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Shanghai Chinese Restaurant
Category: Restaurants Chinese Chinese [Edit]
2400 Wisconsin Ave(between N Observatory Ln & N Calvert St)
Washington, DC 20007
Neighborhood: Glover Park
(202) 338-3815
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
56 reviews for Shanghai Chinese Restaurant
Review Highlights
"It was one of the best bubble tea I have had."
(in 22 reviews)
"I had the scallion pancake and the pork dumplings."
(in 6 reviews)
"The pork was deliciously spiced and the dumplings firm."
(in 27 reviews)
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55 reviews in English
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Review from Peter T.
Washington, DC
2/7/2012 5 Check-ins Here
This little gem doesn't seem to be as appreciated as it should be. How many Shanghai tea houses are there in DC, after all? I've been here several times to enjoy the variety of teas and small dishes. Especially good are the house-made lamb dumplings. I like how you can hot water refills on your tea.
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Review from Marco A.
Washington, DC
11/23/2011 2 photos
Most of the fare at this place is similar to what you will find at an average Chinese restaurant. However, there are a couple things that stand out so I thought it was worth a quick write-up.
Their bubble teas are great, I really like the honeydew flavor. I don't know of other places nearby that serve bubble tea . Also, make sure to try the "Shanghai steamed pork bun", essentially it's fancy dim-sum style dumpling. The sauce they serve it with is tangy, vinegary and delicious. Finally the "Japanese eel rice" (obviously not a Chinese staple) is also very good, especially if you like to order unagi at sushi joints.
In sum, if you're in the area I suggest popping in some time for a bubble tea, you won't regret it. If you like the look of the place there are a couple items on the menu worth trying. -
Review from MacRae O.
9/15/2011
I dunno. Apparently this place is supposed to specialize in Shanghai cuisine, but -- aside from the "Shanghai Steamed Pork Bun" -- the menu looked like every other Americanized Chinese joint in the world (not that I could even begin to tell the difference between regional Chinese fare).
I ordered TVP Honey Sesame Chicken and, in order to make the delivery minimum, steamed veggie dumplings. "Meh. I've experienced better" just about sums the whole affair up for me. The TVP itself was tasty and had a pleasant texture, but was regrettably over-breaded and woefully under-sauced. The dumplings were doughy and flavorless. I pawned them off on a poor, unsuspecting coworker.
The hunt for really good Chinese delivery continues. Stay tuned for the next *thrilling* installment...Listed in: Asian Persuasion, Carbo Loading, Signed, Sealed, Delivered, No., Fake Out
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Review from Christina C.
Washington, DC
7/4/2011
I went out of my way to get here for bubble tea on a Friday afternoon, only to find that the bubble tea "wasn't ready yet" and would take 1 hour to be finished. One. Hour. At around 2 pm. Really?
Luckily, I ran into a friend having lunch at the restaurant, who offered to let me sit with him while I waited. Luckier for him, he had forgotten his wallet at home - and of course, I just so happened to be there to save his ass and pay for his meal. Life happens.
I eventually got my taro bubble tea and was not at all disappointed - it wasn't the best I had ever had, but considering the other bubble tea options I've had in D.C. (I'm glaring at you, Snap) this was a blessing. My friend found his wallet, in case you were wondering, and paid me back for the meal - and my bubble tea too. And life was good for all.
But Shanghai, I'm not willing to wait an hour for your bubble tea - one happy coincidence was enough. Be ready for me next time! -
Review from nat m.
Alexandria, VA
Meh! We went here for some boba. We really missed all the boba places in CA and so we were really happy to find one in DC. However, the milk tea with boba that we got from this place was really bad. It was powdery and the boba was hard. Ewww....imagined biting into stale boba! Yuck, we threw the cup away and walked away very disappointed.
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Review from Melissa C.
New York, NY
9/10/2011
My friends and I went here for some authentic Chinese food in celebration of the Moon Festival. We got pork boiled dumplings, seaweed salad and scallion pancake. The pork dumplings were pretty good, but I had a few that fell apart somewhat easily and my friend had one that had the whole pork bit missing. The seaweed salad was unusual and very tasty with some sort of spicy kimchi at the bottom. The scallion pancake was a bit too crispy and oily for me to enjoy. I also had the bubble tea which was delicious, but the size of it was too big. I asked for a medium but apparently if you're sitting at a table, the only size you can get is the large. The service was also lacking here despite the fact that we were the only people there for the majority of the meal. Overall, decent Chinese food for DC but not a place that will knock you out of the park.
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Review from Marissa C.
Allston, MA
8/27/2011
Do not come to this place expecting fantastic service. The staff are courteous and patient, but are usually doing double duty - serving customers while simultaneously preparing batches of dumplings. I don't mind, though, because that gives me more time to spend with my bubble tea before I have to decide what type of dumpling I actually want to eat. There's not a ton of space inside, so carryout is definitely recommended if you're there during main mealtimes.
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Review from Jess L.
8/29/2010 1 Check-in Here
**bubble tea review**
I think that for DC, which doesn't seem to have many bubble tea places, this teahouse has a lot of character and a decent selection of food and drink. However, I was not so impressed with the bubble tea; the tapioca, in particular, was tough and too chewy, in my opinion. Five dollars is also a little steep for the quantity, in my opinion.
Also, while the waiter we had was perfectly friendly, the woman who seemed to be in a more managerial position was very abrupt and curt with us. It wasn't like the space was crowded enough to warrant a snippy attitude. Oh well.
Decent place to meet up for a quick drink with a friend, but next time I'm going to explore new places. -
Review from Sarah L.
Updated - 8/17/2010 13 photos
I've been here about half a dozen times since I've discovered you can take a 30-series bus from Foggy Bottom up here. I almost always come here for a late dinner because for some reason, I'm always hungry right before I go grocery shopping. The menu doesn't have much variety aside from dumplings, soups, and variants of sweet 'n sour entrees. The food, while expensive, is good. Not great. Hits the spot. However, you can definitely spend up to $20 per person if you don't order carefully.
Today I ordered General Tso's tofu, a scallion pancake, and green iced tea. The tofu was light and crispy, the sauce not too spicy. I usually have leftovers, but the tofu does not remain as crispy when it's reheated the next day. The scallion pancake was very crispy, and a lot smaller than I expected it to be, and didn't taste very scallion-y. For $3.50, I would not reorder this appetizer again (especially since I've had a slice of scallion pancake for $0.75 in New York). The green tea was jasmine and was kind of perfume-y to me. The last time I had the iced black tea, which I would prefer over the green. If you are wary of caffeine, I would recommend the ginger tea. Nice and spicy, reminiscent of chai minus the spices. Very good for cold days and to ease digestion.
Service can be hit-or-miss. For the majority of my visits, it is pretty good, but today I stood there for a while until I was seated. After I ordered my food, the service improved. All in all, as long as I frequent the Whole Foods up here, I will probably continue to patronize Shanghai Teahouse.Listed in: A Tea List
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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5/19/2009
Today I decided to revisit Shanghai Teahouse, as I haven't been there in a little over a year. For… Read more »
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Review from Kevin L.
11/30/2008
The moment I stepped in the door, I was greeted in Mandarin by the lady standing behind a counter, asking me to please take a seat. Being the middle of the afternoon, there appeared to be only one other table of folks (who left pretty promptly after I arrived), so I had my pick of spots.
It seems to me that the server (possibly also the owner?) has a rudimentary grasp of English. I didn't quite catch the story of why the shop was named Shanghai Tea House when she actually moved from Beijing. Anyone else know? It seemed easier to converse in Mandarin, even though mine was somewhat broken, and hers was much more advanced than I could sometimes keep up with. Still, it beat the awkward English that was the alternative.
The tea steeping pots here are really pretty cool! It took some explanation from our server to get how exactly they worked, since I wasn't paying attention the first time. Hot water and tea leaves go into the top, and that's where the leaves steep. A button on the top of the pot then dumps the brewed tea into the bottom container, where it's kept warm by a candle below. You can then pour out the tea into your tiny little mug at your leisure.
I only sampled the scallion pancake, and concluded that I grew up with much better (my grampa made amazing pastries like that, so I was kind of spoiled with great buns, scallion pancakes, dumplings, and the like growing up). Crispy, but not terribly flavorful. I'd pass on them in favor of A&J's. In general, the food didn't look worth the cost.
I appreciated that we were permitted to hang out as long as we liked. There was never at any point a rush to get us out. But then again, we barely ever saw our server at all during the time we were there. Plus, she was gracious enough to turn down the volume of the music when I asked, since it was a little too loud for comfort.
In the end, $12 for a pot of oolong tea is just a little excessive to me. I get that it's G-town/GP, but the raw cost for the tea leaves and some hot water can't possibly come close, can it? It's almost as exorbitant of a markup as the cupcake fiasco around town lately. I appreciate this as a really great spot to have some tea and catch up with friends for an afternoon, and as gracious as our server was, I don't foresee shelling out the cash for this again. Aiya!Listed in: Glover Park Escapades!
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Review from Walt G.
Washington, DC
7/8/2011
The pork steamed buns/dumplings are awesome, tremendous, like in in a Hong Kong Dim Sum joint. if this was all they did I would say 5 stars. unfortunately that is the only good point about this Glover Park restaurant.
Unfortunately, I have ordered from this place three times and each time it has gotten worse and worse. That seems too harsh, but the food is mediocre Chinese delivery and nearing the Meiwah scale of pricing.
In general, flavors are toned way down, the chicken and beef I have had are on the higher end.
Here is what I ordered over the the three tastings:
I have had the egg drop soup which was surprisingly rich and eggy in a good way. It avoided that awful clumpiness that you find with some egg drop soups.
I had the crab rangoon which were overly fried, with limited cream cheese and non-existent crab. The dipping sauce looked like marinara and tasted like sugar.
Veggie Spring Rolls: ugh. You would fine these Veggie rolls in the Rayburn Cafeteria that's not a compliment.
General Tso Chicken: All white meat, decent spice level balanced with a little sweet. Not saucey which I prefer but thats just me. Pleasant.
Garlic Chicken: All white meat, lacking in flavor and spice. The dish was lost by the taste of mushrooms.
Crispy Beef: My favorite Chinese delivery dish was not spicy, soggy, with few pieces of meat buried under carrots and celery.
Delivery is shoddy: The first two time I ordered I received my food 45 minutes, but this last order took 90 minute and frankly that wait is no wear near worth the wait. No i called 4 times after the hour mark. Two calls were ignored. The other two were, "The driver just left. he'll be there in 10 minutes." -
Review from Fenny L.
3/23/2009
Suffering from PNCSGS (Post National Cathedral Stained Glass Syndrome), my husband drives us down to Glover Park from a late lunch/snack. Having just had an awesome time at Breadsoda the other night just being in Glover Park perked me up a little, and as the day was starting to warm as well, my spirits rose a bit more. That's the problem with visiting the National Cathedral; I am so spellbound by the beauty of the stained-glass that when I leave all that glistening color I end up feeling so deflated and flat. It was this deflation that caused my husband to take me down to Glover Park for some munchies - as food always perks me right up. Heh.
Shanghai Teahouse is a cute little restaurant, casual and extremely laid-back. Although the two back "private" rooms are warmly decorated, the front dining room is rather sparse and plain. I was also surprised how quiet it was, as much as I hate listening to Chinese folk music (too many years of torturous music lessons on the gu-zen and pi-pa), it would have helped cut through some of the near oppressive silence of the place.
Although it took a while for us to decide what to order, I was a touch annoyed by the server ignoring us for almost 15 minutes. He did check up on us once, but that was immediately after we came back from the restroom, and hadn't had a chance to look at the menu yet. But eventually we got his attention and my husband starts off by ordering some organic green-hair tea (which isn't as gross as it sounds) but they were out. I went with the orchid oolong (because I'm a delicate flower dammit!). We also order the lamb dumplings, the steamed pork buns and the scallion pancakes.
I know, I know. Why didn't I read Kevin L's yelp before I ordered these things - as he talks about the scallion pancakes? Because my husband didn't want our meal to be peppered with comments like "oh, don't order that, I read that it wasn't good...oh but we should try this, it's got a few favorable comments...h'mmm, I didn't read anything about that dish though but I'm not done reading through all 25 reviews yet...can we hold off on ordering until I do?" He says my constant quoting of Yelp reviews ruins the surprise of the meal - he wants to be disappointed without warning.
And sadly, disappointing it was.
A burst of fragrant aroma greeted our nose when the tea (in individual pots with a cute little burner) was set before us. It was almost like being back in Asia! But then our food arrived. While the lamb dumplings were indeed quite lamby, it was a watery as if it was just dumped from the pot onto the serving dish without proper drainage. The pork buns were hot and very soupy, but we weren't given any spoons (a mandatory utensil for pork buns) so all that delicious juice was wasted. The scallion pancakes while indeed crispy were also greasy and without the delicious scallion flavor that makes these pancakes such a delectable treat. In addition, the hot sauce was served in a cheap little plastic carry-out cup, rather in a nice dish, and we didn't get any sauce dishes to mix the chili oil and vinegar in. Just very haphazard.
I will stress that the teas were very fragrant and that the food was decent. Edible but also forgettable. In addition, as this is a teahouse, I expected a little more "education" when we were served the tea. Our server never explained how long the tea should seep before letting it drain into the pot, nor that we could request more hot water when we were done. Again, just disappointing and haphazard.
I see much potential in Shanghai Teahouse. They are on the cusp of something very cool. If the kitchen would put in just a little extra effort, and if the staff would provide just a touch more charm, I can see Shanghai Teahouse becoming a cool hangout. I will probably give this place another try in a few months and hope that they become everything I know they can be.Listed in: Kung Pao Chinese!
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Review from PC W.
New York, NY
11/16/2008 2 photos
***3.5 stars***
I met up with fellow tea enthusiast, Emily R., here for lunch and tea yesterday. Besides the excellent tea and company, the experience was a little underwhelming for me.
The food on the menu wasn't very enticing - lots of American-Chinese food options. I settled on the $7 bowl of Spicy Beef Noodle Soup. The beef broth was spicy and the udon noodles were cooked fine. The overcooked and dry, battered strips of beef were not enjoyable. The bok choy and few tiny pieces of wood ear were a nice touch but not enough to avoid the overall meh-ness of this dish.
Not usually a fan of herbal teas (hello, no caffeine, why oh why), my interest was peaked by the description of the Eight Treasures tisane - chrysanthemum, sugar dates, gnocchi, dried longan, raisins, dragon well, rod dates & rock sugar. A pot was ordered for sharing and came in a clear, glass tea pot over a candle warmer. I love the tiny, clear plastic, mod tea cups. The tea was light, sweet and had a soothing effect. This is the tea to get here and it's only $5.
The service is surprisingly lacking for a small cafe that had two people working there and only 3 tables with a person or two and a few bubble tea take away patrons. Service was slow, there were a few times we had to go up to the counter to get things from a refill on boiling water for the tea to the check.
If I come back, it's only because of the Eight Treasures.Listed in: A Proper Cuppa, Ancient Chinese Secret
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Review from Emily R.
Rockville, MD
11/17/2008 2 photos
3.5 stars
Sharing a love for tea, Yelper PC W. and I came here this past weekend. We decided to also get lunch since we had both made the trek into DC.
Let me start with the food: I had the oolong noodle soup, which had a chicken broth with oolong tea, although the broth was very light and I couldn't quite taste the tea in it. Besides the noodles, the bowl was mostly filled with mushrooms, some chicken pieces, and there were a few baby shrimp strewn in there. http://www.yelp.com/bi... The food was mostly mediocre, but filled my tummy.
Tea: We went with the Eight Treasures herbal tea (see PC's review for description). Umm, gnocchi?? In tea?! Still am a little baffled by this.. but the tea was deliciously sweet and kept it's flavor through a second steeping. The mini tea glasses were ever-so delicate, and the size kept us refilling them to enjoy more. http://www.yelp.com/bi... A lot of the other tea choices sounded intriguing too.
Service: I can't say I was completely surprised after reading what others experienced service-wise here. I think they need to decide if they want to actually wait on tables or not. Seems to me if you are a "tea house," you should expect to check in on your customers, especially with tiny teapots that become empty so quickly.
Location: As Sarah L. previously mentioned, Shanghai Teahouse is not a hop, skip, and a jump from the Metro. I enjoyed a nice tour of Woodley Park before arriving, and it was more like 1.5 miles from that Metro stop. Plan on driving unless you live close. -
Review from Mel B.
Washington, DC
9/28/2008
This place is outstanding.
First, it's adorable. It feels like a cafe, with beautiful one-of-a-kind tea pots and sets for sale, bamboo in the window, tables are dark wood, and the art on the walls is very minimal and simple. I don't know what the place was like towards the back, but we stayed right up front in the main room with lots of light.
The crowd was also great and super interesting and local. One family was Chinese with the most adorable little well-behaved Chinese boy, an older man who I wouldn't think of as one to sit down with bubble tea, but there he was with his bubble tea and chopsticks ready to chow down. And there was another family of four, an American mom, an Indian father, and their two children. I enjoyed this diversity because, especially with this family of four, I concluded that these are people who KNOW diversity, want good quality diverse food, and diverse cultural experiences. It was such a great environment!
Second, it took a while for the woman to bring menus, and the staff was a bit confused at times- bringing us things that others had ordered and then just bringing them back to the kitchen instead of asking around at the other three tables first. I also asked for two pieces of pancake and three dumplings to go and they only gave me one pancake piece! Did they drop the rest on the floor? How did the two pancake pieces get separated?? Are you friggin kidding me???
Third, the food was amazing. I had the egg and tomato stir fry (sweet, salty, right off the stove, spiced, roasted, wonderful!) with the sesame pancakes (to. die. for.) and the veggie dumplings (to be any fresher I would have had to pick the veggies myself). I also ordered bubble tea- I was a bubble tea virgin before this so I am glad that I picked this place. I got the almond bubble tea and it was awesome!!! The ratio of tapioca to tea was awesome, the flavor was perfect, and I savored every sip. We also got a plate of tofu stir fried in some spicy sauce.
The whole thing came to under $40 and we ate like queens, with leftovers, and the entire experience was amazing.
When the wait staff irons out their issues (and understands how crucial it is to take away leftovers when you've had THAT sort of experience for godsake!!) I will potentially award the fifth star. This place is a true go-to when I have friends in town, want a low key meal with my boyfriend, or just want to go and try one new tea at a time at the bar and sit with a newspaper. BIG FAN!Listed in: Gluten-free Gluttony
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Review from Hannah C.
11/8/2009
Surprisingly cute place given the brick busy exterior. We came for takeout. The host was very polite, even brought out my food to me outside... but then he suggested happily that my beloved animal was overweight.
Hey buddy, my dog is perfect. The vet said so. He's just stocky. Your restaurant's overweight!
Ok - not a good comeback.
Plus - I think the guy was trying to be friendly... maybe.
But the General Tso's chicken lunch special and the broccoli in garlic sauce was delicious. So I'll give him a pass for now.Listed in: Gettin' My Asian Yummy On, Tea! A List.
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Review from Kathleen M.
Atlanta, GA
6/24/2008
I was pleasantly surprised when I walked in to Shanghai Tea House. Expecting a tiny walk-up with a single counter, I was shocked with the space they had. While this is not a large restaurant, there were several tables and chairs with a long bar down the center of the room.
A woman greeted me and asked if I'd be staying or getting a to-go order. Again, I was surprised because I didn't even know they served food! I threw a menu in my purse for later perusal and ordered a green bubble tea. The two ladies working here were incredibly friendly and very welcoming.
A small tea came to $4 which isn't bad-- I don't think I'd want a larger size. It started out too sweet and tasting a bit powdery but as I drank it I liked it more. I think that may be in part to the couple of ice cubes that had melted. The tapioca was a bit chewy but not bad. This is definitely better bubble tea than I've found elsewhere in DC, and I'll be returning when I need a 3:00 pick-me-up. I'm also curious to try their food, as it looks like they've got a pretty expansive menu.Listed in: I'm an egg., Glover Park
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Review from Wai T.
Washington, DC
6/21/2008
We stopped here for a quick lunch after visiting the national zoo in the morning. It was pretty good. Quite authentic food too!
As for the bubble tea, I'm happy to report that it is not powdery, and the bubble is nice and chewy. I'm a happy camper.
For those who can't find it, it's not far from whole food across the street!
[Added 6/28]
Came to this place again and totally enjoyed the food. I just realized how some may not like the food -- here's the reason: China is quite big, and the word "Chinese Food" is really too vague. The food they serve here is Shanghai style, meaning mostly sweet and sometimes mildly spicy. If you are expecting szechuan-type food, you're not going to find it here. -
Review from Jaclyn S.
4/7/2009
I nipped in here with a friend as we were aimlessly wandering Wisconsin avenue in search of a random snack.
The teahouse, open till 9:30, was freshly deserted by a couple people when we strolled in at 9pm. The decor is cutesy and they had some very kung fu movie style teahouse music being played that you will either find amusingly cheesy or irritatingly cheesy depending on your inclination. I chose amusement.
We ordered boba tea (they have a wide array of flavors, including honeydew and papaya) in 'Original' and 'Green Tea'. It came out, generously portioned, in these tall ridged trumpet glasses and was actually somewhat better than what is served at most places.
We also ordered lamb dumplings and rice and mushroom shumai. The lamb dumplings were pretty decent but not great. They did have a solid meatiness to them though - always a plus for a carnivore like me. The rice and mushroom shumai was actually very good.
Just a note: The menu is in English, so it probably doesn't matter, but once the server realized my dining partner spoke Mandarin, I did not hear a word of English again. She seemed friendly but spoke exclusively to my friend (and at some length), returning to the table a few times to converse with him. This would have been fine say, if I had a babelfish in my ear, but as it was I felt a little uncomfortable.
I would probably go back if I was in the area but I wouldn't go out of my way. -
Review from Y Y.
New York, NY
10/22/2008
You'd be better off going to an asian market and buying a pack of 50 pot stickers for $4 (lol - you can toss this into instant noodles as well - in line with the home-packed lunch thread), toss in a bag of tea and you'd be in business.... cos that is exactly what the food tastes like. I dont think they make it themselves so why bother paying for non-existent service? Green onion pancakes are $2.45 a pack! Save your money and buy yourself some pretty oriental looking plates and teapot and dine at home!
Definitely not a fan. -
Review from Seiko L.
Washington, DC
10/2/2008
I would have given them a better review, but their service was definitely lacking. It took more than 30 minutes for us to get a glass of water after asking for it 3 times...you know that's not a good way to start off the dinner. But my friends and I can understand if it's a busy night, it happens.
The food took at least an hour to come out...and on top of that, they didn't tell us there wasn't a entree that we ordered until we were practically done with our meal. So of course we didn't order another dish because we didn't wanna stay another hour to wait. This actually happened to TWO other things on the menu where they didn't tell us they didn't have until the very last minute.
My Chinese friend said it wasn't authentic food...I didn't think it was bad tasting though. They had a good variety of food & various teas. I thought it would be like Ching Ching Cha which I am a big fan of, but they have more food and less variety in tea. Smaller vicinity as well. We ordered the pan fried dumplings, spicy pork, green vegetables, seaweed salad, sweet & sour fish, and various bubble teas. The tapioca wasn't bad...and the blueberry tea I ordered was OK too. I prefer Ching Ching Cha's sweet fruit teas though. Good selection for vegetarians.
Everything was OK - the service was just...very...slow... -
Review from Kristina D.
Los Angeles, CA
9/26/2008
After reading the Washington Post review saying that this place serves good, authentic Shanghai style food, I really wanted to like this place. I imagined how this could become my local place to eat dumplings and Chinese food. Unfortunately the average food and mediocre service really killed that dream.
I will preface by saying that I usually don't factor service that much into my reviews. I consider myself a patient person and like to give a place the benefit of the doubt that a server or the kitchen was just having a busy or bad night. But here is when it really interferes with a dinner:
1. When you crave dumplings all day only to have your waitress forget about them. Even worse is that you remind your waitress that you ordered dumplings and they still don't bring it out.
2. You try to wave down multiple waitresses several times in a pretty small restaurant to get your bill and they never see you. Eventually we just went up and paid because we didn't want to miss the Office.
3. Little things that add up: no one to greet or seat you, them not checking in with you during most of the dinner (hence not getting a bill), bringing out entrees all at very different times, etc.
I may have been able to overlook these service issues if the food was spectacular but it was not. The Ma Po Tofu was good and light, and I liked the way they cooked the tofu, but the Bangbang chicken was overpowered by the red chili paste (and I like spicy) and seemed like it was something I could make at home. [Weird how I got the same exact meal as Sarah L]
I am still on the fence as to whether I want to give this place a second chance. -
Review from Tom D.
Washington, DC
9/26/2008
2.5 stars
This must be the sister restaurant to Bebo. The service is really in need of some major attention. It took a very long time to flag someone down to take our order -- and we obviously weren't the only ones struggling with service. It also wasn't for lack of staff -- although one woman did nothing but wander around glued to her cell phone screen -- and then sat at the bar and continued to stare at her cell phone.
We finally were able to order, and the food came rather quickly, though I never got the soup that I ordered. The dumplings were quite good -- and the spicy beef with noodles was delicious, but the quality of the beef was not good. The corn soup was also very good.
I had to get up to get the check and pay the bill, as did others in the restaurant. The woman seemed to also have a bit of an attitude and sans an ounce of pleasantries.......
I would give the food 3.5 stars, but the service had a real negative impact on the experience. -
Review from Alex M.
Washington, DC
8/22/2010
The Shanghai Teahouse has a great Asian inspired vegetarian selection. The homemade vegetarian dumplings and the ma po tofu are both excellent. Note only is the food great but the service is always quick and the staff is always courteous.
While I usually go for takeout, the restaurant itself has a cozy interior both where the main dining room has a large window over looking Wisconsin and the back room has a great area for larger groups. -
Review from Amanda M.
Washington, DC
10/23/2008
Fabulous tea. Per my waitress' recommendation, I had the 'eight treasure' and it was awesome. Cost about $5. Get it if you go.
For food, I had the boiled pork dumplings and the thin pancakes. Dumplings were good. There was a lot of them too so I left full. The pancakes were quiet greasy.
Service, as others have mentioned, is not the best. You seat yourself and then can wait a long time before a waitress even comes by to take your order. If you're famished, don't go here b/c you will be frustrated by how long you have to wait. If you have some time and want to relax, this is a nice teahouse with decent food. -
Review from Angelinaaah h.
Los Angeles, CA
10/21/2008
My passion fruit tea was just okay.
I also had pot stickers and green onion pancake and that was just okay too. Service sucked and honestly, green onion pancakes and dumplings should not cost that much!
I'd only come here if I was missing my hometown in Southern Cali (SGV), but I think i'd do a better job of making boba and potstickers in my apt. -
Review from Marie K.
Washington, DC
10/4/2009
It's a small place tucked just off Wisconsin Avenue. When you walk in you see a large bamboo plant and old-school Chinese decorations. I went by myself for a late Sunday snack and a pot of tea. The green tea was strong and earthy. Great on an October day. I had the scallion pancake and the pork dumplings. Both were satisfying. The pork was deliciously spiced and the dumplings firm. The waiter was helpful and the service was perfectly acceptable.
Bonus: they pipe in super awesome Chinese instrumental top-40 from the 90s. I really enjoyed the violin/cheesy karoke version of George Michael's "Never Gonna Dance Again." -
Review from lisa o.
Washington D.C., DC
1/9/2011
HORRIBLE HORRIBLE SERVICE!
I placed an order online, went to pick it up. They had no record of it. No apology-nothing! When I received the food shortly after it was 2 completely wrong orders lukewarm at best! WTF?! Very disappointing. I was overcharged, no refund,had to wait, and experienced horrible service. I won't ever go there again. -
Review from E P.
Washington, DC
4/11/2009
The food was ok but the service was bad.
I had the shrimp wonton soup and it was good. The broth was very tasty. This is the only reason it got 2 stars from me.
I also had the chili short ribs and they were mediocre. It was not memorable. It wasn't bad but I wouldn't order it again if and when I go back.
Service was horrible. There were only 5 of us in the restaurant and the two waitress only showed up to take our order and to bring us our order.
They never came back to check to see if the food was okay or if we needed more water, soda or beer. It was 4 pm so it wasn't rush hour.
The two waitress were sitting at the far side of the restaurant chit chatting and looking over the menu. Im thinking they were reviewing the it? Not really sure.
I doubt I'll go back here for quite some time. The service and food at Ayzen is better.
I had to flag the lady down to get my check. And when she did she also brought the other 2 tables tab. -
Review from Miki H.
Washington, DC
1/18/2010
I went there for a light supper and bubble tea. The host was polite and nice, but it took a while for her to take our orders. I guess it was because she also had to cook. I had strawberry bubble tea. It was one of the best bubble tea I have had. Mapo tofu was very unique but quite tasty.
I liked there because there was no loud music. Just quiet and cozy. This place has a decent tea selection at decent place. I would like to go there again by myself with a book next time. -
Review from Jeremy R.
San Francisco, CA
11/11/2010
Yelp Review
Shanghai Tea House
Food:
The food was sub-par even for a Chinese restaurant in DC. My noodles in my chicken lo mein were spaghetti noodles and not the usual rice kind. I also struggled to find very much chicken and even for the "special" price of $6.99, the meal lacked any taste. Additionally, I requested that the meal be made spicier, yet there was no kick whatsoever.
My companion's meals were sweet and sour chicken and cabbage and tofu. The sweet and sour chicken contained small pieces of something barely recognizable as chicken, and was supplemented by a large portion of flavorless rice. The cabbage was over-cooked and smothered in some sort of gelatinous sauce.
Service:
The service was decent initially. However, at the end as we were leaving the server accosted us regarding our tip (10%) and informed us that we ought to have tipped 15-20%. We reluctantly coughed-up an extra dollar despite the fact that the service did not merit it. This was completely rude, embarrassing and unwarranted as the tip was commensurate with the service. Tips should recognize pleasant service and are not obligatory as the woman demanded. They are a polite way of recognizing above average service and a good meal.
Bottom line:
The food wasn't very good, and that alone would not merit a return to this restaurant. This combined with being harassed for a higher tip at the end definitely sealed the deal, and not recommend this place to anyone else. As a guest in DC, this was a poor way to start my stay. -
Review from Laura C.
Washington, DC
3/29/2009
We had just finished dinner in Glover Park and were looking for something sweet when we passed by the Shanghai Teahouse. To our surprise, it was very authentic - great teas, very diverse menu.
We ended up with a coconut bubble tea and a pot of tisane (chrysanthemum, dates, rock sugar, and more) served to us in small tea cups like we've had in China during a true tea ceremony. We didn't know what to get for dessert, so we asked the waitress, who said she would bring out a small selection of her favorites. It was a great sampling and everything was delicious.
The place certainly has regulars and the owner seems to know them well. Haven't tried a real meal there yet, but the teas and snacks (and ambience) are wonderful! -
Review from Jack F.
5/23/2009
My first visit to Shanghai Teahouse was back in April 2008 when the restaurant first opened. The food was so atrocious that I vowed never to come back. That was until I spoke with the owner who lamented about how he had to open a month early because of the landlord and how his chef was overseas. I promised that I'd come back when things settled down ... and here I am one year later.
I have continue to have mixed feelings about Shanghai Teahouse but most of my original assessments remain the same. My biggest disappointment is the fact that Shanghai Teahouse isn't a true tea house. A tea house conjures up ideas of small dishes and snacks - what is essentially the Chinese equivalent of tapas. Steamed buns. Crispy pork ears. Braised chicken feet. Fried intestines. Alright, I can understand how most Westerns ("foreign devils") would be turned off to such dishes. But trust me, there are also Western-friendly dishes like seaweed, tofu, curried pastries, and roasted pork buns. And like tapas, I expected to sample a variety of small dishes between $5 and $6. Sadly, Shanghai Teahouse doesn't serve a variety of tapas-styled plates. Most of the appetizers are dumplings or pancakes. And all the appetizers you'd likely order are at least $8. The rest of menu seems no different from ordinary Chinese restaurants like Mei-Hwa or Charlie Chang's.
I find the Shanghai Steamed Pork Buns (xiao lung bao) marginally better here than A&J of Rockville but a serving of 8 pieces will cost you $9.50 - a hefty price for each spoonful. Each bun (dumpling) contains a meager pocket of soup but each bite is surprisingly delicious. But what impresses me the most is the bubble tea. Having been worked at Taiwanese tea houses (in Taiwan) before the U.S. bubble tea craze, I'd like to think I know what I'm talking about. The tapioca pearls are chewier than I like (perhaps made around 4 or 5 hours ago) but consistent throughout. It was like chewing on gummy bears - an excellent mark. Moreover, unlike other bubble tea impersonators, Shanghai Teahouse actually soaks its pearls in a sugar bath, which gives each pearl a distinguished flavor. And the milk tea was just right. You could taste the black tea as well as a milk as distinct and combined flavors. What does that mean? Just that the milk tea was perfectly balanced without one ingredient overwhelming the other or by an excessive amount of sugar. In fact, the milk tea was slightly sweetened and barely noticeable. The pearls need some improvement but the milk tea was spot on.
I'm not fully convinced that Shanghai Teahouse is entirely deserving of praise just yet. Perhaps the milk tea was a successful accident and maybe the entrees I skipped will fail to live up to its "homemade" reputation. But I know that this recent visit has persuaded me that Shanghai Teahouse is worthy of a follow-up visit. (Last Visit: May 23, 2009)
P.S. On a slow weekend afternoon, Shanghai Teahouse is an ideal place to study (and work on reviews). It's spacious, quiet, and has Wi-Fi. I'd return just to finish my work here. -
Review from Yvette H.
Brooklyn, NY
3/10/2008
I am torn between not writing this review to keep this place to myself versus shouting about this gem from the rooftops because I think everyone needs to know about it. Shanghai Tea House is a cute, unpretentious place that is perfect for meeting up with friends (great selection of bubble teas, smoothies, Chinese oolong, green and other teas), studying (FREE Internet, which I am using to write this review), or even eating a cozy meal of delicious, authentic, down-home Chinese cooking. There's even sushi, though I haven't tried it yet.
It is located below Heritage India and above Kavanaugh's...I know what you're thinking, but there really is something between those two establishments. You have to go up some stairs from the sidewalk, so the storefront can be easy to miss. The place seems somewhat small--not crowded, but intimate--though there are more tables in the back. The people who work here are also incredibly friendly.
Frankly, I could rave forever about this place, but I am writing this review on my new iPhone and am still hunt-and-pecking while I type, so I can't take anymore. Just come check this place out yourself--it's perfect. They even sell tea and teapots and such if you want to take some of the teahouse home with you. -
Review from Zackary G.
Washington, DC
6/20/2011
This place has by far the best dumplings in DC. Their mainstream offerings--General Tso's, Sesame, etc--are not anything special, but their more authentic fare is great, especially the Ginger Chicken and numerous vegetable options. The Mango Smoothie is also great on a hot day. The tea selection is very good, but marred by plastic tea cups. The service has consistently improved, but do not expect great things. Overall, one of my favorite DC Chinese eateries.
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Review from Crispin K.
Arlington, VA
9/27/2010
Drove 20 minutes just to get the coconut bubble tea! Delish!
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Review from Jess S.
Boulder, CO
5/16/2008
After reading such rave reviews, I was excited to slurp up some bubble tea at Shanghai. Unfortunately (and I'm not sure if this is because I'm more of a boba snob or what) I wasn't too psyched on the freshness of the tapioca here. I would say that it's certainly a step up from Snap or Teaism- as they have multiple flavors of both tea and smoothies- but let's be honest if they don't have a machine that automatically seals the cups with plastic you're most likely out of luck. If you're looking for some real quality boba in the DC metro area I still think your best bet is a trek out to Eden center.
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Review from Danielle F.
Washington, DC
6/3/2010
Went here a couple of times, despite the incredibly mediocre food. Will not be going back again after finding a thumbtack in my stirfry at my most recent visit.
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Review from Debbie S.
Washington, DC
8/30/2009
Came here to have some bubble tea and a long chat with and old friend who had just come home for a visit. We were very pleasantly surprised with excellent service, and delcious bubble tea--and we've both tried our fair share of bubble tea places! We felt comfortable and relaxed and sat talking for hours. When our tea was gone, the nice waitress brought us water and refills. And she suggested some pancake appetizer that was very tasty and hit the spot quite nicely. :-) 2 thumbs up!
Listed in: My Neighborhood---Glover Park
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Review from Sara M.
Washington, DC
8/18/2010
I wish I could give this place 4 stars because I really wanted to love it, but I simply can't.
We showed up at 7:30pm on a Sunday night which is apparently the rush time - we were only the 2nd table there when we arrived, but by the time we left they were packed. I ordered the 8 treasures tea, which didn't seem like anything particularly special once it arrived - maybe it hadn't steeped long enough.
The food was... good, but not great. Average, I guess. We ordered the scallion pancakes, which were crispy but a little too greasy. The pork dumplings (which they first forgot about, and then brought me instead of the pork buns I ordered) were okay, but nothing special. The veggie spring rolls had a nice crunch but lacked seasoning.
Husband ordered miso soup and a bangbang chicken noodle dish (or something like that), both of which were also "okay."
We'll probably be back, but it'll be for convenience rather than quality. I hope next time I'm more impressed.
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