Having read some gushing (albeit dated) reviews about Tentekomai on various expat sites, a friend and I decided to give it a try this week.
First off, call ahead. It gets packed- mostly with groups of Japanese businessmen chain-smoking and downing a mix of 20 kuai Asahi draft, sake and shoju. This is definitely not a date place as it gets a rid rowdy. If you're looking to catch up with friends over drinks, though, Tentekomai is a good alternative to the Western pub scene especially since it has a full English menu. And did I mention we spent less that 150 rmb for 2 of us?
There's a pretty full menu with many dishes you'll see on Chinese menus. Do what the Japanese businessmen surrounding you do, though, and stick with the appetizers and smaller dishes. You need room to enjoy the cheap draft beer, right? For food, the pan-fried gyoza are little pockets of flavor. We tried the garlic but they have everything from traditional pork and veggie to mexican cheese and cod roe versions. The fried chicken was tasty but butterflied in a way to maximize the amount of pure battered skin- not quite my thing but if you like fried chicken skin you'll be in heaven. Edamame was standard in taste but a rather small portion. Get them if you're hungry but service is pretty fast so you might as well hold old for something more flavorful. On that note, the last thing I'd recommend is the leek omelet, which was coated with a very lightly cooked egg white. It had a nice amount of course salt that brought out the flavors of the leek.
If you're looking to put a few back while snacking on some tasty treats, check out this Japanese hole-in-the-wall for a change. Just don't look for the name of the restaurant anywhere outside. Instead turn in at 242 Julu Lu, a little west of Ruijin, where you find a sign with red kimono-clad man.