Dim Sum Brunch at Ye Shanghai

Ye Shanghai has this great weekend brunch deal for 98RMB all-you-can eat inclusive of tea. If you pay a little more, you can get an entree like roast duck. A little more RMB means that you can also get free-flow sparkling wine. That is not bad for a brunch deal, especially considering that the classy restaurant is located in Xintiandi, known for its more up-market establishments. Ye Shanghai takes a modern look at classic dim sum selections from both Shanghainese and Hong Kongese cuisine. The dining room reflects this philosophy and during brunch, it is well-lit and cozy without being so pretentious. Though, it is quite unfortunate to see that the patrons are mostly waiguoren instead of Chinese. That should not be a deterrent, however. The dim sum menu has an assortment of dishes perfect for sharing (ideally between 2 people as each order has two items). As it is a free-flow feeding frenzy, the parade of plates never has to stop. The server may look a bit perturbed by the length of the initial order of food, or she is balking at the amount of food seemingly small people can consume.




About every dish was ordered off the menu aside from the rice and noodle dishes (the dan dan mian (traditional Sichuan noodles) were a little on the oily and runny side). This includes the drunken chicken, sliced pork terrine with Zhejiang black vinegar, pan-fried turnip cake, sliced pork with garlic and chili, barbecue pork puffs, stir-fried beef with scallions and pancakes, spring onion cakes, steamed shrimp dumplings in XO chili sauce, smoked fish, steamed spare ribs, wheat gluten with mushroom and bamboo shoots, beancurd skin roll with mushroom, and wontons...to name a few. The spare ribs came out with pumpkin and was flavorless. The terrine was nothing special either. Overall, everything else was really lovely. If you do not like one item, someone at your table is bound to eat it. If you do like something, there is nothing stopping you from ordering more.


Ahhh...xiaolongbao. Mornings in Shanghai feel even more complete with an order of xiaolongbao. The hot broth supporting a light, meaty filling all enveloped by a thin wrapper translates to a savory explosion in your mouth. The xiaolongbao at Ye Shanghai was nothing impressive. The wrapper was not of an extraordinary thinness aside from the bottom as it did often break when being lifted from the steamer releasing its precious contents. The wrapper should be of even thickness throughout the entire dumpling, even taking the little folds into consideration. The broth was not very salty, but not savory either. And the pork itself did not stand out. No matter though. Still being able to get a xiaolongbao fix is enough to start the day.


Out of the desserts, I enjoyed the glutinous rice ball with peanut paste the most. The peanut paste was more of a pulverized peanut powder that was soft and melted slowly on your tongue. The mango pudding had a surprise of actual pieces of mango hidden within the pudding.

Ye Shanghai brunch is great for your wallet for what you get and has a classy dining area that will readily impress your dining partners. It is highly advisable to reserve in advance. The brunches are very popular and tables do get booked quickly.

Ye Shanghai. Xintiandi North Block, Lane 181 Taicang Lu (near Madang Lu), Shanghai, People's Republic of China. 太仓路181号 (近马当路) 新天地北里