Shanghai Dumpling Shop

We were the 1st group in the dining room for lunch, so we were seated quickly. Our server took our order and immediately dashed away because the dining room started to fill up. He was the only person serving the room, so he was taking phone orders, running in and out of the kitchen, cashiering the takeout orders, bringing waters and much more. The food was good. We especially enjoyed the tofu and seafood claypot. I hope the hard-working server gets some help soon.

I was in town looking for a Chinese lunch spot. Upon arrival, the wait was conspicuously long, but decided to wait because the soup dumplings looked really appetizing. When getting seated after 30 minutes, I realized that the restaurant was severely understaffed not only outside the kitchen but also inside as well for a Sunday noon service. Long story short, we put order in for 4 dishes but only ate 2 because they simply couldn't turn around the remaining 2 dishes within 20 minutes of serving the first two. The waiter was nice enough to explain the under-staffing situation, but assessing the situation at the time, we suspected even another 20 minutes wouldn't be enough. On to the review of the dishes. The soup dumplings were actually not bad. I could tell they were freshly made and the dough skins were made very thin and chewy, just the way I like them. The fillings were fairly soupy and the soup was light and flavorful, but not too oily. Although they executed this dish very well, I was heavily disappointed in the other two dishes. The smoke fish was one of the worst I've had because it was clear to me that the dish was made a while ago - too cold even for a cold dish - and the execution was rather poor. The fish tasted extremely bland even when I smothered them in sauce. I always enjoyed eating this dish growing up because the father-side of my family always prepared this dish. It really bothered me that they completely butchered this dish. Finally, the soy milk with Chinese You-Tiao is at best mediocre because they've managed over-soak the You-Tiao to the point it was falling apart. All in all, if I were to return again, probably will just stick to the safe dishes like the soup dumplings.