Spring in Shanghai 春在上海 @ Shanghai (2023)

Back in Shanghai and I had to go to my office canteen for lunch with my ex-colleagues. We come here regularly and were never disappointed.

Because we were such regular, we were brought immediately to our favourite table on the second floor.

特色腰花 Signature pork kidney

The pork kidney 猪腰 had been expertly cleaned and cut using a beautiful criss-cross technique. It was blanched and then poured with soy sauce + vinegar sauce. Crunchy and delicious.

四季糟香拼盘 Four seasons in wine marinate

四季糟香拼盘 Four seasons in wine marinate is the classic Shanghainese wine marinated dish; shrimp 虾, pig stomach 猪肚, duck tongue 鸭舌 and edamame 毛豆 – all of them were infused with the sweet yellow wine marinate to the right level. The stomach was crunchy, the shrimp firm and sweet and the edamame not mushy. My favourite was the duck tongue, addictively crunchy as I sucked the little bits of skin off the bone.

马兰头香干 Indian aster salad with dried bean curd

The Indian aster 马兰头 originally grew as a wild flower plant by the waysides of the old Chinese roads, the fields and hillsides. It is slightly bitter, slightly grassy, kinda herby, a very unique taste comparable to rocket lettuce. The one we had today was the classic rendition of the Indian aster with dry bean curd 豆干; the two ingredients are chopped and mixed together with sesame oil and other condiments and served as a salad.

北極貝撈汁秋葵 okra in pacific clam sauce

The okra 秋葵 was lightly blanched and dressed with a vinegar dressing made with the brine from the canned pacific clam 北极贝. After all these years, they still presented it on top of a bowl where there’s a live fish swimming.

白烧鳝丝 Sautéed river eel

Every time I com back to Shanghai my friends and I would order river eel 鳝鱼. Unlike unagi (Japanese river eel), these eels are smaller and thinner, so they are also referred to as soft pocket 软兜. Cooked in a white sauce 白烧 instead of the using red sauce 红烧.

黑椒啫牛舌 Black pepper beef tongue casserole

The beef tongue 牛舌 was sliced and cooked in high heat inside a casserole in Cantonese style. What was amazing was that the tongue remained tender despite the high heat. They have improved the version with white pepper instead of red pepper, giving a more fragrant aroma and pleasing presentation.

热气羊肉煲 Mutton casserole

It was a cold day, so we ordered a hot soup to warm our bodies. Mutton soup was in order, as it was the champion meat for cold weather. The soup was peppery and reminded of Taiwanese mutton casserole 清炖羊肉炉.

绍兴白切鸡 Steamed chicken with Shaoxing wine

The chicken was steamed with a little Shaoxing wine, but I found the chicken to be overcooked. The chicken oil that was produced from the steamed chicken was so delicious that I asked for steamed rice and pour the oil over it for a simple, satisfying eat.

开阳葱油拌面 Shanghai noodles in scallions soy sauce and dried shrimps

Classic rendition of the classic Shanghai noodle dish. The scallion-infused soy sauce was not overpowering and the fried dried shrimps called kaiyang 开阳 hit the right spots.

黑松露大馄饨 Truffle wantons

Finally, Shanghai wanton upgraded with 黑松露大馄饨 Truffle wantons. The classic pork wanton is enhanced with truffle bits. The wanton is then cooked in pork stock. Very satisfying end to the lunch.

I have many fond memories of Spring in Shanghai restaurant, as it was almost like my company canteen when I was working there. The food has remained solid Shanghainese. If only they stop putting those poor goldfish in the presentation bowl.

Spring in Shanghai 春在上海
上海长宁路1199号长宁来福士1楼户外H6古建（T2办公楼旁）近凯旋路

Visited Dec 2023