Randomness Guide to London - Differences between Version 16 and Version 5 of Shanghai, E8 2JS

Version 16 Version 5
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Chinese restaurant just along the road from [[Dalston Kingsland Station]], offering decent dim sum.
Chinese restaurant just along the road from [[Dalston Kingsland Station]], offering decent dim sum. It's housed in the premises of an old eel and pie shop, and the front part still has the old-style decor, with wooden booths, a long counter (including a couple of stools to let you dine at the bar), ornate tiles, and lots of mirrors <small>[http://flickr.com/photos/sarflondondunc/2570479566/ photo]</small>. There's a more conventional-style restaurant area out the back, with bigger tables.
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It's housed in the premises of an old eel and pie shop, and the front part still has the old-style decor, with wooden booths, a long counter (including a couple of stools to let you dine at the bar), ornate tiles, and lots of mirrors <small>[http://flickr.com/photos/sarflondondunc/2570479566/ photo]</small>. There's a more conventional-style restaurant area out the back, with bigger tables and some nice stained-glass dome skylights.
Dim sum is served noon-5pm, and there's a dim sum "happy hour" between 3pm and 5pm every day; during happy hour, all dim sum (including cheung fun and congee) are &pound;1.70 Mon-Fri and &pound;1.90 Sat-Sun. The menu lists about five different teas, including pu-er.
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They serve dim sum &#8212; as of April 2008 this was available noon-5pm with a "happy hour" of cheap dim sum between 3pm and 5pm every day; it may now be available in the evenings too, but we're not sure (and likewise not sure if they still do the happy hour). The menu lists about five different teas, including pu-er.
[[Kake]] visited for dim sum on a Sunday afternoon in April 2008. Handily, I arrived just after the start of the dim sum happy hour. I was on my own, so was seated in a booth. The place was quite full; I saw one party of three being advised of a 20-minute wait for a table, though others arriving later were ushered straight in; not sure if they were bookings or just regulars. There did seem to be a lot of regulars coming in, many of them with children, greeted like old friends by the staff.
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[[Kake]] has visited for dim sum several times now, most recently in December 2015. My first visit was on a Sunday afternoon in April 2008. Handily, I arrived just after the start of the dim sum happy hour. I was on my own, so was seated in a booth. The place was quite full; I saw one party of three being advised of a 20-minute wait for a table, though others arriving later were ushered straight in; not sure if they were bookings or just regulars. There did seem to be a lot of regulars coming in, many of them with children, greeted like old friends by the staff.
I ordered har gao (steamed prawn dumplings, 4 pieces), xiao long bao (Shanghai-style pork (soup) dumplings, 3 pieces), and yam and chicken spring rolls (3 pieces). The har gao were perfectly decent. Xiao long bao were juicy enough, but I wouldn't exactly describe them as containing soup. Spring rolls were fine, and not too greasy, but the filling was a little bland for my taste. Service was fine. My total bill at happy hour prices, including a pot of tea (80p for the entire pot), was &pound;6.50 (would have been &pound;7.50 at normal prices). Even with the 70p service charge that they added on automatically, this is a real bargain.
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Har gao (steamed prawn dumplings) were perfectly decent. Xiao long bao (Shanghai-style pork/soup dumplings) were juicy enough, but I wouldn't exactly describe them as containing soup. Yam and chicken spring rolls were fine, and not too greasy, but the filling was a little bland for my taste. Service was fine. My total bill at happy hour prices, including a pot of tea (80p for the entire pot), was &pound;6.50 (would have been &pound;7.50 at normal prices). Even with the 70p service charge that they added on automatically, this is a real bargain.
[[Kake]]'s verdict: I would definitely come back if I was in the area, certainly for dim sum, and probably to give the main menu a go too.
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[[Kake]] and [[Bec]] visited again for a vegetarian dim sum lunch on a Wednesday in April 2011. When we arrived at 1pm we were pretty much the only customers. We ordered one of everything marked vegetarian on the menu (six items, so a slightly smaller selection than at Shanghai Blues). These were all individually fine, but the selection as a whole was perhaps a little too much focused on fried dishes. This wouldn't be a problem for non-vegetarians who have access to the rest of the menu, but since this is the entire vegetarian range, it would be nice to have maybe one more steamed item.
Interestingly, they advertise roast suckling pig from &pound;11 for one portion to &pound;120 for the whole thing (advance orders required).
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The only vegetarian entirely-steamed item was the vegetable dumpling with carrot juice pastry (&pound;2.80) <small>[http://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/5599698183/ photo]</small>; it was good, with a nice contrast of textures in the filling. Monk's vegetables cheung fun (&pound;3.60), although technically steamed, didn't really provide a contrast to the fried items because they also had a deep-fried component inside (beancurd skin?). Mini golden pumpkin (&pound;2.80) <small>[http://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/5600269524/ photo]</small> had a nice presentation and an interestingly chewy exterior. Yam croquettes (&pound;2.80) were pleasingly non-greasy. Mooli croissant (i.e. crispy deep-fried turnip puff; &pound;2.80) <small>[http://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/5599685239/ photo]</small> was a little too sweet for [[Kake]]'s taste.

On this occasion, our final bill was &pound;11/head for plenty of food, tea for both of us, and the auto-added 10% service charge. This is perfectly reasonable for London.

[[Kake]]'s verdict: I'd definitely come back if I was in the area, certainly for dim sum, and probably to give the main menu a go too. I'd probably go to Shanghai Blues instead if I wanted an entirely vegetarian dim sum meal though.

As of April 2008, they advertise roast suckling pig from &pound;11 for one portion to &pound;120 for the whole thing (advance orders required).

Accessibility: A step to get in. Another step to get to the toilets, though they do have one toilet marked as accessible.

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* [http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/restaurants/restaurant-182608-details/Shanghai/restaurantReview.do Charles Campion's review in Metro Life]
* [http://www.doshermanos.co.uk/2008/12/shanghai-stale-dumplings-in-dalston.html Dos Hermanos review]
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* [http://rwapplewannabe.wordpress.com/2009/04/30/shanghai-restaurant-dalston/ New Yorker In London review]
* [http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/556088 Chowhound thread]
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* [http://www.qype.co.uk/place/73803 Qype comments]
* [http://foodbymark.blogspot.com/2008/09/shanghai-dalston.html Food By Mark review]
* [http://eastlondonlocal.wordpress.com/2009/03/31/shanghai-kingsland-road/ East London Local review]
* [http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/restaurants/restaurant-182608-details/Shanghai/restaurantReview.do Charles Campion's review in Metro Life]
* [http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/556088 Chowhound thread]
* [http://www.doshermanos.co.uk/2008/12/shanghai-stale-dumplings-in-dalston.html Dos Hermanos review]
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<div class="last_verified">Last visited by [[Kake]] and Pippa, September 2017. Opening hours taken from sign on door, September 2017.</div>
<div class="last_verified">Last visited by [[Kake]], 20 April 2008. Opening hours and happy hour times taken from sign on door, April 2008.</div>
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category='Chinese Food,Dim Sum,Featured Article,Restaurants,Takeaway,Takeaway Delivery,Takeaway Order Online'
edit_type='Minor tidying'
category='Chinese Food,Dim Sum,Featured Article,Restaurants'
edit_type='Normal edit'
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formatted_website_text='shanghaidalston.co.uk'
host='81.187.166.218'
hours_text='Mon-Sat: noon-3pm, 5:30pm-11pm; Sun: noon-11pm'
formatted_website_text=''
host='213.165.225.132'
hours_text='noon-11pm Mon-Sun (including bank holidays)'
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major_change='0'
major_change='1'
== Line 51 == == Line 36 ==
node_image='https://farm6.static.flickr.com/5222/5606525245_37ffc39d8c_m.jpg'
node_image='https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2218/2428000559_d5b67bc49f_m_d.jpg'
== Line 54 == == Line 39 ==
node_image_url='https://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/5606525245/'
opening_hours_text='Mon-Sat: noon-3pm, 5:30pm-11pm; Sun: noon-11pm'
node_image_url='https://www.flickr.com/photos/kake_pugh/2428000559/'
opening_hours_text='noon-11pm Mon-Sun (including bank holidays)'
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summary='Chinese restaurant in Dalston, offering decent dim sum (and a dim sum happy hour).' summary='Chinese restaurant in Dalston, offering decent dim sum (and a dim sum happy hour).'
website='http://www.shanghaidalston.co.uk/'
summary='Chinese restaurant in Dalston, offering decent dim sum (and a dim sum happy hour).' website='http://www.shanghaidalston.co.uk/'

Chinese restaurant just along the road from Dalston Kingsland Station, offering decent dim sum. It's housed in the premises of an old eel and pie shop, and the front part still has the old-style decor, with wooden booths, a long counter (including a couple of stools to let you dine at the bar), ornate tiles, and lots of mirrors photo. There's a more conventional-style restaurant area out the back, with bigger tables.

Dim sum is served noon-5pm, and there's a dim sum "happy hour" between 3pm and 5pm every day; during happy hour, all dim sum (including cheung fun and congee) are £1.70 Mon-Fri and £1.90 Sat-Sun. The menu lists about five different teas, including pu-er.

Kake visited for dim sum on a Sunday afternoon in April 2008. Handily, I arrived just after the start of the dim sum happy hour. I was on my own, so was seated in a booth. The place was quite full; I saw one party of three being advised of a 20-minute wait for a table, though others arriving later were ushered straight in; not sure if they were bookings or just regulars. There did seem to be a lot of regulars coming in, many of them with children, greeted like old friends by the staff.

I ordered har gao (steamed prawn dumplings, 4 pieces), xiao long bao (Shanghai-style pork (soup) dumplings, 3 pieces), and yam and chicken spring rolls (3 pieces). The har gao were perfectly decent. Xiao long bao were juicy enough, but I wouldn't exactly describe them as containing soup. Spring rolls were fine, and not too greasy, but the filling was a little bland for my taste. Service was fine. My total bill at happy hour prices, including a pot of tea (80p for the entire pot), was £6.50 (would have been £7.50 at normal prices). Even with the 70p service charge that they added on automatically, this is a real bargain.

Kake's verdict: I would definitely come back if I was in the area, certainly for dim sum, and probably to give the main menu a go too.

Interestingly, they advertise roast suckling pig from £11 for one portion to £120 for the whole thing (advance orders required).

See also:

Last visited by Kake, 20 April 2008. Opening hours and happy hour times taken from sign on door, April 2008.

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