What’s so new about New Shanghai?
A classy upbeat Asian restaurant located in the one of the busiest areas of The Dubai Mall, New Shanghai transports you to the very city the minute you step inside. Narrow lanes, long wooden tables and oriental paintings add to the essence of this Shanghai street replica that claims to offer some of the best in Shanghainese cuisine in Dubai.
We decided to stop by at this eatery during one of our weekday Iftars and were surprised to see how crowded this place was. Laden with tourists as well as locals looking to try out authentic Shanghainese cuisine, this place was bustling with good vibes. We were seated soon enough and suggested a variety of dishes to try out. They had an iftar menu as well, but we chose to go with a la carte instead and quickly placed our order. Read on to find out about everything we tried and what we couldn’t >
Spiced Mango & Shanghai Royal
These drinks, both refreshing and pretty, came with some unique ingredients. The Spiced Mango had a little pineapple and coconut juice and chilies which added a soothing, at the same time ‘wake-me-up’ flavor to the drink. Shanghai Royal brought about a creamy mix of pear, guava, white peach and raspberry in a petite glass. Maybe it was the day long fast, or the fact that we were really thirsty, but I found the quantity a little less than what I’d like.
What bummed me out even more was that despite asking for second drinks later on during our meal, I was never even given the menu to look at, leave alone the drink itself. A bigger portion of the drinks, or maybe a shareable pitcher would be a great option. This is especially necessary if the restaurant expects a lot of rush during peak hours.
Crab & Chicken Xiao Long Bao
Among the many things we ordered for starters, the Crab & Chicken Xiao Long Bao was one of my favorites. A bestseller at New Shanghai, this classic Chinese bao captured so much in terms of flavor and texture in every bite, it was a delight to have them over and over again. Quite good in terms of portion size, these bao pieces were stuffed with steamed crab and chicken mince. They were served in the typical bamboo steamer basket.
Salt and Pepper Calamari
Next on our list of starters were the Salt and Pepper Calamari. I have never really been a big fan of calamari, because I find them chewy, but these were something I’d definitely order again. These calamari pieces were lightly wok fried, giving them a crispy bite. They were garnished with fried garlic and red chillies which added loads of spice to the dish.
Shanghai Wings
Another bestseller, these spicy deep fried chicken wings were actually lip smacking good. I really liked the sweet and spicy sauce they were coated in and the chicken was cooked just right. #RashidaRecommends
Sizzling Mongolian Beef
This one was fairly good, but since our dishes were brought together too quick, we couldn’t really enjoy the sizzling flavor. Served on a sizzling plate, the sliced beef was wok-fried to a tender perfection and covered in savory Mongolian sauce.
Crispy Skin Chicken
This piece of quarter boneless chicken came with a crispy layer of skin and a homemade chili sauce on the side. Very rich in terms of ingredients, but lacking in terms of flavor, I found the chicken bland and slightly chewy. Next time I’ll stick to the basics of Kung Pao.
Yangzhou Fried Rice
This was my favorite from the entire spread we tried at New Shanghai. Adding a twist to your regular fried rice, this one came with shrimps and turkey bits and lots of veggies. The wok-fried rice, shrimps and turkey – everything was perfect.
Mango Pudding
Completely wow in terms of appearance, this dessert was a pleasant surprise. A must have for mango lovers, this dessert would have been so much better had the base been coconut. But the milk pudding was fair nonetheless.
Shaved Ice with Fresh Strawberries
Almost strawberry ice cream, this dessert was not only refreshing but it was just like having strawberry milkshake in a deconstructed form. The portion size for both these desserts was quite big, infact just one is good for two.
New Shanghai
- Food
- Drinks
- Ambience
- Pricing
- Service
#RashidaReviews
The dishes I recommend from New Shanghai are Salt & Pepper Calamari and Yangzhou Fried Rice.
We ordered a few dishes off their menu, which were fairly good in terms of taste, but not at all coordinated in terms of their arrival times. Imagine receiving your starter, then your main, then your starter again. Moreover, a couple of dishes we ordered off the menu (and were looking forward to) never made it to our table – Chicken and Vegetable Wonton Soup and Prawn Wontons.
Location: Lower Ground Floor, The Dubai Mall, Downtown Dubai, Dubai
Contact: 04 2246819
