Among this city’s Chinese restaurants, there is a giant chasm between those that serve Chinese cuisine and those that serve food with Chinese names. The latter, unfortunately, are in the majority.
So it is a pleasure to find Shanghai, a 3-year-old restaurant, serving delicious, dependable and truly satisfying Chinese food that is carefully cooked and seasoned.
The setting, on the fringe of Chinatown, is not promising. Shanghai’s entrance does not face Archer Avenue but instead is hidden on a desolate corridor in a mini-mall called Chinatown Square.
Once reached, however, the simply decorated restaurant, with eight tables and four booths, is welcoming and, you will realize, not entirely undiscovered. Unlike other eateries in the underpopulated mall, Shanghai is alive with the upbeat conversation of people enjoying one another and their food.
The servers are unfailingly polite, if not gregarious, and deliver orders promptly. They will not be not much help in planning your menu, however. But what really counts is the food they deliver. The menu is vast, listing nearly 175 items, and promising, in part because only seven of those items are chow mein.
Dim sum is not Shanghai’s strong suit. Steamed dumplings ($3.95 for 10) have a well-flavored pork filling, but the dough is so thick it kills the appetite. Various breads and buns are heavy going as well. Look instead to appetizers such as the moist shredded chicken with a peanut and chili sauce ($3.50), crisp hot and sour cabbage ($2) or a black mushroom roll ($3.50).
Shanghai’s Hong Kong chef excels at seafood. Try something mainstream such as shrimp with walnuts or cashew nuts ($8.95 each), the remarkably tender squid with spicy salt ($8.75) or a crispy-fried whole fish Hunan style (seasonal price).
Vegetables, too, make a vivid impression. Simple sauteed spinach ($4.50) arrives bright green, carefully drained and extra flavorful (due, perhaps, to the addition of a little chicken fat?). The Szechwan eggplant with garlic sauce ($7) will melt in your mouth.
Fried rice, so often disappointing elsewhere, looks and tastes freshly made. Servings with pork, beef, chicken or shrimp are $4. Even the ritual steamed rice and tea taste good here.
Among the meat dishes, the shredded pork with preserved mustard greens ($7) and the pork chops with vinegar sauce ($7.50) are worthwhile. Mongolian beef ($8.95), however, was soft and seemed overmarinated on a recent visit.
To finish your meal in the Chinese fashion, a selection from the lengthy soup or noodle soup categories will be in order. Five seasoning beef noodle soup ($3) is particularly aromatic.
Portions at Shanghai are large but not overwhelming. No alcohol is sold, so bring your own wine or beer and enjoy one of Chinatown’s premier dining destinations.
Shanghai Restaurant
(three forks)
2162 S. Archer Ave.
312-326-0077 or 326-0777
10 a.m. -10 p.m. daily
Cerdit cards: M, V
Wheelchair accessible
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RATINGS KEY: 4 forks: Top of the class 3 forks: Better than most 2 forks: Very good fare 1 fork: Middle of the road
