Chen Long Hang Xie Wang Fu (成隆行蟹王府) is one of Shanghai's popular restaurants famous for its crab dishes, especially hairy crabs during the autumn season. 

Last year, when I went to the restaurant without reservations, I was turned away. The receptionist said, "No reservation, No table." This year, I made sure that reservations was made in advance. Booked two days prior, we finally had a table. 

The interior was decorated as if one was back in the ancient city era where the restaurant (客站) had a very nice feel. There were two musicians on stage - one was playing a zither and the other a erhu. It was beautiful and the dining experience was memorable.

We ordered many dishes in small serving so that we can try the different ways of cooking crab from steamed to pan-fried to savoury and so on.

The interior was decorated like in ancient China.

Crabmeat with Shark Fins (王府蟹肉翅) was amazing. Unlike the regular shark fin soup, this is unique and I love to have this again. (Food rating: 4.5/5)

The steamed crab pincers over steamed egg (清蒸蟹钳) was priced at RMB126 per one serving. The egg was like silken tofu and the crab pincers were freshly steamed. The portion looked small but it was just right. (Food rating: 4.5/5)

Crabmeat Tofu (蟹粉豆腐) was amazing. It was the first time I had this dish and I enjoyed this immensely. The tofu was very soft and crab meat gravy was curry-like. (Food rating: 4.5/5)

The lionhead meatball (四季蟹粉狮子头) mixed with pork and crab meat was a simple dish. The crab meat sauce was drizzled over the tender pork meat ball. The pork was very minced to perfection that it was soft and melted into the mouth. Together, they became a formidable combination. (Food rating: 5/5)

Crabmeat in Orange (蟹粉酿橙) was refreshing. More importantly, it is very addictive. I could not stop eating it until everything was gone. (Food rating: 5/5)

The Sauteed Crab Meat (清炒蟹粉) was amazing. Cooked together with crab coe, the crab meat was not served miserably but chunks. Priced at RMB158, it was a serving for one.

Crab Roe with Glass Flat Noodles (蟹膏银皮) was extremely rich. The glass flat noodles were very chewy. The crab roe has a beautiful golden yellow colour and the thick roe gravy needs time to savour and appreciate. (Food rating: 4.5/5)

Savoury Crab meat and roe over rice (禿黄油捞饭) is similar to Chirashi (Sashimi over rice bowl). Instead of sashimi, the crab meat and roe mixed with the chewy rice was awesome. The taste was rich but not queasy. This was one of my favourites. (Food rating: 5/5)

Crab meat (蟹粉小笼包) and Crab Roe Dumplings (活拆蟹黄小笼包) were beautiful. The dumpling master had superb skills where the dumpling was thin, yet chewy. The crab meat with rich broth was light yet flavourful. You can just eat it on its own. Food rating: 4.5/5

Tomato Thick Soup (番茄酸汤花胶羹). This is the best tomato soup I have ever eaten. It was savoury and sweet at the same time. Like Hot & Sour Soup, you will find fungus, and other ingredients in the awesome soup. (Food rating: 5/5)

 

Address: 上海市黄浦区九江路216号(河南中路口)
Price: $$
Rating: 5/5
Ambience: I love the interiors as if I've returned to ancient China. The service was great and the servers were very attentive and know their stuff very well.  The overall experience was marvellous.
Recommendation dishes: To be frank, all of them are recommended. They were very delicious and I will come back for more. 

T'ang Court was first awarded three Michelin stars in the 2018 Shanghai Michelin Guide. In the 2019 guide, the restaurant has dropped from three stars to two stars. Is T'ang Court worth this many stars? 

A Cantonese restaurant, T'ang Court, is housed under Langham Hotel in the famous Xintiandi. The restaurant has a elegant interior and the service was excellent. However, the food was tasted  ordinary that food from household brands like Imperial Treasure or Canton Paradise tasted better.

Jizong mushroom marinated in homemade sauce (凉拌鸡枞菌), priced at RMB100, was refreshing and amazingly deliciously. The mushrooms were beautiful and the sauce was light. The sauce tasted like the sauce in the Hainanese Chicken Rice - soy sauce with sesame oil. (Food rating: 3/5)

BBQ Combination (烧味双拼) of BBQ Pork and Suckling Pork skin, priced at RMB330, was delicious. The crackling sound from the pork skin confirms that the skin was roasted to crisp. The BBQ pork, on the other hand, was overly sweet. (Food rating: 3/5)

Red Lobster sauteed with spring red onion and shallot (三葱爆龙虾) was acclaimed with the "Best of the Best Culinary Award" and "Gold with Distinction Award". Priced at RMB1,500, the dish was over-rated. The lobster was freshly prepared but the taste was a mere ordinary. It was the worst choice made by ordering based on the awards this dish received. I was utterly disappointed. (Food rating: 2/5)

Wagyu Beef Sauteed with onions (香葱爆和牛), priced at RMB580, tasted good. The  beef cubes were cooked to perfection. The meat was tender and easy to chew. The vegetable flower made from Bok Choi was soft and easy to eat.  The taste was ordinary and I expected better. (Food rating: 2.5/5)

Assorted Imperial Mushrooms with vegetables (珍菌炒翠绿), priced at RMB110, was interesting. This dish was sauteed with minced garlic, in superior soup and oyster sauce. The imperial mushrooms looked very much like Shimeiji mushrooms. As for the greens, it was very interesting and I was not able to identify it. Overall, this dish is so-so. (Food rating: 2.5/5)

The fried rice was so-so and forgettable. (Food rating: 2/5)

Address: 5/F The Langham Xintiandi Shanghai, No.99 Madang Road, Luwan District, Shanghai 200021, China

上海市黄浦区马当路99号新天地朗廷酒店5楼(近太仓路)

Price: $$$

Rating: 2.5/5 (This restaurant is indeed over-rated.)

Ambience: It is a fine-dining restaurant but the food was seriously over-rated.  

Recommended dishes: NA

I had the opportunity to try his desserts during the soft opening. The interior was simple, yet elegant. More importantly, it allows diners to relax and enjoy the delicious desserts in the cafe. 

Similar to Grinch Babe at Ambi Cafe, this dessert has a nice green tea flavour and fragrance. The matcha ice cream is sandwiched between the buttery puff. Delicious crushed almonds were sprinkled atop the dessert. I loved the matcha ice cream which was neither sweet in sugar nor strong in matcha. The proportion was just nice. Matcha dessert - you rock! Food rating: 4/5

While having sweet delicacies, enjoy a cup of fresh tea with lemongrass, sensha, ginger, grapefruit, orange and lemon. Each pot of tea costs RMB58. The tea was refreshing and warmed the cockles of my heart during the cold winter.

Priced at RMB48, this éclair comprises of strawberry cream, red glaze and almond paste. Beautifully decoration as a strawberry, the dessert was sweet and the puff has a nice fragrance. Somehow, compared with the green tea custard puff, I love the green tea better. The strawberry did not suit my taste.

Address: 卢湾区淮海中路333号(近马当路)

After having the original meat dumpling (小杨生煎), we decided to try another flavour - crabmeat dumplings (蟹粉生煎). The crabmeat dumpling was sweet and the filling was generous. You can eat it on its own. More importantly, even though it is crabmeat, the filling was juicy. Take care when you are eating the dumpling as the soup in the dumpling may spill onto your clothing. (Food rating: 4.5/5)

We've ordered a bowl of Big Bone Soup with Vermicelli (大骨头粉丝汤), thinking that we could have something different for a change. Usually, we would order the Fried Tofu Cubes in Sliced Beef Vermicelli Soup [油豆腐牛肉粉丝汤]. An interesting observation was that the soup base for most noodles was usually very simple and a little bland. However, the ingredients were extremely generous. For this noodles, I would give a miss the next time I am there. (Food rating: 2.5/5)

What the Stars Mean
Ratings range from zero to four stars. Zero is poor, fair or satisfactory. One star, good. Two stars, very good. Three stars, excellent. Four stars, extraordinary.

Hey Tea 喜茶 ⭐⭐ | Drinks | $ | 268 Xizang Rd, Huangpu, Shanghai, 200085 China

More than 210 million milk tea orders were placed in 2018, according to Meituan - a food delivery giant. Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hangzhou and Beijing are the top five milk tea spenders, according to the giant. At the end of 2018, China had more than 450,000 milk tea shops and the annual sales revenue for the industry passed RMB 90 billion, according to Guangzhou-based market research firm, iiMedia.

HeyTea or 喜茶, a Guangdong-based milk tea chain, made the headlines for long queues. Founded in 2012, the tea chain has over 110 stores in 17 Chinese cities. Those who are social media savvy would have heard of this brand name and its infamous long queues in China, some of which claimed to take up to seven hours long.

I had the opportunity to try the popular tea chain - HeyTea in Shanghai. The outlet located in Raffles City Shanghai covers about 200 square metres with at least 10 employees making tea for customers. The waiting area inside the store allows about 30 customers but most of them choose to order takeaways. The waiting time for me was an hour.




Grapefruit Boom Tea (满杯红柚), priced at RMB25, was very refreshing. I loved the mildly sweet citrus drink that was a good perk-me-up drink with vitamins. Grapefruit Boom Tea is ranked fourth in the Meituan Dianping. (Food rating: 4.5/5)


Ranked #2 is this grape juice with Cheezo (多肉葡萄). HeyTea boasts that each grape is hand-peeled with fresh grape fresh. The skin-peeled grape, Yunfeng Tea and cheese were a great combination. The taste was refreshing and sweet and the cheese was not overbearing. Somehow, I prefer Grapefruit Bloom to the Grape Juice with Cheezo. (Food rating: 3.5/5)


The Brulee Boba Tea (布雷波波茶) was interesting and the pearl balls were chewy and sweet. I like it and dislike it as the same time. Compared to Chen San Ding, the boba tea in Taipei was much better in taste and texture. For boba tea, the only distinguishable factor is the texture of the tapioca balls in brown sugar. Brands either make it or break it. (Food rating: 3/5)


Having boba milk tea with Oreo (奥利奥波波茶) was a rather interesting experience. The combination of foam milk, oreo crumbs and tea was odd. However, the aftertaste was not bad and unpleasant. Boba tea is ranked #3 in China. (Food rating: 3/5)


HeyTea uses King Fone tea leaves (金凤茶王) for this beverage. King Fone tea is one of the Oolong tea produced in Taiwan. It is not named after a person. The HeyTea Tea King with Cheezo (喜乐芝金峰茶) was very strong but yet it was not offensive, which is acceptable for non-tea drinkers. The aftertaste was good and smooth and the fragrance was amazingly nice. The yellowish amber coloured cheese on top of the drink complemented the tea when mixed. It is comparable to LiHo! (Food rating: 3.5/5)

 
Hey Tea 喜茶 | ⭐⭐
268 Xizang Rd | 西藏中路268号 (Raffles City | 来福士广场),
Huangpu, Shanghai, 200085 China

Atmosphere: A very busy store and too many people in the store. I spent an hour window shopping whilst waiting for my drinks.
Noise Level: The noise level was reasonable as most of the customers were waiting outside the store.
Recommended drinks: Grapefruit Bloom
Price: $ (cheap eats)
Reservations: No

What the Stars Mean
Ratings range from zero to four stars. Zero is poor, fair or satisfactory. One star, good. Two stars, very good. Three stars, excellent. Four stars, extraordinary.