Grand Shanghai

My plan to eat at Grand Shanghai was always interrupted for many reasons, and I had to cancel and rebook my reservations at least 3 times. It was close to Mother’s Day when I finally managed to clear everyone’s schedule for a dim sum lunch at Grand Shanghai

Located within King’s Centre at Havelock Road, the restaurant reopened in 2019 with the current 1930s old Shanghai concept and theme

Offering authentic Shanghainese cuisine, the restaurant is decorated like an old Shanghai Cabaret club, featuring opulent candelabra lighting, plush emerald velvet booth seating, private rooms, and a huge performance area that takes centre stage throughout the restaurant. One of the highlights of dining at Grand Shanghai was their live band, which operates from Tues to Sunday from 7.15 pm to 9.45 pm, belting Oriental Jazz classics to diners enjoying their dinner. Since we visited for lunch, the same atmosphere was created by the oriental background music

We started lunch with a few of our favourites, which we will order at every Chinese restaurant: roast pork and roast duck. Something different was the braised pig’s ears, which were something we recently fell in love with, so we had to order them. The roast pork and roast duck were pretty good, with crispy skin and flavourful and tender meat, while the pig ears were crunchy with a light, braised flavour

Another 2 dim sum favourites include the vinegriette dumpling and spicy braised chicken feet, which were decent dishes but not the best we have tasted

For our carbs, we ordered a braised noodle soup with shredded chicken and supreme broth and braised e-fu noodles with crab meat. The E-fu noodles were cooked perfectly with soft and chewy noodles, which absorbed the flavours of the braised sauce and mushrooms. The chives provided a nice crunch and light spice. The braised noodle soup was specially ordered for my mum as it is easy on the stomach and less oily. The broth was light but flavourful, and the noodles were soft and easy to eat and were really comforting for the stomach

We also ordered a dim sum set, which included 3 types of dim sum. Each set came served in a golden cage structure, which was pretty and great for pictures. The dim sum included in the set includes: deep-fried white turnip puff, steamed xiaolong bao and vegetable dumplings. The set took quite a while to be served, and I would think it took time for them to display the food in the cage. There should also be a limited number of cages. The dim sum itself was decent, and the flavours were nice, with the xiaolong bao being the more popular one

Last but not least, we ordered 2 of our favourite desserts: the osmanthus pudding and fried soufflé egg white balls filled with banana and red bean paste. The desserts did not disappoint and were really the best ending to the meal. The soufflé was fluffy and eggy, with the red bean paste giving the perfect sweetness, while the osmanthus pudding was lighter on sweetness but greatly perfumed with the fragrance of the osmanthus flowers

Overall, I find that Grand Shanghai is a great place to bring family and guests to experience excellent Chinese cuisine. The atmosphere is also on point and great for pictures. For a more immersive experience, visit when they have the live band performing, and it will be a nice dinner treat

Address: 390 Havelock Rd, Level 1 King’s Centre, Singapore 169662

Opening hours: 11.30 am to 2.30 pm and 6 pm to 10 pm ( Sat 6 pm to 10 pm only and closed on Monday)