It’s been a long time since I wrote a food review. There are a few restaurants I’ve been wanting to introduce for a while, and since they happen to share a common trait, I might as well group them together~~ Following the trend in previous years when Taiwanese restaurants flocked to open branches in Shanghai (such as Chamonix Cafe, Daikanyama, 85°C Bakery Café, Wang Steak/Siti, and the Renjian series), Hong Kong restaurants have also stepped up their pace of entering mainland China over the past two years, not wanting to be left behind. As it turns out, after opening in Shanghai, they have all become extremely popular, with queues forming every day.
Before introducing the restaurants, let me first mention Pacific Coffee:
A few days ago, I visited Pacific Coffee, which is said to be ubiquitous in Hong Kong and has a 20-year history. The only reason I went was that there wasn’t a Starbucks nearby, so I finally had the chance to give it a try. Overall, the prices are affordable, and they offer a loyalty card where you buy 8 get 1 free. The service is slightly better than Starbucks, but the products are mediocre—weak and flavorless. The ambiance is decent, with sofas available for sitting and chatting. If you’re not too particular about the taste of your coffee, this isn’t a bad choice~~~~~
The following photos were taken with an iPhone 4S
Itacho Sushi
Itacho Sushi currently has three locations in Shanghai, and I’ve been to all of them. The Joy City and Grand Gateway stores basically only serve sushi and simple dishes, while the IFC store also offers their own udon and teppanyaki. The udon quality is average, and the portions are very small, so I wouldn’t recommend it. Teppanyaki isn’t cheap; the upside is that you don’t have to compete for seats with sushi diners. If you only order teppanyaki, the per-person cost will likely double, but since you can also order sushi at the same time, the price is reasonable—after all, people come here primarily for the sushi~~~~~ The quality of the fish in the nigiri sushi is quite high, served in thick slices, and the sweet shrimp is huge—very satisfying.
Salmon, Arctic Surf Clam, Sweet Shrimp, and Egg Sushi
Because it’s so crowded, both the ambiance and service are just average. The staff are incredibly busy, and during peak hours, the wait for a table can be very long.
Watami Izakaya
This chain is opening more and more locations. I’ve visited the Super Brand Mall, Dragon Dream, and Kerry Parkside branches, and there are also outlets at Infinitus Plaza, Raffles City, and Tianshan Parkson. The menu is a large book with very appetizing photos. They offer set meals for 2-4 people, which are essentially discounted by about 20%, making ordering much easier… The following is a 278 RMB set meal for two:
Teriyaki Chicken Salad: The lettuce is crisp, and the homemade sauce tastes great~~
5-Color Sashimi Platter: Salmon, tuna, sweet shrimp, octopus, and scallop. The portion is small, and the quality is very average—not recommended.
Beef Hot Pot: One of their signature dishes, served with udon noodles. It has a sweet flavor and is delicious—perfect for winter~~
Japanese-Style Bite-Sized Beef: Essentially medium-rare beef fillet, also a signature dish. It’s tender and juicy; if you find the flavor too mild, you can dip it in the roasted beef sauce.
Tempura Platter: Well-prepared; the batter isn’t too thick, and the shrimp are reasonably large.
Conger Eel Tempura Roll: Tastes good, although personally I prefer nigiri sushi.
Drinks: Green Tangerine Green Tea / Green Tangerine Cola. The set meal also includes 2 ice creams for dessert—I was stuffed…
Most of the seating consists of sofas. If you arrive early and get a large table, it’s quite nice, but the smaller tables significantly detract from the ambiance. Service is decent; servers will kneel down when taking orders—provided you can actually find one.
Tsui Wah Restaurant
This place is incredibly famous, yet I’d never been, nor did I have the chance to try it when visiting Hong Kong. So, I decided to try it back in Shanghai. Currently, there are two locations: one on South Xizang Road and another on Julu Road. Neither location is in a particularly bustling area, yet they still draw huge crowds. A new store inside Sun Moon Light Plaza next to Tianzifang seems not yet open; once it opens, it should be the closest branch to a subway station. This time, I visited the South Xizang Road branch, located behind Xinshang Digital Plaza on Huaihai Road. The first floor is non-smoking, and the second floor allows smoking. Reservations aren’t accepted for same-day dining. Since there were no seats on the first floor, we had to sit on the second. With people smoking nearby, we moved again to a higher mezzanine level, where the air quality was finally acceptable… Opening the menu, the massive “Top Ten Famous Dishes” section immediately caught my eye, so naturally, we ordered mostly from that list.
Fish Ball Rice Noodles: The fish balls are quite well-made, using real ingredients, and the broth is very flavorful.
Kagoshima Pork Cartilage: Having never tried this dish elsewhere, I can’t compare, but this version was pretty good—very tender and soft, easy enough even for someone without teeth to eat~~~~
Teppan Sichuan-Style Shrimp Balls with Fried Noodles: The shrimp quality is excellent and very satisfying to eat. It’s topped with Thai sweet chili sauce and served over Shanghai-style crispy fried noodles on the bottom. Highly recommended.
Swiss Chicken Wings: Actually just braised chicken wings, having nothing to do with Switzerland. Legend has it that “Sweet Wings” was misheard as “Swiss Wings,” hence the name.
Pineapple Bun with Butter: Absolutely huge, but unfortunately not warm. It lacks that soft texture you get when it’s hot, and the butter is room temperature—a massive slab. Completely incomparable to Sun Fung’s iconic hot-and-cold pineapple bun.
Mango Magic Ice: This shaved ice is made with artificial flavoring rather than fresh mango, so I wouldn’t recommend it.
As for the ambiance, the decor is acceptable. On the plus side, most seats are large sofas. Tableware isn’t particularly refined, giving off a casual vibe. Signature dishes arrive super quickly. Service? Just average. If you plan to visit in the future, it’s best to reserve a table ahead of time. Still, it can’t replace Sun Fung in my heart~~~
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