LanXin 兰心餐厅, Shanghai
Jinxian Lu features an abundance of places to go, to eat, to drink, and to play. From Masse (formerly Racks), Bliss Lounge, Momo Paradise, Southern Barbarian, Di Shui Dong, among others. LanXin is hole-in-the-wall restaurant that specializes in no-frills home-cooked Shanghainese cuisine.
On the advise of a close friend, we, luckily found the place. Unfortunately, we had a 1/2 hour wait in the August summer night. Not fun at all. On the insistence of my friend, we choose to stick around and wait it out. The food must be good.
We had Hongshao rou with green peppers, jiang ya – a braised duck leg covered in thick, sweetened soy sauce, a pork and radish soup, and clams with steamed eggs. Hongshao you, braised pork belly, the consummate Shanghai dish, was prepared bit differently with green peppers cooked in to provide additional taste. The subtle nuances could be felt with each bite. The hearty pork and radish soup was also more than flavorful. Not too salty, which was fine by me. The clams with steam eggs, though, weren’t exactly what my friend was looking for – she is more used to the Cantonese style with runny eggs. And finally, the braised duck leg, which utilizes the similar sauce and cooking style of the Hongshao Rou, was the star of the night. The tender duck meat melted with the sweet sauce, which if you think about it, is similar to the sweetness style of the Beijing Roast Duck. With rice, the pork and duck was a fine meal to be had.
What to Order: Jiang Ya (duck) and Hongshao Rou (pork) What not to Order: perhaps the steamed clams
Rating 3 Pigs Price Range 1 $/¥/NT
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