Kwei Mun Lung 桂滿隴 @ Shanghai

These days, China F&B is dominated by group restaurants like these. As long as they are not franchisee, some of them are actually quite good as they maintain the consistency of quality and taste across the group.

Kwei Mun Lung is a restaurant chain that serves Jiangnan cuisine, focusing on seasonal ingredients and a traditional atmosphere. The restaurant’s name is inspired by the “Sweet Osmanthus Rain at Manjuelong Village” (滿隴桂雨), one of the ten sceneries of the West Lake in Hangzhou.

They have changed their interior decor, changing from a Hangzhou-theme of bridges and boats (yes, they used have them in the restaurant) to a brightly-lit eatery. Perhaps these days, extravagance is not the theme of the day.

They are famous for their xiaolongbao, offering a really good eat for a fraction of Dintaifung. But their style is Hangzhou-style dumplings which is blander than the Suzhou or Shanghai style.

And every season, they would change their menu, so you always get to try different ingredients of the season.

Crab meat with pork soup dumpling 蟹粉鲜肉小笼包

This used to be only available in autumn. But with modern refrigeration, crab meat with Xiaolongbao 小笼包 is now available all year round.

The steaming hot Xiaolongbao was moist and well constructed. The skin held up with the ample filling. I would love to have more of the soup in the dumpling.

Shaoxing stinky tofu with rose fermented beancurd sauce 玫瑰腐乳绍兴臭豆腐

There’s stinky tofu, and there’s Shaoxing stinky tofu. Shaoxing is famous for its stinking cuisine, and they can stink up almost everything. Therefore you can sense my excitement when I saw this item on the menu.

The seaweed and pine nuts were totally unnecessary. The crispy tofu was absolutely delicious with the fermented beancurd sauce. Only that the tofu was not stinky enough.

Loofah soup dumplings 小院丝瓜小笼

Another take on the Xiaolongbao, with a refreshing loofah and shrimp filling.

While it combines the sweetness of the shrimp and the loofah, I find the overall taste too bland.

Sea urchin Chinese toon bud omelette 海胆香椿箔蛋

The young leaves of Chinese toon 香椿 is eaten as a vegetable in China and taste like onion or garlic. It is only available in early springtime, aids digestion and has a cooling effect. It is slightly bitter and paired perfectly with umami from sea urchin. The omelette is the perfect conduit to bring out the deliciousness of this pairing. Good eat, but seasonal.

Double boiled black chicken soup with dried scallops in a bamboo canister 竹筒干贝乌鸡汤

The first time I drank soup double boiled in a bamboo canister was when I was 5 years old at the now defunct Prince Restaurant in Selegie Road. It was a double boiled pigeon soup, and I love these two items since then – pigeon and double soup in bamboo.

Double boil is a cooking technique exclusive to Chinese. It is essentially boiling soup in a controlled environment that limits the temperature of the soup boiling point, almost like sous vide for soup. It slowly extracts all the goodness of the ingredients.

Everything is cooked individually, so the result is a complex yet clear soup, like a consommé.

Steamed white croaker with chicken oil 鸡汁浪里白条

This white croaker 白条 is one of the three whites of Taihu Lake. It is sought after for its clear taste, delicate flesh and subtle fattiness. However it has a major flaw – it has a lot of bones, seriously lots of bones.

Because of its delicate taste, it is often paired with other condiments with equally delicate taste, like chicken fats 鸡汁. I have tried the same fish done in other ways, it does not taste as good.

Like most Chinese restaurant, this one is not suitable for a lone diner. Come with a few friends and you can get to try a variety of really good Hangzhou food.

Kwei Mun Lung 桂滿隴 杭州小館
Room 8001, Longemont Shopping Centre, No. 1018 Changning Road, Changning District, Shanghai 上海市长宁区长宁路1018号龙之梦购物中心8001室
Tel : +86 (021) 6049 5539

Visited Mar 2025