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Shanghai Café
Category: Restaurants Chinese Chinese [Edit]
100 Mott St(between Canal St & Hester St)
New York, NY 10013
Neighborhoods: Little Italy, Chinatown
(212) 966-3988
- Nearest Transit:
-
Canal St (J, N, Q, Z)
Canal St (4, 6, 6X)
Grand St (B, D)
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
701 reviews for Shanghai Café
Review Highlights
"My absolute favorite spot for soup dumplings."
(in 341 reviews)
"The xiao long bao is incredible here."
(in 125 reviews)
"The scallion pancakes are awesome too."
(in 82 reviews)
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701 reviews in English
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Review from Kimberly K.
Manhattan, NY
Shanghai Cafe serves up some tasty Xiao Long Bao (Soup Dumplings).
Quite a bit of seating is available but the restaurant is almost always packed. The employees do their best to find you a seat though. My favorite dishes are the Pork and Crab Xiao Long Bao (XLBs), Scallion Pancakes, and Rice Cake w/ Beef.
The XLBs here are delicious. The skin has a lovely chew and the filling of pork and crab is tender, juicy, and seasoned well. The Scallion Pancakes are thin, slightly crisp on the outside, and soft in the middle. Plenty of scallions inside the pancakes. Extremely flavorful, but a bit oily. The Rice Cakes were cooked perfectly and the beef was tender. Another winner.
Delicious Food + Affordable + Quick Service = I'm an instant fan. -
Review from Sumit B.
Manhattan, NY
2/8/2012
I went to here and to shanghai Asian manor to try Serious Eats recommendations on the top soup dumplings.
Before reading any further, I'm used to Chinatown. Crap service is expected.
Upon arrival, all the wait staff are running around likes it's opening weekend. Clueless chaos.
One waitress asks if it's ok I sit with other people at a table, I happily oblige and sit with 4 other people at a table.
I order two things off of the menu. I explicitly state I want one number one and one number two (pork dumplings and crab dumplings). She nods and writes both down.
Within five minutes, the waitress asks if I can move seats. I happily oblige and move to another table.
Two minutes later, the waitress asks if I can move seats (third table in ten minutes). I feel like a plinko chip on the price is right. She moved me to an uncleared table and proceeds to use her hand to swat off the remnants of the last meal. Oddly enough, her hand couldn't absorb any of the soy sauce on the table.
I am now sitting at table for six, solo. I wish I was cool enough to say that's how I roll, but judging by all the leftover plates at the table, I look like a starving hobo-slob. My only friends are some leftover soy sauce and some white sauce smeared at my place setting. Appetizing.
Food comes out! Awesome. Wait. Only one the pork dumplings came out. I assume the other is on its way and start eating. After ten minutes I finish my dumplings and ask the waitress where my other dumplings were. She said I only ordered one. (pet peeve: dont tell me what i did or didnt order). I said ok can I just have the check.
Ten minutes go by and I ask for the check again. The waitress said she put in an order for the second set of dumplings. Ugh. On principal alone, I don't want to eat anymore.
Second set of dumplings arrive. I begrudgingly eat and leave.
Soooooooo, obviously the service sucks. What about the dumplings?!?! They were ok. I'd give the dumplings 3 stars.
3 stars for food.
I will never go back here. On the other hand, just a few blocks down on Mott street, there is a place called shanghai Asian manor (23 Mott st), which was ranked number two on serious eats. They had great service and great food. Go there instead. -
Review from Darwin G.
1/31/2012
The place to go for soup dumplings. They're under $5 for 8 dumplings. The most important feature is to have a good dough. Handmade and thick enough to hold the soup without breaking. The filling is pork deliciousness.
As for my eating strategy, I get some hot sauce for the ginger vinegar. Dip the dumpling, onto the spoon, bite and drink the soup, and then eat the entire dumpling.
Tip: The steamed Napa cabbage on the bottom is edible and really refreshing.
The scallion pancake is really thin and crispy, but a oily. It's not much like the bready pancake versions and more like a crisp.
The Shredded Turnip Short Cake is not the turnip cake from dim sum. It's actually a dry, flaky bun with bland shredded turnip in the middle. I would avoid it.
The Sticky Rice In Bamboo Leaf is surprisingly close to my grandmother's authentic version. It's brown from soy sauce with pieces of pork. If you have never had a proper zongzi, try this out.
And most importantly, the service is quick and the food came literally instantaneously. The appetizers came in what couldn't have been more than 5 minutes and the soup dumplings came shortly after. No waiting, get your soup dumplings fast! -
Review from Bryanna E.
Syracuse, NY
2/9/2012
Yummy pork soup dumpling! the scallion pancake was also crunchy good.
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Review from Lucy Z.
Manhattan, NY
2/9/2012
Pretty much everything is good here. XLB has more ginger than Joe's but also feels less greasy. All the rice cake dishes are good and even the fried rice is done justice. This isn't a place to slowly dine though, the waiters pretty much need your table ASAP. Everything is also really reasonably priced. Cash only.
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Review from Ha N.
Chapel Hill, NC
2/7/2012 3 photos
I went with a few other people and we were not that hungry, so we just got some XLBs and apps to graze on. The XLBs were GREAT. I went here on recommendation and tried it against a couple of other places and this could be my favorite place for XLBs. However, the wine chicken was flavorless and the wine flavor was too strong and bitter for me. Maybe I'm not hardcore enough for the wine chicken here? The Jellyfish was also tasteless even though the texture was great. i might give it a try for other things, but most like I would only come here for XLBs.
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Review from Jade N.
New York, NY
1/30/2012
The food was so delicious! So... why do I have this horrible taste in my mouth?
Okay, lets rewind. My foodies & I had our latest monthly dumpling meet up here. All was well until we were served some spring rolls. One of our friends kindly asked (in Chinese) the server to cut the spring rolls and a few minutes later when we saw the server doing something else, she asked again to make sure the request was heard the first time. What ensued was straight out of drama-TV. The sever put on her angry face and yelled something at my friend, then followed up with a knife throwing act- telling us we could cut it ourselves. Next, a 3-stack of dumplings on a hot dish was placed on our table right at the edge. When we asked to have it placed in the center where more than 2 of our 10 hungry people could reach it, we were pretty much brushed off.
Later I find out my friend had already boycotted this resy after they tried to force the per-person minimum on her and her 2-year old daughter at the time. I also find out my mother has been here with the same frightful service, and vowed never to come back (& she's hard to piss-off).
I was surprised at the amount of non-Chinese people eating here. Maybe they treat you better if you're a "Westerner" because I don't see how they'd stay afloat with the attitude they gave us. It's a shame they don't train their employees better. This is some great food I'll forever miss out on. -
Review from JERIEL Z.
Brooklyn, NY
2/7/2012
Came here with a friend of mine. We ordered a few dishes. Had the dumplings - good no complaints. We tried a vegetable dishes, two cold dishes, and the chicken w/black bean sauce over rice. Overall was satisfied with the meal. Food portions were bigger than I expected, so no complaints. l'd go again.
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Review from Amy S.
1/16/2012 5 photos
The recent soup dumpling talk thread* piqued my interest in Shanghai Cafe. Best soup dumplings in NYC, you say? Better than Nan Xiang**, you say? This I must try. And so when a couple friends were visiting last weekend, I took them to Shanghai Cafe.
When we arrived at 7PM the crowd waiting to eat at Shanghai Cafe was spilling out the door. I wormed my way through the crowd to the counter to get a number. If possible, I recommend that at least one person in your party waits inside for your number to be called. We missed the first time our number was called because they didn't go outside to call the numbers.
After we were seated we ordered our soup dumplings right away, one order each of the pork XLB and crab and pork XLB. While we waited for our soup dumplings our group of four had a round of Tsingtaos and the...
DRUNKEN CHICKEN (zui ji) http://www.yelp.com/bi... - Good. Nothing to rave or complain about.
STIR-FRIED RICE CAKES WITH SEAFOOD (hai xian chao nian gao) http://www.yelp.com/bi... - Perfect texture in the rice cakes.
LION'S HEAD (PORK MEATBALL) CASSEROLE (shi zi tou sha guo) http://www.yelp.com/bi... - I don't recommend getting this. The flavors were way off; the pork balls were too sweet and the soup was too salty.
But who cares about the other stuff? The reason why anyone goes to Shanghai Cafe, the SOUP DUMPLINGS, were great: thin-skinned and filled with tender pork and piping hot soup. http://www.yelp.com/bi... Best in Manhattan? Yes. Best in NYC? No. Though I really enjoyed Shanghai Cafe's soup dumplings they fall short of Nan Xiang's. And after a trip to Nan Xiang yesterday I can confidently say that Nan Xiang is still the best. Their soup dumplings are more flavorful, especially the crab and pork ones, and their soup dumplings contain much more soup.
If you love soup dumplings, Shanghai Cafe won't disappoint. If you're looking for the best of the best, go to Nan Xiang.
*http://www.yelp.com/to...
**http://www.yelp.com/bi... -
Review from Rebecca C.
San Francisco, CA
1/29/2012
My favorite shanghai restaurant in NYC. The decor is clean and nothing to brag about, but the food is so delicious and super authentic. Since I was born in Shanghai and traveled there pretty often when I was little, I am fairly picky about my shanghai-nese food.
Must gets:
-- crab pork soup dumplings
-- tofu skin with mustard greens and pork
-- fried pork dumplings
-- boiled chive pork dumpling
this is definitely not the recommended menu for kosher eaters! and note that they put an accent aigu on the "e" of Cafe, to seem a bit chic. Don't be fooled -- it's authentic Chinese food!
Note that since the place is super busy, go before 6.30pm for a table. They don't take reservation for parties less than 6 people. And be persistent on getting things ordered, since the waiters tend to have tunnel vision rushing from one table to another, and then back to the kitchen again. The food comes out miraculously fast and fresh. One could order one round, eat, and order another to space out the meal.
fantastic prices for the quality of food. -
Review from Hong L.
1/27/2012 1 Check-in Here
The restaurant is a great place if you have a big group and want fast service. Came here with a group of 10 people and they were able to accommodate. As I am Shanghainese, some of the food touched home and made me think back to those days eating Shanghainese food in Shanghai. Some of the other foods were extremely oily so watch out for those meat dishes, those are usually the oilest.
I was not impressed by the service. I came in late so we asked for another set of plates, etc. The woman had an annoyed look on her when she did see a plate next to me but I said it was dirty. Also, they never came and refilled our tea cups, probably because they wanted us to leave since we were there for almost 2 hours.
All in all, I wouldn't make an effort to go again unless I have to. -
Review from Susan C.
Elmhurst, NY
1/28/2012
On a regular basis I feel that this place is a four star place, but overall, I'll give them a three.
Food is great, comes out really quick. Soup dumplings are yummy! Shanghai over rice is great.
One thing you should be ready for, is while you're getting your check, they'll mumble really loud next to you to make sure you leave at least 15% tip. Out of ten times of being there, one time we didn't have much change to leave tip so we left about 12%. While we were putting on our coats, STILL AT THE TABLE, three waitresses surrounded us and told us to leave at least 15%.
As much as I love their soup dumplings and shanghai over rice, I think twice about going back now. -
Review from Ryna D.
After I read seriouseats' post that listed this place as having the best soup dumplings I had to investigate myself. The perfect opportunity came when I had to be downtown for jury duty. I came for lunch and there was no wait at all. I ordered xiao long bao and bubble tea and it was about $10. Slightly thicker dough but better broth. And the place is cleaner than Joe's Shanghai so I'm giving them 4 stars and making Joe's 3 stars.
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Review from rawkerrxx r.
New York, NY
Updated - 1/24/2012
I'm torn between 3 or 4 stars.
4 stars because of the soup dumplings, and few other items like the mock duck. Also, the prices are pretty good, although they've raised them.
3 stars because of the POOR SERVICE. They will literally just throw a bowl of rice onto the table from behind you. The servers are inaccessible. They're just running around trying to get the next turnaround and get the customers out. However, I've been here with someone other than who I usually come with and he said he didn't feel rushed. Even if you do see a server available, you'd never be able to get his/her attention by saying something aloud because the place is SO F-ING LOUD all the time. I feel like the room is 4x4 and there's 100 people in it yelling. I can barely hear the person sitting two feet in front of me!
Also, tsk tsk on the bottle opening fee. I was told $10 on the phone for one bottle of wine for 2 people. Got to the restaurant and was told $15(?!?!??!!). The server charged me $10 since that's what I was told, but still. Argh.
Okay-- 3.5 stars, and I'm rounding down!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/23/2011
"Grade Pending" inspection sign...uh-oh!
I've been to Shanghai Cafe countless times over the past few… Read more »
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Review from mei s.
1/18/2012
We stopped in for a late afternoon snack. We ordered the pan fried dumplings, which had awesome yummy dough layer, soup dumplings, which had plenty of soup within the dumpling and scallion pancakes.
We were met with friendly service and was not rushed. I have yet to go to any shang hai dumpling place in NYC where this was the case. I highly recommend this place. My kids were sad that we did not turn this into an early dinner. -
Review from Betty B.
Brooklyn, NY
2/4/2012
I come here all the time when I am in the mood for some soup dumplings (xiao long bao)! I love the soup dumplings here. It is one of my fave spots in Chinatown. Service and decor are decent. Definitely try this place out if you are looking to find the best soup dumpling joint!
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Review from Alan D.
Brooklyn, NY
1/25/2012
Id say the better tasting soup dumpling compared to Joes. they must have crack cuz I'm addicted!!! went twice in 3 days!
only reason not the 5 stars, cuz the service sucks!!! they sat my group of 3 at a table for 4, and moved us to a booth to accommodate the next party of four?? didn't make sense...then they helped them before us???
but definitely a must for shanghai dumps!!!! -
Review from Debbie L.
Honolulu, HI
1/25/2012
The xiao lung baos (soup dumplings) are soooo delicious!! (Almost as good as din tai fung!) They are a must have along with their pan fried noodles. The price isn't too bad either. Our bill for 6 people came out to $52 or so.
The restaurant is VERY small and very packed! There's so much people packed in such a small area and the noise level iss so loud. it's difficult to get the servers' attention. Also, their service isn't that great either. But just because of their food, I would go back again when visiting NYC. -
Review from Rach K.
Yum!
SOUP DUMPLINGS! Affordable menu, quick service, short wait to be seated (because there's plenty of seating) - these qualities make this place my new favorite place to get soup dumplings in the city.
Our group started off with the scallion pancakes and the sweet red bean pancake (from the dessert section) - both pancakes had a flaky texture with a crisp outside and soft inside, pretty good, I thought - and then proceeded to split 3 orders of soup dumplings between the 4 of us. We started with the pork and then the crab & pork and finished with the pork (which we all sort of agreed was better than the crab & pork). The soup dumplings were really soup-y, the skins weren't too thick, and the filling was really flavorful and delicious. Each bamboo steamer comes with 8 piping hot dumplings and the pork will run you less than $5 whereas the crab and pork are $7ish. Looks like everything else on the menu is standard Chinese fare, nothing special, and prices are cheap.
I docked 1 star for the unfriendliness of the servers. I understand how unfriendly Asian servers can be (just because that's how they are - they're rude by default, they don't do it on purpose) but this is America. Service with a smile is what I look for when I rate a restaurant (because even mediocre food can be boosted by friendly staff). -
Review from Diana K.
New York, NY
1/11/2012
I'm giving a 4 star rating strictly for the soup dumplings and service. I forgot how quick service in Chinatown can be; this scored extra brownie points because we didn't feel too rushed throughout the meal either.
I haven't tried Joe's Shanghai so I can't do a direct comparison, but I can say the soup dumplings were so good that I wished we ordered 5 plates of them! We ordered a bunch of other dishes, but they didn't please my Korean palate the way that the soup dumplings did.
I'm just left to wonder: "Now why didn't Koreans think of that?!" -
Review from Judy Y.
New York, NY
1/31/2012 11 Check-ins Here
Best steam buns!
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Review from Michael F.
Manhattan, NY
1/15/2012
I go here at least once a week - I just cannot get enough! The soup dumplings are truly amazing. My girl and I usually order two batches of the pork soup dumplings and some lo-mein. We never leave hungry, and spend less than $20.00 on dinner every time. They also serve complementary tea which is nice of them.
It can get crowded at times, but man is it worth the wait! The waiter's are very attentive to the tables, and the food comes out very fast. You never feel rushed while you eat either.
Sometimes you may get seated with strangers, but most times that just adds to the fun. If it makes you feel uncomfortable just let the hostess know, and she will wait for a separated table to open up for you. -
Review from Elizabeth M.
Brooklyn, NY
12/26/2011
Serious Eats said this place had the best soup dumplings in Chinatown so my bf insisted we try it...
What a disappointment :[ The soup dumplings here were thick skinned and the soup had tons of MSG. I had a gross feeling on my tongue for hours. A slight plus though - they were made to order and you can see the little Chinese ladies wrapping them up front. We also got pan fried noodles, not a Shanghainese staple but a typical Chinese dish that is usually good and reliable. The sauce was extremely viscous because someone in the kitchen was too generous with the corn starch... The veggies were overcooked and the pieces of meat in the dish were probably kitchen scraps. The scallion pancakes tasted like the ones you get in the frozen aisle in a Chinese supermarket.
Service here was nonexistent. Seating was cramped. Should be no surprise since this is Chinatown... but bad service + worse food .... ugh.
Bottom line: For good soup dumplings, don't waste your time here. Don't even bother in Chinatown. Take the Chinatown van to Flushing and visit Nan Xiang Dumpling House on Prince Street - by far, THE best soup dumplings in NYC!!! -
Review from Thomas M.
Astoria, Queens, NY
12/23/2011
Came here for dinner last night with a friend, we got 2 orders of the Xiao Long Bao with crab meat and pork, a shanghai fried rice (pork,c hicken and shrimp) and a pork shoulder.
The Xiao Long Bao was very good, but it really just tasted like every other one I've had. Supposedly this place is the best in all of NYC, but I can't vouch for that personally. The prices are very reasonable however, for $7 you get 8 of the crab/pork meat, or you can get 8 of the just pork ones for $5. Overall the menu is very price conscious, our fried rice was $5.
I'd skip the porks houlder though, I had a bit and it wasn't too tender. My friend dug in a bit more and he said parts of it were noticeably colder than the rest. (read: frozen) The fried rice wasn't great either, it was really salty and didn't have much flavor to speak of nor did the rice have much color. (i.e. no soy sauce and hastily prepared) But you wouldn't come here for the other dishes anyway, if you wanted good fast food you'd hit up Big Wong or Yogee instead.
This place is all about the xiao long bao, and it's such a great deal that there's no way anyone can rate this lower than 4 stars based on a value proposition alone. You can come in here with $5 for yourself and eat an order of the pork xiao long bao's and you'd be pretty full. That really can't be beat, especially for something that's a bit time consuming to make by hand and is considered a bit of a delicacy.
The place was packed however, we got there at 730 but luckily there was an open table for two and we sat right away. There were visible diners standing by the door though waiting for open tables, also this is a tourist trap as half the folks here are non-asian and they definitely looked the tourist part. (handbags, sweatshirts from far flung midwestern colleges, etc.) -
Review from Will T.
Manhattan, NY
1/29/2012 3 Check-ins Here
Honestly, I know my Chinatown food and the soup dumlpings here are the best. Yes, better than Joe's Shanghai. Other options like Shanghai pan fried noodles and Kung Pao Chicken are great! No wait. Must try! Hollaatchaboy!
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Review from Cher L.
Brooklyn, NY
1/20/2012
Remember when you first bite into a hot soup dumpling, all you want to do is sink your teeth in and suck as much fatty juice from the bun as much as possible...well the service is just like that except they want to suck as much money from you as well as drink your blood and gnaw at your bones.
As soon as I was seated, my family and I wanted to order the xiao long bao and said that we would order more later. The server rudely looked at me and pointed at the menu saying that there was a $4.50 minimum per person. So I order some other classic shanghainese dishes, but the main focus was on the xiao long baos. As we waited, the servers rudely glanced over at our table from time to time. They were surely rushing us out with their eyes before the food ever came. The xiao long baos came quickly and were quite delicious with a very rare sight of bright orange crab eggs inside. However, I would like to point out that they actually used salted duck egg yolk to give it a bright orange color to make it appear to be crab eggs. So what you are actually paying for is, salted duck egg yolks with crab flavorings instead of crab eggs. After we were finished, our server asked if we wanted change and said it in a tone that was very disconcerting as if she thought she deserved a higher tip. The bill was in fact, $15, and we gave her $20. So she thought she deserved $5 or 33% tip? Perhaps this was the charge for the great service she provided...
Although they do have higher than average dishes, they certainly destroy it with their dehumanizing behavior. If you treat your customers like sh*%, then be prepared for your customers to sh*% all over you.
Also, to clarify some confusion, the sign says "Shanghai Deluxe Cafe." There's a pink paper sign in front saying that it's on 100 Mott Street. -
Review from Mary Cecilia M.
Manhattan, NY
1/29/2012
Although my friends and I headed to Chinatown specifically for a dim sum restaurant that ended up being much too crowded, this was a satisfying alternative. We ordered enough food for it to somewhat constitute as a dim sum selection, and the steamed crab and pork buns had to have been a table favorite. Second best went to the baby shrimp in a chili sauce. I will constitute this my go-to Chinese restaurant in Chinatown from now on! Of course, I'm still anticipating a day of dim sum.
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Review from Lara G.
12/2/2011 ROTD 1/13/2012
As the chilly weather sets in, the temptation to kvetch and complain like any regular New Yorker is irresistible. One of the great ways that shifts the focus from kvetching about the cold is to think of those delectable dishes that are wonderful on the taste buds during the cold weather.
Xiao Long Bao (pronounced "shao long bow" as in take a bow) or soup dumplings is decidedly one of those savory treats perfect when the days are shorter and the nights are longer. So, when my best friend inquired what I wanted him to get for me from Chinatown, I directed him to Shanghai Cafe's xiao long bao. When it got to my dinner table, the eight (8) pieces of xiao long bao were still hot but just right so as not to scald the tongue.
There are two (2) ways of eating xiao long bao: one is to place one xiao long bao on a spoon, bite the edge, slurp the soup and half of the filling. Another way of eating it is to place one xiao long bao on a spoon, get the whole thing in, bite it and savor the burst of a little broth in your taste buds, and chew the rest of it. Just remember not to talk as this process of digestion commences, as it is not exactly a delicate sight to behold. :)
The reason I'm a fan of the xiao long bao at this place is that it is flavorful and yet not oily. The broth inside as well as the size of the dumpling itself is just right. At a little less than five dollars; alright, $4.95 if you want me to be precise about it, that savory treat of broth inside the dumpling is the perfect comfort food on a cold night. :)Listed in: When the Weather Outside is…
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Review from Flora T.
Castro Valley, CA
1/25/2012
Okay, service is so-so. The food is worth the five stars though.
1) Xiao Long Bao (crab/pork soup dumblings) - Exactly what I expected...I burned my tongue. The crab meat wasn't distinctive but the meat was tender and moist, and soup was generous in the dumpling. YUM! Yes, I ate six all by myself.
2) Pork Rice Ball in Soup - I had no idea what to expect. Boy, was I surprised when I ended up eating a fat xiao long bao type center and soup inside what I usually associate with a Chinese dessert called Tong Yoon. I'm Cantonese, so I've only eaten tong yoon (glutinous rice balls filled with sesame or red bean in water/sweet liquid) as a dessert and never as a savory course. they were big, juice, yummy and chewy. BETTER THAN THE XLB!!
3) Shanghai Egg Rolls - Tasted like normal egg rolls, but well fried. Not worth the cost, but hey, it's egg rolls...what do you expect?
Waiters forgot my drink, but it was fine since I was so full! -
Review from Jerry O.
Naugatuck, CT
1/3/2012 1 Check-in Here
Crowded and noisy. Small tables, tightly packed. Yes, your in Chinatown. The food was decent but I did enjoy the Snow Pea Leaves.
A counter person, while delivered our check, told me "Tip is 15%". Really? Minus one star. -
Review from Nancy P.
12/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
My favorite place for soup dumplings so far! These are tastier, in my opinion, than Joe's Shanghai. The broth has much more flavor. However, the service is just as spotty as Joe's. The xiao long bao doesn't take too long to arrive but trying to flag down a server to order other things is almost impossible.
The fried soup dumplings were tasty as well and the scallion pancakes.
The prices seem comparable to Joe's and I think it's cash only. Definitely worth a trip for a filling meal. -
Review from jocy c.
11/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
The soup dumplings (Xiao Long Bao) at Shanghai Cafe is pretty darn good.
Beats Joe's Shanghai any day. -
Review from Michael C.
New York, NY
12/1/2011
I slept on this review for two nights, only because I want to be sure about giving 2 stars. The ONLY ONLY good thing here are their soup dumplings, which are only good relative to Joe's Shanghai. Compared to Ding Tai Feng (don't bother searching NYC for this, only in LA and Asia), Shanghai Cafe's soup dumplings are below average. I literally would not recommend anything else at Shanghai Cafe. Their other dishes are just unpalatable. The pork chop rice, well--I don't even know if that was a pork chop. Their beef noodle soup--hot water with bland unidentifiable meat chunks.
Insult to injury, the waitress yelled at me for tipping "only" 15%. At that point I wanted to give no tip, but just walked away... Never again Shanghai Cafe. -
Review from Julie W.
New York, NY
12/27/2011
(Writing a review after about 4 visits over 2.5 years.) This place is nothing but consistent. And I guess my orders are pretty consistent as well so I've got some basis for comparison.
If you are looking for a nice restaurant with a service-minded atmosphere, head over to Chinatown Brasserie, because this place is not it. Shanghai Cafe is about the food. And the food is very good.
Always order soup dumplings/XLB for those who cannot pronounce the Chinese without making an ass of themselves (me!). Follow that up with an order of steamed dumplings, roast pork buns or scallion pancakes
If I see you ordering entrees like General Tsao's Chicken or Beef with Broccoli, I will either laugh at you or start ordering something else for you (ahem Mom and Dad). Cannot go wrong with Shanghai style lo mein or braised noodles and any of the bean curd dishes. If anyone else has any entree suggestions, I'd love to hear them.
But who are we kidding? Just order a bunch of the dumplings and be done with it. :) -
Review from Brent C.
12/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
I wanted to try some good ol' Chinese food. The friends I stayed with said that Joe Shanghai was overrated so they took me here instead.
Everything they ordered for us, I had never had before. We had soup dumplings, wine chicken, and fried duck. Okay, maybe I've had fried duck before. But everything else was really different for me and I loved it. Even though I had a hard time eating the soup dumplings at first because they were so hot, they were delicious. I was so sad that there were so few. The wine chicken was served cold but it was just so new and interesting to me. And I love duck and they cooked it just right.
I wish I could have tried more dishes like their noodles, but what I had was pretty damn good Chinese food and it tasted authentic. -
Review from Kristie C.
Brooklyn, NY
1/26/2012
I really enjoy coming here. They get packed quickly around 4ish/5pm. I have tried their famous soup dumplings and well....they're great. They are full of hot juicy that makes you nervous in a good way. They have so much flavor that it is difficult to eat just one without craving more. I have also tried their noodle soup, but they weren't really memorable. I did have pork over rice for about 5 dollars that was pretty good! I would definitely be coming back. The prices are very reasonable and the food has never been a let down so far.
CORRECTION, DO NOT GET THEIR BUBBLE TEA. I got their lychee bubble tea, and did not care for it at all. GO FOR EVERYTHING ELSE! -
Review from Sandy J.
11/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
They are known for their soup dumplings (xiao long bao), which is very apparent if you pass by and as soon as you walk in. You can see the women steaming away orders upon orders of dumplings. Every table has a bamboo basket, or two, or three on their table. In the back you can see the staff constantly pouring vinegar into small dipping bowls and itty-bitty take-out containers.
I've learned two different, but both equally successful ways to enjoy these without spilling a single drop on your plate.
Method #1:
With a chopstick, GENTLY poke a small hole at the top where they pinch the flour to seal the dumpling and all its goodness. Then pour the vinegar into the hole and put some ginger shreds on top. Put it on your soup spoon and enjoy.
Method #2:
Put the dumpling on your soup soon and nibble the top off. Pour some vinegar and put ginger shreds on top...enjoy.
I've tried other dishes and everything else is just average. Service is terrible, but the dumplings are so good I don't even care. Yes, you can continue to ignore me all you want, give me dirty looks when I finally flag one of you down to ask for tea refills or order something else, and rudely kick my friends and I out as soon as the clock strikes 2200; as long as your soup dumplings continue to consistently be yummy, I shall return.Listed in: Good Manhattan Eats
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Review from Andrew C.
12/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
There once was a place that I loved called Joe's Shanghai. I thought this was the best that it could be in the NY area...until I was told about Shanghai Cafe...
I was a skeptic. Couldn't believe that many "locals" told me to try this place out but I am sure glad I did. The XLB (Xiao Long Baos) were steaming and fresh, and you can see them make a bunch of them as you're waiting for a table! Ended up ordering way too much food for four people, but even the bill was reasonable! (Under 70, including tip, that included 3 orders of pork XLB's, 1 order of crab&pork XLB's, shanghai rice cakes, green onion pancake, an order of Chinese vegetables, and an order of pan fried XLB's)
Pan Fried XLB's (aka "Sheng Jian Bao") were delicious here but very filling!
As far as the service goes, it'll be your "typical" chinese restaurant with fast delivery of food but not so fast delivery of water/tea.
Overall, a great place to go and definitely a new spot for me to check out during my trips to NY! -
Review from Elizabeth W.
New York, NY
12/18/2011
The best XLB ever!
Service is not swell but what do you expect when its always a full house?
I also like the rice-cakes with shredded pork!
Great for a cheap meal! -
Review from Lisa H.
1/11/2012
It's okay. Personally, I prefer Shanghai Asian Manor, which is down a couple of blocks on Mott St. The food tastes more flavorful and hearty there. The soup dumplings are better there too, trust me.
