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Taipei Shanghai Restaurant more Authentic than in Shanghai China 上海隆記菜館



Restaurant name上海隆記菜館
AddressNo. 1, Lane 101, Yanping South Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City, Taiwan 100
GPS25°02'33.5"N 121°30'39.3"E | 25.042625, 121.510923
Nearest MRTXimen Station Exit 4 西門站 (隆記 is just short 15 minutes walk to the east of Xinmending shopping district)
Tel+886 2 2331 5078
Hours: 11:00am - 2:00pm | 5:00pm - 9:00pm (Sunday closed)

Fans say the original Shanghai cuisine in Taipei's 上海隆記菜館 is more authentic than those in China - it has many dishes which are no longer even available in Shanghai. Fans' greatest fear is the day when the 66 year old restaurant finally closes - it would be a great loss to authentic Shanghainese cuisine in Taiwan, and also China.



上海隆記菜館 is a small eatery in a narrow back lane just a short 10 minutes walk from Ximending, the buzzing, hipster shopping district. Ximending is a tourist hotspot, so there is no reason not to visit 上海隆記菜館, if you are a fan of Shanghainese food.

Taiwan is a great melting pot of all the regional cuisines of China, hence it is a fascinating culinary travel destination. People from all over China migrated to Taiwan over the centuries and most recently in 1949 following the end of the Chinese Civil War. These migrants brought with them the cuisine of their hometown, often lovingly preserving its recipes and methods like precious treasures, so that they can enjoy the same feel and taste of hometown food.

上海隆記菜館 is in it's second generation but it is not run by the founder's family. Current boss 珠寶玉 joined 上海隆記菜館 over 40 years ago as a teenage waitress and cashier. Chef 陳雙旺 has been with the restaurant since he was 13 years old - that's nearly 40 years ago. They took over the restaurant after their Shanghainese boss 余民樟 , the founder retired and handed the shop over to them.

珠寶玉 and Chef 陳雙旺 are committed to preserving 上海隆記菜館 in it's original state. They have kept the same original display cabinet, keeping it, preserving it lovingly. The restaurant still uses a "dumb waiter" to move dishes between the two floors. It's the oldest operational rope and pulley "dumb waiter" in Taipei.

上海隆記菜館 serves homestyle Shanghainese dishes, the type families in Shanghai eat at home.

What to order at 上海隆記菜館?

Try their signature dish 腐乳肉 - fermented red tofu stewed pork belly. The red stained savoury sweet stewed pork belly melts in the mouth.

豆苗蝦仁 Prawns with Vegetable. The fresh prawns are peeled only just before cooking to retain its texture and natural flavours. The prawns are fried and tossed briefly in hot oil. Customers like the prawns' sweetness and crunchiness.

上海菜飯 Shanghainese vegetable rice - rice with a bit of flavour from the leafy 青江菜 vegetable embedded inside.

上海隆記菜館 serves over 20 types of Shanghainese cold dishes 小菜 presented in large plates 盆頭菜 in the vintage display cabinet. 

Try their 醉豬腳 drunken pig trotters. The skin, fat, meat and tendons are springy and it has a mild Chinese Shaoxing rice wine taste.

上海紅燒鯽魚 Shanghai speciality savoury sweet fried and stewed fish. The fish bones are soft and dissolves quickly on chewing.

火烤芥菜 A fried and stewed savoury sweet leafy crunchy Chinese mustard. Addictive to its fans who cannot stop at one or even two plates.

There's lots more.




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