Ye Shanghai

Everything in Xintiandi comes at a price, but Ye Shanghai Restaurant is one of the few that matches up to the price tag. A good dinner in  a typical Chinese restaurant is always accompanied with a terrible din, voluble toasts and compulsory speeches, not to mention the smoke and the carnage of over-ordering piled high on the table. Ye Shanghai is an altogether more sophisticated dining experience. It is modern (mostly) Shanghainese cuisine in a smart, tasteful setting. 

Of the cold dishes the potpourri of eighteen vegetables (38RMB) was fresh and crisp, a great counter balance to the rich and meaty stir-fried bamboo shoots (108RMB). If Beijing is not on your itinerary then be sure to try roast duck (180RMB) at Ye Shanghai. The noodles with spring onions, sun-dried shrimp and soy (20RMB/bowl) were also flavoursome without being too oily. An altogether more reasonable lunch time Hong Kong style dim sum menu is also available for 98RMB/person. A booking is essential at weekends, and don’t be late, they will only hold your table for 15 minutes.