When we heard B10 million had been spent on Gold Shanghai Xiaolongpao, we expected something truly grandiose. Maybe that kind of money doesn’t get you that far, these days: the restaurant is a bunch of dark brown booths—not much to look at. But the namesake xiao long pao makes up for the lack of pizzazz in the dining room. The trilingual (Thai, Chinese and English) laminated menu features appetizing photos of Shanghainese recipes prepared with an emphasis on slow-braising and stir-fried techniques. Portions are just right, leaving your stomach satisfied, not fully stuffed. While you are waiting for hot made-to-order items, have your appetizers with an obligatory pot of Oolong tea or, even better, Tsingtao beer. Drunken chicken is a decent option to kick off the meal, but one look around will tell you that everyone else is having the steamed soup dumplings served in a bamboo steamer. There are four styles to choose from here: pork, crab, kraprao and tom yam. Our favorite remains the standard pork xiao long pao, ready to burst with savory soup once you bite into them. We could do with a thinner dough, though. If calories and cholesterol don’t scare you, do try the melt-in-the-mouth muu sam chan nam daeng, a slowly stewed chunky, fatty slab of pork belly served simmered in thick sweet sauce. For something with a bit more crunch, the fried chicken wings sprinkled with chopped garlic and chili come non-oily and crisp. The rest of the menu is pretty average and tends to be on the sweet side. Stir-fried prawns with Sichuan hot and spicy sauce have a lingering sweet aftertaste, which reminds us of the sweet chili sauce that we usually have with streetside fried chicken. Just as sweet is the service, which is unobtrusive and efficient. The smiling servers give you the breathing space and privacy you need to take your time ordering and enjoying the food. Still, they can make suggestions when needed and pop up from time to time when your cup is empty. All in all, this might not be worth “gold,” but it does make it onto the podium with an honorable bronze thanks to yummy dumplings and good fast service. Corkage B200.
