During my 5 days in Shanghai, I found the city a melting pot of food culture. Restaurants and hotel kitchens are lead by renowned chefs and entrepreneurs from all over the world — eager to serve you all kinds of cuisine in the most authentic way possible. Let’s just say I ate very well in this city.
My language barrier however made me a bit hesitant to explore when it came to Chinese food in Shanghai. rif and I had a disappointing meal of lamb hotpot and xiao long bao in Nanjing Road so I wasn’t ready to explore any menu that wasn’t written in English.
At Yong Yi Ting however, my reservations were set aside as I tucked into a sumptuous meal of Jiang Nan cuisine, made using fresh seasonal ingredients. To start, I tried the Crispy River Eel, WuXi style. A Shanghai delicacy, this was a tasty treat of deep-fried eel coated in sweet sauce. It was delicious.
Crispy Pomfret in Sweet Soy was another winner. The fish was crisply fried and well seasoned with a sweet-savoury glaze. Inside, the flesh was moist and fresh — beautifully executed and generously portioned.
Braised Boneless Beef Ribs in Soy Sauce with Hickory didn’t look like much, but each mouthful was meltingly tender and deeply flavoured. Definitely a must-order at Yong Yi Ting. So good, I tell you!
And since it’s Shanghai, dim sum is a must. The Steamed Shrimp Dumpling with Asparagus was large, plump and juicy. Even better was the Shanghainese Pork Dumpling with Chilli Crab — the skin was perfectly thin and held the precious liquid as I lifted the dumpling with my chopsticks. The soup was still hot and flavourful, while the filling was tasty and juicy. A pity I had to share this hahaha.
The Baked Barbecued Pork Puffs with Onion was rich yet delicate. I liked the buttery texture of the pastry and the pork filling was well seasoned with a sweet flavour from the onions.
Dessert is a must at Yong Yi Ting and I must say, the kitchen goes all out to make an impression. This was especially so in the Egg White Almond Cream, Peanut & Walnut Pastry where the pastry is shaped to resemble a peanut and walnut. The almond cream was just like the one I had in Hong Kong (no joke) and the pastry crumbled in my mouth.
Also good was the Chilled Mint Pudding and Crispy Sesame Dumpling with Chocolate — the hot and cold combination worked perfectly and the balance of sweetness was just right.
Ice cream is made in-house, which I sampled in the Homemade Ice Cream, Candy, Osmanthus & Sweet Potato. The ice cream (vanilla) was smooth and creamy as a good one should be, while the pastry tasted like a refined youtiao.
My meal at Yong Yi Ting was an eye opener (and spoiler) to all the good Chinese food I sampled in Shanghai during my next few days in the city. The dishes were authentic yet refined and exquisitely prepared. I was indeed impressed.
You can read about my hotel stay at Mandarin Oriental Pudong Shanghai, and they happen to offer one of the best spa massages I’ve tried.
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Ambiance: 7.5/10
Price: 5.5/10
Food: 8/10 (non halal)
Verdict: Authentic Jiang Nan cuisine and delectable Shanghai dim sum.
Mandarin Oriental Pudong, Shanghai
111 Pudong Rd (South)
Pudong, Shanghai 200120, China
(From the Yin Cheng Zhong Lu intersection, approach Tai Dong Zhan ferry pier and turn right)
上海浦东文华东方酒店
上海浦东新区浦东南路111号(近浦东南路银城中路交叉路口,行至泰东栈渡口后右转)
邮编:200120
+86 (21) 2082 9908