Finding solid, authentic Chinese food hasn't been hard in Christchurch, and we found another gem in…read moreShang Hai Restaurant.
These small, cozy restaurants that only specializes in specific cuisines and certain dishes are the best ones.
This place opens at 830am and closes at 4pm. Perfect opening time for breakfast! It's located along Riccarton Road, just a few blocks West of Hayley Park. There's only street parking, but seems to have a decent amount available around 8am. All spots were filled when we left!
When I think about Shanghai cuisine, my first thought is salty soy milk soup with youtiao (fried dough stick) because it's one of my favorites! And the one here brought back memories when I had it in Shanghai. It has a milky, savory, sour, umami taste that's just goes so well together, and adding on the fried dough brings it all together.
We also ordered a Shanghai style tofu pudding. My wife thought I wanted this, but I know I pointed to the soy milk! The tofu pudding was good too. Very soft and silky homemade tofu with a nice balance of flavors from the black vinegar, spicy pickled vegetables, dried seaweed, etc.
The tea egg was all right. It needed more taste, and just ate like a regular hard boiled egg.
The fried dough stick was super good. Handmade. Crispy outside and soft inside, and it wasn't oily either.
The Chinese vegetable with pork mince wonton soup was very good. The soup had excellent savory flavor. The wonton was prepared very well with thin, soft skin, and a tasty filling! It really had a homey feel eating this.
I never knew Salty Pork with Vegetable Fried Rice with Pork Rib Soup was a staple Shanghai dish. I like it! The fried rice was tasty and delicious with good wok heat and nice smoky flavor. The pork rib soup was really good. Rich, hearty, and deep with porky flavor.
Of course we can't forget the Shanghai xiaolongbao! This was spot on! As close to authentic as you can get outside of Shanghai. The wrapper was perfectly balanced between chewy and soft, and kept all the tasty soup in! The filling was meaty and delicious as well. Can't stop thinking about it now.
Needless to say, we ate A LOT. The whole meal was authentic and excellent, and everything was prepared very well. I wish we had a place like this back home. The service was good, and the food came out at a good pace. Price was decent. We were the first ones there, and the place filled up quickly.