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    Shanghai Bun

    3.7 (487 reviews)
    ModerateTapas Bars, Chinese, Bars
    Open • 11:30 am - 9:00 pm
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    SHANGHAI BUN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Dogs allowed
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Shanghai Bun

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    best chinese food in san diego hands down!! personal favorite was the chicken fried rice, but my friend's fav was the orange chicken bc it tasted like real oranges

    I love this place Great food great service. Definitely coming back with friends. So happy to have this in my community

    "I call it a nipple of venus"
    Roch B.

    The party at the yacht club ended and, as we made our way back to the hotel, we saw the sign for the Shanghai Bun, looked at each other and said in unison "perfect!" Mere moments later, perched at the bar with an IPA in my hand, wifey and I split the Shanghai Bun Samplers - which were just the right everything. Light, smart, tasty and puffy good. Bring on them house made dipping sauces!

    Vegetable Egg Drop Soup *
    Jasper H.

    The service was super friendly. The egg drop soup came out fast and was very flavorful. It came with a side of wonton chips which pair well with the sweet and sour sauce at the table. As for the Shanghai Bun and Shrimp Noodle Rolls... The Pork and Shrimp Shu Mai was hands down the stand out. Although the fish roe on the shu mai was questionable with its gel like appearance, the pork and shrimp was well seasoned. Also the pork was minced instead of ground so it has a bit more texture. As for everything else... the Shrimp Noodle Rolls, shrimp dumpling (Har Gow), shanghai pork dumpling, and shrimp & chive dumpling all looked and tasted like they got it from the freezer section at 99 Ranch Market. The noodle rolls and skin on the dumplings were thick gooey. The Shanghai pork dumpling was the most evident as the folds appeared to be machine made instead of hand made. Finally the sauce that came with the Shrimp Noodle Rolls was basically soy sauce and vinegar... it didn't have the sweetness that is expected. Overall friendly service but the most important part, the food, needs some work.

    Patio Decor
    P B.

    My husband and I went here for brunch a few weeks ago. Interior seemed a bit dark so we opted to sit out back on the patio and were seated promptly. Justin was our waiter. He was polite, personable, very attentive, and answered our questions on selections. High marks for Justin! My husband had the Shanghai Bun Deluxe Sampler and I had the Lotus Trio and we shared the Handcrafted Cream Cheese Wontons. Food was awesome, hot, and tasty! Bar area was clean and inviting. Restrooms were clean.

    Fried tofu
    Dawn B.

    Delicious meal today! We were headed up to another of our favorite spots but decided to try something new and wow am I happy we did. I will for sure be in again for the brunch. The menu item are really reasonable priced. I loved the hot mustard and the the house made dumplings sauce. I had buns, dumplings, tacos, tofu and wontons and all of it was so perfectly cooked and seasoned. Everything was so perfectly done. I also had two cocktails (Asian persuasion and Shanghai sun) and the total was only 50$

    Miko P.

    I don't normally write reviews on restaurants I don't like, but the bubble tea I ordered convinced me to write one. The taste, the texture, and everything about my Taro that I ordered was not what I would expect when ordering Taro bubble tea. Put simply, it's bland and the quality is not there. This place is probably the least likely bubble tea shop I would travel to get bubble tea. The service was great and I haven't tried the food so I cannot give a comment on their cuisines, just don't order the bubble tea. Don't.

    Hot & Sour Soup * packaged for takeout

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    6 months ago

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    1 month ago

    I walked in the take out door. The person came out and was incredibly rude for zero reason.

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    2 months ago

    Love this place, good food, fair prices, nice portions and great service what else can you ask for.

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    Business owner information

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    Shanghai Bun T.

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    1 month ago

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    2 months ago

    I love the food here, but sometimes the service is pretty pissy and rude. I don't get it.

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    8 months ago

    The Hot and Sour Soup is delicious. Service is great. Happy to have found Shanghai Bun, and am excited to try more from the menu!

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    10 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Fantastic service and delicious food. Sat on the back patio. Nice, clean and friendly. I would revisit.

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    3 years ago

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    10 months ago

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Great Chinese takeout! Quick and professional. Enjoyed the food and will be back. Inside looked nice for dinner.

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    1 year ago

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    6 months ago

    Regular here. Whoever was cooking tonight deserves a raise! Food done right thank you

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    4 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Great place for tapas. Good food well .awesome workers who are super kind. Would def go again

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    10 months ago

    The food is amazing but the real star is Sandy! She is amazing! From start to finish she made our experience amazing.

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    Page 1 of 13

    Shanghai Bun Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Shanghai Bun

    Do they still have the all you can eat dim sum on the weekends?

    Do they have outdoor seating?

    They have a patio.

    How much is the brunch special? Is there an option without mimosas for less?

    $30 per person. I don't see an option for those over 10 years old that is cheaper on the menu.

    Does anyone know the 25% Chinese Tapas on Tuesday would apply for the take out too? I am afraid I don't have enough time to eat lunch in the restaurant.

    Only in restaurant

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    Shan Xi Magic Kitchen - 10. Biang-Biang Spicy Hand Ripped Noodles

    Shan Xi Magic Kitchen

    4.2(2.4k reviews)
    8.1 mi•Kearny Mesa
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    Came on a Saturday afternoon and added myself to the waitlist. It was busy but I didn't have to…read morewait long for a table. They do QR code and in person ordering (whatever you prefer). I opted to order by QR code to get my order in faster. My boyfriend and I both got biang biang mian but he got the version with cumin lamb. The portions are large and super filling. I honestly think one bowl is two meals worth of food at least. The noodles were chewy and bouncy. I love the flavor just make sure to properly mix the noodles - all of the good stuff sits at the bottom of the bowl! The chili oil is fantastic as well and I loved the spice level of these dishes. Service was pretty quick which was nice. I am excited to come again to try the other dishes! Highly recommend and was authentic - it can be hard to find authentic and delicious Chinese food in SD County.

    I had heard a lot of good things about this place. My group was seated not too long after we…read morearrived. You place your order online through a QR code at the table. The service was really poor, and I had to keep hunting down the servers and asking for things like refills on water, utensils, sauce bowls. I got to try quite a bit since I was in a group of five. The lamb biangbiang was extremely spicy for me, although I know I have a low heat tolerance. You aren't able to specify how much spice you want on your dishes and when you're ordering on the QR code and the menu doesn't tell you how spicy dishes are. I can't remember the name of the dumplings we got but honestly they were my favorite dish. My friends really enjoyed the tomato and egg noodles, I just felt that they didn't have much flavor.

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    Fortunate Son - ORANGE CHICKEN

    Fortunate Son

    3.8(1.5k reviews)
    6.6 mi•University Heights, North Park
    •$$

    Starting off ambiance is perfect, good overall feeling, they do what they can with the small space…read more Service is awesome, workers are friendly, welcoming, and considerate. Food is also really good, their chicken wings are nicely seasoned and flavorful. To future customers. ((Parking is limited & hard to find)) ((And please if waiting in line leave the sidewalk open for pedestrians))

    I came here with a good friend to celebrate our birthdays. We sat on the patio & it was the first…read morecool night in weeks! Lovely! We ordered garlic string beans, lo mein, honey walnut shrimp & general tso's chicken. Food comes out in the order it is done which can be a little off kilter. In our case, the chicken and shrimp came out first, then the lo mein, and much later, the green beans. All of the food was just okay. Nothing was truly a show stopper. I did not taste any honey or walnuts in the shrimp, just a lot of mayonnaise. The lo mein was the best dish of the night. We took some leftovers home in the cute packaging. The branding here is definitely a strong suit. As we were sitting on the patio, there was a steady stream of customers ordering & picking up takeout. Service was fine. We sat for quite awhile once we were done, and we had to ask for to-go boxes. Then about ten minutes later, our server came by to run our cards. Verdict: FS is cute and bustling. The food is adequate but honestly pretty basic. The prices are quite reasonable. One restroom for the whole place. Paid street parking on Adams Avenue until 8pm & free parking on some side streets. Just check for the parking signs. Peace.

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    Fortunate Son - Patio lights

    Patio lights

    Fortunate Son - Scallion stirfry beef $18.99

    Scallion stirfry beef $18.99

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    Eastern Dynasty - French Style steak

    Eastern Dynasty

    4.3(576 reviews)
    8.6 mi•Kearny Mesa
    •$$

    As a big fan of Chinese food, I wasn't expecting too much from this restaurant, but I was…read morecompletely wrong... You can tell by the huge crowd outside that this was a good restaurant. Despite the crowd, the staff were absolutely amazing. They handled our order patiently and although there were so many people, it only took around 20 minutes for the dishes to arrive. It was very noisy in here, but that was my only complaint. House special chicken, duck, house special soy duck: (9/10) so gooooooood! The skin+meat were really good and it was so saucy and flavorful. Each meat had their own unique taste. Green beans: (11/10) absolute perfection. The green beans had the perfect crunch and were sautéed very well. PLEASE GET THIS!!!!!! House special beef: (10/10) This has got to be the best beef dish I've ever had. So tender and juicy. It's also very succulent and the sugar snap peas were a great addition! Almost melted in my mouth! Clam: (8/10) my mom's favorite dish there! Not too salty or pungent, savory, basily taste, light, and delicious! Fried tofu: (9/10) I really liked the tofu. The batter was really good and the sauce made the dish even better! Snow pea leaves sautéed in garlic: (10/10) VERY GOOD! Great vegetable choice! Fresh and saucy. Shrimp and scrambled eggs: (8/10) eggs were light and fluffy. I thought the shrimp was pretty decent but the eggs made it even better! Overall, I thought this Chinese restaurant stood out from the rest. It was a game changer and I will for sure be coming back whenever I'm in the area!

    Food was impressive. We ordered the Peking Duck, Pepper Beef and Pea pod greens. Enjoyed them all…read more Service was a little slow but if you ask for something they are quick to respond. One negative is that they only allow 2 credit cards per check. Small, intimate atmosphere. Parking is a challenge as it always is with businesses on Convoy. Overall a good dining experience. A neighborhood gem.

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    Eastern Dynasty - Interior

    Interior

    Eastern Dynasty - Chicken Wing

    Chicken Wing

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    Minh Ky Restaurant - Chinese donut $4.26 with tax

    Minh Ky Restaurant

    4.2(1.4k reviews)
    8.4 mi•City Heights
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    This place was recommended to me by an Instagram post on the best and most authentic Chinese…read morerestaurants in San Diego. It did not disappoint!!!! Wow, it's been so long since I've had you tiao (Chinese fried donuts) with soy milk! Their duck noodle soup and congee were also delicious. Protip: if you order a noodle soup, they will ask if you want your soup on the side. Don't do it because they barely have me enough soup to cover my noodles and I'm pretty sure if I hadn't gotten it on the side they would have given me more. But I haven't found a Chinese place this homey and authentic in San Diego in a long time. You know it's legit when you show up on a Sunday morning and the place is full of Chinese people. Planning to take my family here some day as I am sure they would love it. Very no-frills, fast service. The neighborhood is a bit sketchy so I don't think I would come here in the dark. They do have a small parking lot up front, but it can get messy so I recommend street parking in the neighborhood right next door where there seems to always be ample street parking.

    Minh Ky is a longtime Chinese-Vietnamese restaurant in the City Heights neighborhood. It occupies…read morean end suite in a very small strip mall with limited parking spaces out front. There was some additional parking behind the building that people may not know about. I have seen this business listed in numerous "best of" lists for this enclave of SD. The inside had around ten tables so we're talking about a maximum seating capacity of no more than fifty customers. The noodles were the featured items on the menu, specifically the Rice Noodle Soups and the Crispy Noodle Plates. Those two categories occupied an entire page of the menu. My eyes wandered to the Chow Fun section that had over a dozen varieties which was more than I have seen anywhere else in town. Instead of the prototypical Beef Chow Fun, I selected the Sate version for my order. An oval plate was brought to my table within ten minutes. I noticed there were a lot of onions in the mix, both white and green. Some tomato slices were also included which I found unusual and did nothing to enhance the dish. The pieces of beef were tender and covered with satay sauce. For $15.50, the price was on the lower side, however more rice noodles were needed. I would have preferred using half the number of onions too. The overall execution of the Sate Beef Chow Fun was between three and four stars.

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    Minh Ky Restaurant - Partial view of the dining area

    Partial view of the dining area

    Minh Ky Restaurant - Duck noodle soup, specify wide rice noodle for the win! Amazing food.

    Duck noodle soup, specify wide rice noodle for the win! Amazing food.

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    Taste of Hong Kong

    Taste of Hong Kong

    3.8(382 reviews)
    8.2 mi•Kearny Mesa
    •$$

    The $19.99 AYCE on social media is deceiving…read more I took my mom here so we could try this new AYCE option this place was offering based on social media influencers. It was empty coming in around 5:30pm on a Friday, but it soon filled to capacity in the next hour. So coming into it, we thought we would choose between Menu A and Menu B. Afterwards, we thought it was AYCE on the menu of your choice + the side buffet where there are limited selections of sides and refrigerated drinks. We ordered orange chicken, Chinese style fish and something else. Again, this was on the thought that we could order more than one item on our selected menu. So imagine our surprise when the bill was nearly $100 for two people? It was a misunderstanding. However, the initial staff gentlemen was completely rude about it and ignored us as we sought to understand. Finally, a second female server came and heard our concerns regarding the false advertisement and unclear messaging. She was able to provide us the price we thought this was for based on Menu selection. All in all - I don't recommend the AYCE option. I think it would be important to make a distinction that AYCE clearly on the menu and at the front - AYCE means each individual selects ONE entree (which is a one small portion) and the AYCE component of the deal is ONLY for the side buffet.

    for only $19.99 AYCE, they have sooo many hong kong style dishes to choose from -- dim sum,…read morenoodles, roasted meats, seafood, desserts, and more everything came out hot, flavorful, and perfect for sharing with family & friends definitely one of the best budget eats in convoy if you're craving authentic cantonese comfort food!!

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    Taste of Hong Kong - Delivery Menu Page 2 as of 11/07/22

    Delivery Menu Page 2 as of 11/07/22

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    Meet Dumpling - Wonton Soup

    Meet Dumpling

    4.7(324 reviews)
    0.1 mi•Point Loma, Fleetridge
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    ***CLOSED FOR SUMMER***…read more Normally though, I LOVE this restaurant! The dumplings are amazing, and so is everything else I've tasted. Check it out when they open back up.

    No nonsense Chinese place. A little questionable that a child is doing a full server job, grabbing…read moredrinks, bringing out food, seating people; she does a great job, don't get me wrong, but she's just so young to be working a full service job. Not considering it in my rating, but not really sure how I feel about it. As for the food, the dumplings--amazing. We got the scallop shrimp pork ones. The skin is on the thicker side but the texture is so bouncy and the filling is incredibly umami and juicy. One of the best dumplings in San Diego. Each plate comes with 14 of them so it's pretty hefty. They don't really do modifications especially given that all the dumplings are pre-filled, so keep that in mind. As for the other items, they're passable but not as excellent as their dumplings. The beef noodle soup is good, but a little light on beef and veggies. The scallion pancake is super crispy, a little more like croissant and pretty mild green onion flavor. The noodles in the zha jiang mian were a little too al dente. The zha jiang mian comes with bean sprouts, carrots, cucumbers, celery, and ground pork in the black bean sauce. Overall great food for a reasonable price. If in doubt get more dumplings rather than their other dishes; that's what they specialize it and are best at.

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    Meet Dumpling - Inside

    Inside

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    Shanghai Bun - tapas - Updated October 2026

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