Liu’s Shanghai

Came here twice, but ate here once, + no, the time I didn’t eat there wasn’t because I got take-​out. There was one Thursday evening I came + it was packed, all but one table, that was filled with people who were just waiting for their take-​out order. As we walked in, we stood there, the staff saw us, but no acknowledgment to ask, how many? or say, wait a minute. We stood there for about 5 minutes + decided to leave cause it just rubbed us the wrong way.
We came another night to give it a second chance + if the same was going to happen, that would be the end. Luckily it wasn’t as crowded as last time, so we got a table.
We ordered the following:
Pork soup dumplings: yummmyyyy
Scallion pancake: yummy with the sweet soy it came with
Seaweed, tomato + tofu soup: its okay, soup thats nice + light
Shanghai style noodle soup: noodles seemed to be all chopped up, you know those little scraps of noodles that are left after youre almost done with a bowl of noodles? Thats what it was like, but a full bowl of it. Pork w/​preserved veg, edamame, dried bean curd: it was ok, a little too wet + edamame tasted a little funny.
I’d come back for another go, but that will also depend on the customer service we’d be approached with.

I love this place. I was really hesitant to do a review here because it’s a small place and I don’t wanting getting packed and have to fight people to eat here again. But this place is too good not to say something. So far I’ve been here twice and I am sticking to the pork soup dumplings and there fried wontons in peanut sauce my starters each time now. I’ve had their jalapeños chicken with fried rice (awesome) and today I’m getting their spice beef with thick noodles. I would eat here all the time if I could Amazing place. Service is so friendly and eventually the people here will know to place an extra peanut sauce on the side before I even ask (that’s how much I plan to eat here)

Finally! My girlfriend and I found a GOOD Soup Dumpling spot in Brooklyn!
Seriously, this place was not what we expected to walk into. Hate to say it, but most (all) of the Shanghainese spots I’ve been to in Chinatown/​Flushing are sub-​par when it comes to cleanliness (and that’s being nice).
Ever since I was a child, I’ve been exposed to restaurants that aren’t the cleanest, so I’m no snob in that regard. But it’s always nice walking into a rather clean environment. Gotta give em points for that! They’ve also got a flat screen TV in there, and «Impractical Jokers» was playing at the time. I finally concluded that this restaurant has definitely got a more modern feel than the others of this kind.
FOOD!
Pork Soup Dumplings
They do em well, here. Dough wasn’t too thick and held together really well. The meat was delicious along with the soup it produced. I definitely could’ve done another round of these!
Three Delight (Chicken, Shrimp & Pork) Pan Fried Noodles
These were also very yummy, but I think I’m going to opt for the regular noodles on my next visit. They definitely looked tastier from the pictures; definitely missed out on the the first time!
Like I said, these were tasty, but a little too soupy for me.
Service was awesome! Our waitress greeted and seated us immediately and was very friendly. The man who also helped us was also very kind. They were both efficient and there was no language barrier so things ran rather smoothly.
Can’t wait to come back!

I’ve been here a few times now, and so far everything is pretty good. I usually get the soup dumplings, and the fried wonton with peanut sauce.
The food here is delicious, but it seems quality fluctuates for me. Sometimes the soup dumplings come out amazing and full of flavor, other times no soup, no flavor. The peanut sauce really carries the fried wontons, sometimes the wonton has no flavor and I just have to dunk it in the sauce. Don’t get me wrong, that’s delicious, but shouldn’t the star of the dish Be the star?

Ordered take out delivery yesterday. We had the following:
Crab soup dumpling — 8 pieces, they were delicious
Fried wonton with peanut sauce — this is the second time I had this. Didn’t think fried wonton would be as yummy as these. The peanut sauce added the extra yummy flavor
Pork rice cake– it was ok. Had better rice cake
I would definitely come back here for more. They didn’t send a menu with their delivery. I guess they forgot? I thought usually take out places will throw in their menu for future take outs.

Out of all the Shanghainese places that I’ve been to, this is definitely one of the nicest — it’s clean, spacious (I don’t feel like I’m crowding anyone’s space), the food is great, the prices are cheap AND they take card!
I used to always head to Flushing to fulfill my soup dumpling craving (Joe Shanghai or Nan Xiang Xiao), so I’m glad there’s something closer to me. It doesn’t look amazing from the outside, but these types of places never do.
My boyfriend and I shared the pork soup dumplings (xiao long bao) and pan fried noodles. I liked the broth inside, and they were super cheap — $ 5 for 8 of them! I appreciated that the dumplings were pretty sturdy, and I didn’t have to worry about accidentally ripping one open. As for the pan fried noodles — they were good, but I could’ve done with less sauce.
Bonus points for fast service and having Impractical Jokers on while we enjoyed our meal!

I wanted to believe that good soup dumplings can be found in Brooklyn… The soup dumplings here were pretty disappointing, but their saving grace has to be the fried wontons in peanut and hot sauce; I honestly don’t know if it’s because they’re fried or the fact that the sauce is mixed just right, but get it if you get nothing else from here. The skin for the dumplings was kind of thick and a little soggy and there wasn’t much soup in them… I tried some of their other dishes too, but nothing amazing.
The food comes out quickly and the staff is friendly. They’re located in a quieter part just off of the busier 86^th street. It’s a corner location so it’s not a large space. If you’re looking for good Shanghainese food in Brooklyn, you must keep looking. I find the soup dumplings here pretty unsatisfying; so the next time I have a craving for soup dumplings, it should be a time when I’m willing to travel for them. Come here for the fried wontons!

This place is family-​owned and a great place for both couples and families. The service is superb and the employees are very welcoming.
We were a party of 8 and they pushed two tables together for us. We ordered all three types of soup dumplings: pork, scallop, and crabmeat and pork. For entrees, we ordered the little bit of everything casserole, Shanghai wine chicken, twice cooked pork, sizzling beef with black pepper sauce, and Shanghai style thick noodles.
My favorite soup dumplings was the crabmeat and pork. The combination of seafood and meat made for a more flavorful filling. As promised by the name, upon biting into it, soup will ooze out. The scallop ones had a weird texture because of the natural stringiness of the dried scallops. Nonetheless, they were all tasty. The little bit of everything casserole literally had a little bit of everything. The broth was infused with good flavor and my favorite part would have to be the napa cabbage. It was cooked in a way that maintained its natural sweetness. The Shanghai wine chicken was purposely served cold and was a bit bland.
The twice cooked pork was sautéed with carrots, cabbage, bell peppers, and mushrooms and it was coated with a wonderful sweet and spicy sauce. The sizzling beef with black pepper sauce had good flavoring, but there was an overwhelming amount of red onions in it. We wouldn’t have minded if there were more of the other veggies, which included carrots, snow peas, mushrooms, and baby corn. It’s never a good sign when the veggies are more abundant than the meat. Last, but not least, the Shanghai style thick noodles were made with preserved vegetables and pork. The seasoning was perfect and the preserved vegetables added just the right amount of salt to the dish. We were even offered free dessert, which was a sweet drink served in a soup bowl.
Overall, we will be back to try the other menu options!

Updated:
Finally had the chance to eat-​in at the restaurant, what a difference it makes for the sake of good food! It was a busy Saturday afternoon — there was a good 20 – 25 min wait. We had the crab meat soup dumpling & regular (sil loon bao); the shanghai wontons, pork & preserved veggie rice cake, & pork chop noodle soup. Kids loved everything, especially the soup dumplings and the wontons. We enjoyed our meal! Service was great, no rush. I did wonder how come they don’t give out the «tong shui» during lunch… That would have totally made my kids day cuz they love the sweets! Overall, recommend dining in for better results.
Happy feasting!
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We just ordered dinner from here and let’s just say Liu’s Shanghai will be added to our Sunday Take-​out rotation! We’ve lived this neighborhood for 20+ years and am glad to have a Shanghainese restaurant added to this thriving ‘hood (yes, we were those screaming at the top of our lungs when they finally opened a Starbucks! LOL). Now if they add a Chiptole… It would be heaven!
Food:
–Pan fried pork dumplings — it was ok, had better elsewhere and oddly, it didn’t come with a dipping sauce…
–Fried chicken wings — these were really good! Even as take-​out, it was still crispy! Seasoned just right!
–Shanghai wonton in peanut & hot sauce — OMGeee, these were freaking ah-​mazing! The skin is soft and crispy at the same time, with crunchy crushed peanut.
–little bit of everything stir fried rice cake — meh… not the best we’ve had, possibly because it was take-​out, the rice cake became a bit soggy… Still, it lacked flavor.
–Preserved cabbage with sliced pork, bean curd and edamame… — I may have ordered the wrong item, so no expectation, it was bland… We added salt to it.
Freebies: Tapioca dessert! No complaints, it was complimentary! Yay! I do love «tong shui» so I’m a fan!
Total bill: $ 38 & change… Not bad for the amount of food. Pretty much standard to this area.
Verdict: yes, would order again and will attempt to eat in next time!
Happy feasting!

Woot Woot! Best shanghai place in the neighborhood. Actually, I don’t think there is any other authentic shanghai restaurant around the area. I came here a couple of times with my family and my boyfriend’s family. They all love it here. I don’t see why anyone would not like it. The service is great; everyone is super polite and nice.
The restaurant might not look delicious from the outside, but please go inside and try it. It is on the corner of the street and quite small. They only have one big table that can fit around 10ish people. All the other tables are a lot smaller, fitting around 2−5ish people. I would recommend calling in beforehand and if there is a open sitting or how long the wait would be. Every time I am in the area, I have never seen this place empty. There area always people waiting for seating and that is a good sign!
Food… we ordered so much food, I could not keep count. I wasn’t able to take a picture of all food either because everyone devoured for the delicious food. Haha. Must TRY are of course the soup dumplings, fried wonton with peanut butter sauce (not every place have their wontons fried!), the big fish head casserole, the braised spare ribs and scallion pancake! They’re all great, I cannot really pick and choose. If you do want to order the fish head casserole, order it right when you sit down because it takes awhile and it’s HUGE. It can feed a family of 10. AND there’s free desserts at the end. Who doesn’t like free things?! :D

I usually don’t have regrets, but when I do, it’s cause I didn’t get a big casserole of Fish Head Soup. Every table had one, but ours.
This family run business is kinda small, and located on a quiet corner off of the busier streets of Bensonhurst. Food comes quickly and service is efficient. My husband has a thing for Drunken Chicken, and after a long weekend trip, cravings struck. I’ve heard about this place from friends, so we decided to stop by instead of making another pit stop in the city on top of our 5 hour drive.
The drunken chicken was great, not saying that because our cravings were satisfied, but it can be compared to my to go spot in Chinatown. Sadly, the Braised Pork Belly was done for the night, so we went for a Braised Spare Ribs instead. Fall off the bone tender. The sauce was a bit salty, a simple bowl of white rice did the trick.
Who goes to a Shanghai restaurant and does not order Soup Dumplings? Definitely not me. Their dumplings were juicy and pipin’ hot. I did find some of them to have skin on the thicker side, which didn’t bother me at all since my 2 year old only eats the skin, so I just threw it on her plate after emptying out the soup and the delicious crabby filling. Don’t skip on free dessert, get the Black Glutinous Rice.
I wasn’t surprised at all waiting 20 minutes for a table on a Monday night. And you’ll know why once you get their soup dumplings. It’s hard to find soup dumplings since Lui’s is like the one of the very few Shanghai restaurants in Brooklyn, if I consider any of them good anyway.

Technically this place is three an a half star but it wasn’t quite a four yet so i rounded down. this place has a lot of potential there were some decent dishes and this is your local neighborhood shanghai spot. The soup dumplings had a lot of soup but the skin was a little too think for my liking, however if i didn’t feel like trekking all the way to queens for my local spot this would be the spot i go to in brooklyn. The restaurant before this place which was also a shang hai spot was terrible, i am glad this place is so much better.
crabmeat sauce with silken tofu ($ 15) — this was probably my favorite dish out of everything i ordered it was quite expensive but it was well worth the money, the flavor was excellent, the tofu was silky and everything was good except i got a few peices of crab shell. (the softer part of the shell) in my sauce and i had to spit it out on a tissue if they were a little more careful this dish is a potential 5 star on its own.
crab meat soup dumplings– the soup was good, the skin didnt fall apart and the vinegar sauce was just the way i liked it… the only thing that would make this better is if the skin was a little thinner. the soup dumplings was better than a few spots i been to but hasnt beat my favorite place in queens yet.
the fried wonton– i only got this dish because a good amount of Unilocalers raved about this. however im not a fan of sweet stuff so i didnt enjoy this dish as much as i had hoped. my friend however liked this dish alot. its a sweet and savory dish with peanut butter sauce and friend wonton
hot and sour soup– this soup has potential and for $ 6 for a decent sharing size soup one cant really complain right? i love how loaded this soup is with good ingredients too, however i didn’t find it hot nor sour enough so i felt like it was just a good msg soup with loaded toppings.
i would come back to this spot if i didnt feel like going to queens, if you are in the area i highly recommend the silken tofu with crab meat sauce. get a bowl of rice to share and you’re all set!

We literally circled the area (even up and down 86^th) for an hour and couldn’t find a spot to park. A family member ended up ordering take out for the three of us, which was fine; we even received two free desserts (yay!). Update: I was finally able to check-​in on Unilocal albeit on their closed day (LOL)!
BK Unilocalers recommended the Fried Wonton with Peanut and Hot Sauce, so we ordered it. There are ten wontons covered in peanut sauce, peanuts, and (supposedly) hot sauce. The sauce was flavorful, while the edges of the wontons were crispy. The XLB/​Pork Soup Dumplings were solid; it was more of a juicy dumpling than soup filled, but I still found it flavorful. Perhaps if I ate in the restaurant and these were served hot, then I would have enjoyed this a lot more.
I enjoyed their Shanghai Style Pork and Preserved Vegetables noodle soup; I forgot to take a picture, sorry. The ratio of noodles to pork to vegetables was spot on, while the noodles were cooked just right. Someone mentioned this already, but I agree that the broth is not too oily. The Beef Thick Noodles were flavorful; there was plenty of beef, while the noodles were nice and plump. We also ordered two lunch specials: Twice Cooked Pork and Eight Treasure. The Twice Cooked Pork came with plenty of vegetables, which I really enjoyed, but there was plenty of flavorful and tender pork as well. The Spicy Eight Treasure meal was unique and pretty good – there’s young corn, edamame, dried tofu, and strips of chicken stir fried together.
However, the main reason why we wanted to eat here was for the Dong Po Pork. The slices we received were perfect – not too fatty, but not full of meat either. It was very tender, while the rich and savory brown sauce accompanying it blended well. It came with bamboo shoots and bok choy on the side. However, I was bummed that we only received four small bao that can only fit ¼ of a slice; we ended up eating most of the pork belly with rice.
Long story short, would I come back? I’ll *try*. The staff are said to be very friendly, the prices are great, and we enjoyed the food. However, for now, the lack of parking precludes me from dining inside their restaurant.

Liu’s Shanghai is probably only the very few Shanghainese cuisine soup dumpling spot in Brooklyn as of today. Their major advantage is that there is almost no competition in its immediate area. I was born and raise in Brooklyn but I must admit and say that Brooklyn is slacking and struggling to keep up with the food trends and food quality compared to Chinatown, Manhattan and Flushing, Queens, especially in Asian cuisines. Soup dumpling restaurants have been stand alone restaurants since forever in other two boroughs. It is really about time that Brooklyn attempts to play catch up. I do appreciate the effort here.
I have been to many soup dumpling cuisine restaurants and I do have a standard of a soup dumpling that unfortunately, was not met at Liu’s Shanghai. Long story short, there was barely any soup in the dumpling; we clearly have a problem here. A really good soup dumpling comes out pipping hot. After one small bite, I usually like to tilt the dumpling to pour all the soup onto my spoon. Here, there was barely any soup at all. Huge disappointment.
Five Flavor Beef was also a disappointment. It really lacked flavor. Shanghai Stir-​fry Rice Cake. This dish was one of the better ones. Not bad.
The best thing to get at Liu’s Shanghai is perhaps, the Fish Head Casserole. It is a fish stew with mushrooms, bamboo, ginger, and clear noodles. I personally liked it. My dad did think it was a tad too fishy, since he makes this dish quite often at home.
Fine, if Liu’s Shanghai’s soup dumpling is subpar, then where should I go? I would recommend Nan Xiang Soup Dumpling or Shanghai You Garden in Flushing. Shanghai Café in Chinatown. However, if you must stay in Brooklyn, Shanghai Traditional Dumpling on 8^th Avenue is your answer.
Yes, I will give this place another try but probably not for another year or two and a lot of convincing.

I’m not going to write a repeat of the other raving reviews by fellow Unilocalmasters… except to say they are all true. I came in for an early lunch. To start, I was the only person there, in 15 mintues, the place was full, and the phone was ringing repeatedly with lunch orders.
The service was GREAT, friendly and helpful. Bob Barker also said the price is right…
The XLB, do it
I had the MaPO tofu… excellent. Crunch to the rice and silky tofu. I took what I didn’t finish home and added a few things to it, and I am still craving it again.

Heard it’s the best Chinese restaurant in bk, gotta give it a chance;) The restaurant is small, seems like a family biz, ppl working there are friendly, we are all Chinese but I have to speak English with them Coz I don’t understand their dialect lol
We ordered soup dumplings and park belly buns. We love the taste of the dumplings but they are not juicy enough to be soup dumplings. The pork belly buns are too fatty to eat. We cut off most of the fat, just keep a little bit fat which is better. I wish they could offer 6 buns instead of 4 since the dish comes with big portion.
They offer free dessert!!! Lol I ordered two different ones, they r sooo good: P I should have eaten desert first! Hahahaha
I would love to go back but no pork belly anymore.

i’m mad that this place has been opened for 12 years already and i’ve JUST discovered it. don’t underestimate this place. It looks like a casual, no frills chinese restaurant; but their shanghainese food is ON POINT. i came with my family (who’s shanghainese) and were a bit skeptical at first but the menu had VERY authentic dishes; some of which my mom and grandpa have only eaten back in Shanghai.
We skipped the conventional hot soup dumplings and pan friend dumplings (we’ll try it next time) but had the Fried wontons with spicy peanut sauce. MY GOD. i can eat anything in that sauce. my dad actually kept the plate to spoon the sauce over rice. Great textures with sweet and salty flavors with just a little kick from the chili. Then we had the Pork w. Preserved Veg, Edamame, and Dried Bean Curd. Many places make this dish but it’s usually too salty. This place makes it REALLY well. Fresh and bean curd had the perfect texture of not being too hard. We wanted the smoked duck, but it was sold out :(Next time! Instead, we had the Dong Bo Pork; which is essentially a large piece of fatty pork with bamboo shoots, buns and spinach. This is a more hands on dish where you cut and make your own pork buns. again, meat was cooked perfectly. super tender and VERY flavorful. I’ll never have pork buns in the city again. they gave HUGE portions here. We also had the «little bit of everything» Casserole. This is a soup my grandpa makes at home pretty often but wanted to try their take on it. did not disappoint. broth is delicious and very «seen». closest american word for this i guess would be «umami». It had chicken, pork, tofu, shrimp, cabbage, mushrooms, fish cakes, and mei fun (rice noodles). we didn’t realize how big all the portions would be and had also ordered garlic shanghai veggies; which we finished even on full stomachs.
if you know me, you know i’d never pass up dessert. we ordered the sesame rice ball with peanut sugar. the rice ball is usually cooked in hot water and served in a bowl of rice wine soup; but we ordered the dry version with peanut sugar on top. UGH. SO GOOD. this place screams home to me. Will definitely be back to try the soup dumplings, scallion pancake, fish head soup, smoked duck, lionshead meatballs, sauteed baby shrimp and everything else on the menu. :3
be prepared to wait on line!

Local, fresh and homemade.
The food here is really great and best of all, it is a place close to me so I can come here to fulfill my need for xiaolongbao!
Now to the food:
Scallop Soup Dumplings — Surprisingly good, tasty with a great after flavor. However not my favorite of the meal and since it costs about twice the pork soup dumplings, I’d rather go for the pork instead.
Pork Soup Dumplings — Star of the meal, I really enjoyed these! Great taste with good soup to meat ratio. Rather cheap as well (4.95 for 8) so you would do well to order two of these!
Fried Wontons in Peanut & Hot Sauce — pretty good but far more sweet and not very hot than I would have thought. Tasty (I certainly enjoyed it) but overall I may decide against ordering this next time.
Shanghai Style with preserved vegetable and pork — hmm I love this dish! Always a favorite for me at Shanghai restaurants. It wasn’t overly salty and oily (which I did enjoy). My brother added some salt to this, but I was more than happy to finish it.
Free tapioca dessert at the end!
I really enjoyed coming to eat at this small no-​frills restaurant with great food at great prices. Would definitely come back.

My to go Shanghai spot in Brooklyn! Hands down the BEST and most AFFORDABLE Shanghai food! I am lucky I live only a couple of blocks away but this place is easy to get to as well — D Train to 18^th Ave or there’s a bus that goes here too!
This spot is a bit small but it feel super home-​y! You might need to wait a bit if you come during peak hours (lunch and dinner) but I promise it won’t be more than 20 mins! The staff here is super attentive. I usually order Fried Wontons in Peanut and Hot Sauce, Scallion Pancake and Pork Soup Dumplings. The food came about 10 mins after I ordered — how quick was that?!
Fried Wontons in Peanut and Hot Sauce — my personal favorite from this place! They make it super different from other spots because they actually fry their wontons so it’s super crunchy when you bite into it! Their peanut sauce is AMAZING! Such a perfect combo that it literally melts in my mouth! This dish was only $ 5.95 for TEN pieces!
Scallion Pancake — I love the texture of the scallion pancakes here! It’s super toasty and it’s paired with a sweet type of vinegar sauce!
Pork Soup Dumpling — this was super inexpensive compared to other places I’ve been to… $ 4.95 for EIGHT pieces — definitely a steal for me. Even though these soup dumplings didn’t stand out to me in regards to taste — I would still recommend!
Overall, I would recommend this spot to anyone who is around the area — you won’t be disappointed!

Small and simple menued restaurant with big and explosive flavorful eats. Fried wontons covered in sauce? Check. Crab soup dumplings? Check! Hold up… scallop soup dumplings? Umm, HELL YEAH CHECK! Absolutely loved everything but especially the scallop xlb! My only issue is that they were a bit on the dry side; where’s the soup? This is said with a lovingly disappointed comparison with the crab and scallop xlbs. But hey, that one complaint didn’t stop me from giving Liu’s a fiver, nor will it hinder me from returning ;)

Lunar New Year 2016 celebration to welcome the Year of the Monkey with a friend takes my foodie Unilocal travels to Brooklyn. In culling through the positive reviews I was enticed to make the long journey on a polar vortex brutal winter cold day. The Unilocal reviews are accurate as Liu’s Shanghai’s signature soup dumplings and fried Wonton Dumplings are a absolute MUST and do not disappoint! I have a serious addiction for Pork Soup Dumplings 小 籠 包 (xiao lóng bāo).
Pork Soup Dumplings 小 籠 包 (xiao lóng bāo) — very juicy and the skin was perfect texture not too thick but untraditionally steamed in a metal steamer rather than a traditional bamboo steamer. The skin held intact when picking up the dumpling and placing onto our plate or mouths without breaking apart or the juices spilling out.
Scallop soup dumplings 扇 貝 小 籠 包 (Shàn bèi xiao lóng bāo) — very juicy and delicious
Fried Wonton Dumplings in peanut sauce– moist inside and very flavored
Smoked duck– crispy and flavorable
Our bill totaled a very reasonable $ 35.80 + gratuity. A small Shanghaiese cuisine restaurant that can be always busy with a high table turnover rate. With parties larger than four be prepare to wait for a table. Quality of food is solid without the tainted Americanized heavy influence of MSG. Liu’s Shanghai is close to authentic Shanghaiese cuisine and uphold substance in Bath Beach, Brooklyn. Hospitality and table service is very welcoming and friendly as the staff are Cantonese speaking. Our neighbor tables are mostly Cantonese speaking. This small restaurant contains one traditional Chinese Buddhist shrine hanging near the ceiling with fresh food offerings and incense burning. It is nicely decorated for Lunar New Year as the door contains a traditional Lunar New Year couplet scroll 春 聯 and Chinese New Year Lantern Ball made of red envelopes. A business card and takeout menu are both available.

When I read a tip that said the chef from the now-​closed Goody’s in Chinatown had moved here (not verified), I was excited to try it. I came in for a weekday lunch once and it was empty. Understandable, since 86^th street is ridden with restaurants closer to public transportation.
We ordered the Pork Soup Dumplings, Scallion Pancake, and upon the waitress’ suggestion, the Dong Po Pork (Braised Pork Belly). As a Shanghainese restaurant, their dumplings were pretty terrible. The meat was dry & flavorless, and the soup that I looked forward to slurping was also bland.
The scallion pancakes were abysmal– the scallions seemed to have gone home for the day. The heavy batter was ladled too thick, causing the chef to overcompensate on cook time. The excessive oil didn’t help its case. This was the hardest item to eat.
The one item we were recommended, the pork belly, was above average. After the first two items, I was expecting more of the same, but this item earned them the extra star. The pork was nice and tender, and drizzled in the right amount of sauce. There were a few mushrooms/​vegetables that accompanied this dish along with steamed buns to wrap the meat in. Because it is comprised of 50% percent fatty meat, I’d recommend at least 5 to share this dish; indulging in too much of this can feel sickeningly gluttonous.
Overall, I would not return here for my Shanghainese food fix.

This is a hidden gem in the heart of Bensonhurst. It is kind of out of the way from the train or bus (still need to walk a bit), but definitely worth making a visit to. Both times I came here, I ordered the soup dumplings and fried wontons. The pork soup dumplings and the crab soup dumplings are authentic and taste amazing. Add some ginger and vinegar to that and you have one of the best Chinese meals for the day. I preferred the dumplings over the wontons, but the latter are very good too. They’re sweet and drenched in peanut butter sauce. I tried the scallion pancake on my second visit and was surprised at how good it was. Most of the scallion pancakes that I’ve had in the past including those made at home or at the regular Chinese restaurants are pretty good but usually too oily. The ones here are just right and not too salty or oily, definitely worth it.
Service is friendly and fast as well. Would come back in the future to try other things, however, since I didn’t get a chance to order any of the main dishes during my two visits.

A gem in this neighborhood that consists of fast food take outs, the police precinct and a funeral home. This place is quite authentic with some exceptional dishes. I can make so many recommendations from here. The soft tofu with real crab meat sauce is delicious but have too much of a sesame seed oil. The Little soup dumplings are cheaper than most shanghai places and it’s just as delicious if not more so. The fried wontons are addicting. The string bean and short ribs is a must too.
Love the desert soup too.