I’ve already returned to Shanghai from Changchun. During my stay, I discovered a few new restaurants and would like to introduce them here. These three places were each visited twice for various reasons and opportunities while I was in Changchun, and I tried different dishes each time.
One Piece of Tofu
Discovered when visiting the Auto Factory area with Xiao Yuyu, it’s actually just an ordinary Northeastern restaurant. However, it’s rare to find stone-ground tofu here; I haven’t had such delicious tofu in years, so it was quite nostalgic. There are several branches, and the one at the Auto Factory seems newly opened with a nice environment and spacious interior. The only downside is that there are too many smokers, and it gets a bit noisy due to the crowd, though it’s certainly not as cramped as smaller shops. Later, I visited another branch on Fanrong Road. The decor is a bit dated, but since there weren’t many customers during lunch, the overall experience was actually better. The only quirk is that they play obscure internet songs, and sometimes the staff even sing along… ~~ True to Northeastern cuisine, the portions are huge. For two people, ordering their signature tofu plus one other dish is usually more than enough. The Auto Factory location also offers free soy milk, bringing the per-person cost to just over ten yuan. However, be aware that their sauces are quite salty, and the general cooking is rather average—only the tofu comes highly recommended~~~~
Signature One Piece of Tofu
The dish I miss most in Shanghai: Green Beans
Chezhigu (Valley of Cars)
Also located in the Auto Factory area, situated in a row of shops in front of Tianmao. Spanning three floors, the environment is elegant and comfortable, making it suitable for business banquets. There’s basically nothing to complain about, though it lacks some distinct character. The owner seems to be involved in model cars, so the restaurant is filled with various car models, and there’s even a counter selling them. The chef used to be the Executive Chinese Chef at the Shangri-La Changchun, and the dishes are his own creations. They don’t belong to any specific culinary school, so let’s call it Creative Chinese Cuisine. As for the taste, the flavors are generally quite heavy. Consequently, the lighter dishes taste pretty good, while certain stir-fries can only be described as extremely salty…. Service is good, portions are generous, and prices aren’t excessive—around 100 yuan per person~~~
Italian Restaurant
This place has been open in Changchun for a few years, but I hadn’t visited until recently. It’s located near Linhe Street on Weixing Road. I finally got the chance to go once, and then went again. It’s rare to find a restaurant in Changchun where almost all ingredients are imported. The atmosphere is very unique, decorated with all sorts of cute ornaments. The space is large, featuring a massive wood-fired pizza oven. There are only two servers inside: a young Chinese man and an elderly Italian gentleman. Ordering is handled entirely by the Italian grandpa; presumably, the chef is also Italian and only understands Italian. Amazingly, the menu is only in Chinese and Italian. Since most diners likely only speak Chinese, the Italian grandpa knows all the dish names in Chinese~~~~~~ And rumor has it his Chinese is getting better and better~~~~~
Outside the Door
Fried shrimp. The shrimp are small, but the sauce is delicious~~
Spaghetti Bolognese. Excellent! Probably the best spaghetti bolognese you can get in Changchun~~~
Bella Italia Pizza. Their signature pizza. Definitely didn’t disappoint, though it might have been even better if baked a little longer~~~
Tiramisu. Doesn’t seem to contain alcohol, perhaps adapted to local tastes. Still tastes pretty good, though on the sweeter side.
Ice cream. Tastes good, and the cookies on top are very cute, shaped like various animals~~~~
The total for the above was 390 yuan, which is clearly much better value than the 400+ yuan at Shijian Steakhouse~~~
Below are a few photos of the ambiance
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