[Radar] Tsui Wah Shanghai

 

Area: Tsui Wah is located in the heart of the French Concession on Fumin Lu, near Xinle Lu. Its right next door to Cantina Agave and La Dolce Vita in the “Mansion” complex.

What is it: The first restaurant of the Hong Kong Tsui Wah chain to break into the mainland, Tsui Wah Shanghai appears to be a rendition of the HK staple with Shanghainese characteristics. Down south, Tsui Wah is known to specialize in "Cantonese café cuisine", which includes dishes like fried crispy egg noodles, thick toast with condescend milk and yeung chow fried rice. Cafe cuisine is not to be confused with what people would normally associate with Cantonese cuisine -- i.e. dimsum and shark’s fin soup. In Hong Kong, Tsui Wah is open 24 hours and is busiest in the early hours of the morning, with those craving a late night snack or something hot and hearty to soak up the vodka. In contrast, Tsui Wah Shanghai is marketed as more of a light meal destination and attempts to serve every single cuisine under the sun -- pasta, steak, et. al.

Atmosphere: Tsui Wah Shanghai is relaxed and casual. It tries to recreate the Hong Kong canteen style café with diner-style seating and barbequed pork hanging behind glass counters. Private enclosed booths are also available. Ideal for casual lunches, dinners, intra-real-meal meals.

Impressed with: The massive menu. (!!!) That beast has more than 15 pages of food with everything from fish ball soup to lamb chops to Malaysian curries.

Damage: Fried noodles and barbeque pork go from 23-68rmb, curries from 38-58rmb, steak from 48-78rmb... but 18 kuai for 6 soggy, over-oiled spring rolls is a rip off if you ask me. It's cheaper than Western restaurants and you're getting what you pay for.

Whose going: It's still too early to tell whether Hong Kong people will bite on the idea, and whether the quality of the food will keep them coming after the nostalgia wears off. There's a lot of office workers in the area, so lunch time business could work out for Tsui Wah as well.

And perhaps expats who cant get a table next door at Cantina Agave?