This article is part of "Revisited". In "Revisited," SmartShanghai sends reviewers out for seconds at the city's familiar and long-lasting restaurants, eateries and cafes to find out what has enabled some restaurants to succeed and improve when others have been little more than flavors of the month. . More of Revisited here »

[Revisited] Lao Tan

That Guizhou place across the street from LOgO Bar... - By Michael, Dec 06, 07

I often find myself, like everyone else, at Logo Bar, a few nights a week. While most of the drunks there prefer to grab a few skewers of yang rou chuan, I'm happy that one of my favorite Chinese restaurants is right across the street.

Lao Tan, on the second floor of 42 Xingfu Lu, has been around for a couple of years now and serves some of the most authentic Guizhou minority food in town. Last week I went with my friends Drunk Monk and ChaCha. ChaCha is from a small town in Guizhou, and was an excellent guide through the lengthy menu. There's a fantastic selection of traditional Guizhou snacks, hot-pots, entrees, and home-made wine. They've recently printed a bilingual picture menu, so if you're not familiar with Guizhou food, it's much less intimidating to order now.

Some readers might pass on the Bamboo Worms (48rmb) or the Fried King Bees (60rmb), or even the delicious Grilled Dog Meat (45rmb), but the choices are there for the adventurous.

I really liked the "Lei's Tofu Dumplings" (28rmb), which look like fried falafel balls, but ChaCha thought they were a bit too salty and well-done. The spongy, deep-fried tofu balls are dipped in a spicy, pungent sauce, and make an addictive snack. "Old Altar Speculation Dumplings" (28rmb) were like fried raviolis, stuffed with pork and served in tomato sauce. Equally toothsome, but be careful not to squirt your dining partners with the juice as you bite into it (sorry Monk!)

"Preserved Ham with Brake Leaf Jelly" (28rmb) reminded me of those Sichuan style buckwheat flat noodles, but were more chewy and flavorful. They are now far superior in my mind. "Steamed Millet with Diced Pork" (26rmb) was almost comically sticky in texture, like a very thick hot cereal, and the sweetness provided a perfect compliment to the spicy dishes. I'll be craving this hearty, belly-warming dish all winter. Another winter warmer was the "Steam Buns and Minced Pork with Green Peppers and Dry and Fresh Chilies," which was exactly what it says it is. Avoid if you're not into spice; a must order if you are. Finally, the Heartleaf Roots Salad (18rmb) was a fine little munchie between courses. Apparently, Guizhou people eat these little roots for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and it goes with the home-made wine as a tonic.

I've disliked nearly every Chinese wine I've tried, but the moonshine at Lao Tan is yummy stuff. There's several flavors, some like hard whiskey, others made with fruit, and with a pleasant, balanced sweetness (not like baijiu !!). The wines are stored in country-style ceramic jugs, and run 30rmb for a carafe.

I also like the decor. They've tastefully made it look country-style without going overboard or spending too much cash, which is probably one of the reasons the prices are so reasonable. There's no English or Pinyin signage, so this restaurant hasn't really caught on with foreigners yet. They've been missing out.

In the search for the newest and trendiest restaurants
in Shanghai, older, established venues will often
become eclipsed in the public's eye. In "Revisited,"
SmartShanghai sends reviewers out for seconds at
the city's familiar and long-lasting restaurants, eateries
and cafes to find out what has enabled some restaurants
to succeed and improve when others have been little more
than flavors of the month.

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