小白桦酒家 XiaoBaiHua, Shanghai

XiaoBaiHua is a small hole-in-the-wall restaurant specializing in Shanghainese cuisine. My friends call it home style cooking. But I would also add that they add a little flair and unique creativity that rivals even the Original Jesse 吉士.

This small restaurant with no more than 8 tables or so, surprised me with some great dishes. The two dishes that stand out more than anything are the Pumpkin Fries and the Deep Fried Frog Legs. I salty and sweet Pumpkin fries are unlike anything I have ever had before. The doubling of tastes was bold and fun. Not sure how you could make a dish fun, but it is the first word that comes to mind. The Deep Fried Frog Legs were also quite tasty. Usually frog legs are stir fried and taste somewhat like chicken. But this time, these legs, looked like little shrunken down chicken pieces. The batter elevated the taste with a savory and slightly spicy profile that had me wanting more (and never before did I crave frog legs till that night)

It has been noted that some of the distinguished chefs from around Shanghai have come to XiaoBaiHua to intern and learn from the masters. Anyways, unlike 兰心餐厅 Lanxin and 海金滋添加分店 Hai Jin Zi, XiaoBaiHua accepts reservations – which is a great thing.

What to Order: Deep Fried Frog Legs, Braised Pork Belly with Tofu, Fried Pumpkin, Hairy Crab What not to Order:

Rating 3 Pigs Price Range 1 $/¥/NT

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小白桦酒家 XiaoBaiHua (translated as Little Birch Restaurant) 徐汇区宛平路297弄3号(近肇嘉浜路) Xuhui District, No. 297-3 WanPing Road, near ZhaoJiangBang Road ＋86 21-64721867