I was randomly checking Google Maps to find a place to bring my colleagues for dinner when Chenglonghang came up in my search. A traditional-style restaurant located near the Bund in Shanghai, specialising in Shanghainese cuisine, with their signature dishes being hairy crab cuisines
Located on Jiujiang Road, the restaurant was established around 2002, although the brand dates back 60 years as a respected name in the region. It runs its own dedicated crab farms to tightly control water quality, feed, and a stable, high-grade supply of golden-roe crabs
The flagship Huangpu location has earned a prestigious one-star rating in the Michelin Guide Shanghai and is well-known for providing attentive table-side assistance. The restaurant is designed to evoke the grandeur of a traditional merchant mansion with multi-level seating arranged around a central atrium. The restaurant regularly features a musician playing the traditional Chinese zither from the central atrium, so all tables get a perfect view of the performance
We started off with some appetisers like the braised crab meat jelly with vinaigrette and drunken salted chicken. The crab jelly was light and refreshing with a tangy and savoury taste, while the chicken was extremely tender and was salted perfectly. We also had the crab roe xiao long bao, which was full of soup and had a thin, chewy skin
We also had half a Peking duck, which was perfectly sliced and wrapped up by the staff who did the table service for us. On top of the usual condiments like sweet flour sauce, leek and sugar, they also provided hawthorn slices to help cut away the grease. The balance of the duck meat was sliced nicely for us to eat as well. The skin was perfectly crispy, and the wrap was a warm, soft flour pancake
Next, we had some of the signatures like the Yanduxian ( 腌笃鲜), which is a milky, rich soup made by slowly simmering fresh and cured pork with bamboo shoots. Beancurd was also added to the soup. Hours of low-heat simmering emulsify the pork fat, creating a naturally milky-white, deeply savoury umami broth. The soup was deep in flavour, as you can taste the pork flavours and the sweetness from the bamboo. The next dish was the mapo tofu, followed by the dongpo pork belly served with braised quail eggs. The tofu was packed with flavour and was slightly spicy, which was perfect with rice. The douban sauce fragrance embodied the dish with soft and silky tofu. The pork belly looked fatty and greasy but, on the contrary, melted in your mouth the moment you took a bite. The fat you see on the meat melted into a flavourful impact the moment it reached your mouth. My colleague claims that it was the best pork belly he has ever eaten
To balance the meal, we also ordered some greens like the stir-fried hairy gourd and morning glory. While the vegetables were lightly fried in garlic and soy, they were very crunchy and delicious. There was no bitterness or raw taste from the vegetables
Since we were in Shanghai, I had to order the crab roe noodles for the group to try, and this was indeed one of the best dishes. There were 3 different bowls of toppings: one with pure crab roe, followed by 2 bowls of crab meat with scallops and more crab roe. The server will help to mix the noodles, top them with green onions and add a dash of vinegar to balance the dish. This dish was on steroids, and it definitely wins over the other crab roe noodles I have tried in Shanghai so far. Everyone licked their bowls clean, which is in itself the review. The next dish was something quite unassuming, a normal crab roe fried rice, but the moment it hits your taste buds, you are whacked in the face with the amount of wok hei this simple dish packs. Each grain of rice was separate and nicely coated with the seasoning, fried with good heat to give it the dryness and flavour. The crab roe helped with the umami flavours, while the vegetable bits added a nice crunch. This is another definately most order as most of the people at the dinner table wanted seconds
Last but not least, we got a complimentary dessert: mango pomelo sago, thick and sweet with fresh mango chunks
Overall, everyone enjoyed their meal at Chenglonghang and deemed it the best meal in Shanghai. I think the overall atmosphere of the restaurant, with the live traditional Chinese instrument performance and immaculate table service, paired with the great-tasting dishes, made the whole experience a winner. Not to mention that the restaurant is also a winner of multiple Michelin awards. This restaurant has truly become a hidden gem for me since it was not greatly advertised on social media
Address: 216 Jiujiang Rd, Huangpu, Shanghai, China, 200002
Opening hours: 11 am to 2 pm and 5 pm to 10 pm ( till 2 pm on Wed and Thurs)
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