach but despite being crunchier, I kinda prefer the slightly mushy texture of the spinach Downunder.

And thank goodness for good coffee. A good cup is always appreciated. Coffee in China is forgettable, tasting like black coloured water on most occasions.

Address: 403 Dagu Lu, near Chengdu Bei Lu

Comparison: more expensive than average

Directions: The nearest subway station is West Nanjing Road along the green No.2 line.

Phone: +86 2153750600

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 3

Theme: Pan-Asian and Pacific Rim

Xiao Lu Lu Restaurant: Tasty Shanghainese; Inadequate service though

Itching to try some Shanghainese?

Xiao Lu Lu Restaurant (小鹭鹭酒家) offers Shanghainese and creative Sichuan dishes popular with Shanghai locals, like Boiled catfish in oil with dried chilies and Szechuan peppers.

Folks hoping to taste something tamer and more local should go for the Shanghainese cuisines such as lettuce served with sesame paste, cubed beef stir-fried with rice cakes, sweet and sour pork ribs and the soysauce braised pork belly with bean curd sticks and eggs.

Folks wanting something more adventurous can opt for boiled fish skin salad, jellied beef tendon salad, braised duck tongues and marinated raw river prawns.

The decor is a little dated and in recent visits, I noticed a dip in service standards. It appeared the restaurant is not hiring enough workers and everyone of them seems a tad more hurried and a tad more curt.

Favorite Dish: Shanghainese:
- Lettuce served with sesame sauce
- Marinated raw river prawns
- Soysauce Braised Pork Belly with beancurd sticks and eggs

Szechuan
-Boiled Catfish in oil with dried chillies and Szechuan peppers (if you like fish)

Address: 901 Yan'an Zhong Lu, near Yuyao Lu

Comparison: about average

Directions: The nearest subway is Jing An station and even that, it's about a 15 minutes walk away along Yan An Zhong Road.

Chinese: 延安中路901号, 近铜仁路

Phone: +86 21 3222 0212

Price: US$21-30

Rating: 4

Theme: Chinese/Dim Sum

Xiao Fei Yang (Little Fat Lamb) Mongolian Hot Pot: Sweat it out over a Lamb Hot Pot!

Sweat it all out over a boiling Inner Mongolian Hot Pot consisting of 2 sections - one with spicy chilli soup, and the other clear herbal broth. What you do is that you order whatever cut of meat you desire, plus vegetables, herbs and mushrooms and then dunk it into the soup to cook them. The soup will impart a lovely aroma and flavour to the items. Beef and lamb slices are must order, as well as golden mushrooms, mountain yams and crunchy radicchio. Ox and Lamb phallus and testicles are also available.

Favorite Dish: The lamb slices were sliced so thin that they soaked up the flavour of the broth. The golden mushrooms, mountain yams are great. The lamb phallus tasted like beef tendons!

Address: The chain has several branches

Comparison: about average

Directions: WATCH OUT: THERE IS A COPYCAT CHAIN AROUND LOOKING ALMOST ALIKE. GO FOR THE REAL THING!

Price: US$11-20

Rating: 4

Theme: Local