[Oakland, CA] - Shanghai Restaurant

If you haven't figured it out yet, I am always looking for a few favorite items. I like eating a lot of things, but certain things I feel like the search is never ending. These are my comfort foods, and because I can't make them the way I like it myself, I have to maintain the hope that someday, I'll find something relatively close to where I live.

 Shanghai Restaurant is located in Oakland's Chinatown. It's a comfortable little space, and the owners speak Shanghainese (this always makes me feel better, like having a Taiwanese person make my pearl milk tea). I ordered the salty soy milk with some oily sticks, stinky tofu, soup dumplings, and pan fried buns. 

 The salty soy milk was alright. Better than the other places I had tried before in the Bay Area, so it means I would actually go back for it again. I don't know how the places in Taiwan make it so good, but compared to those ones, this one lacked flavor. I added some vinegar in there and it was better. I am still trying to get in on a day that they have it at Yang's Noodle in Sacramento also. The stinky tofu smelled as it should, but the flavor was lacking. I'm not sure if it's a Shanghainese thing (guess it's time for me to do some research), but I like my stinky tofu to also have some pickled veggies and chilis with it. The soup dumplings were good. I don't think they were deserving of such negativity in the yelp reviews. I think people have gone to Din Tai Fung and now think they are experts on it. Just because it has a Michelin star doesn't make it the end all be all, people. Take a seat. The pan fried dumplings were also good. Fried just right. My only gripe would be that I like it when there's a little soup inside (as per the norm). The meat filling in both dumplings and buns were good. I would definitely come back again if I'm in the area. 

 To compare, my favorite soup dumplings in the Bay Area are from My Dumpling. They are hit and miss, but when it's good, they're excellent. 
Salty soy milk (鹹豆漿).
Stinky tofu (臭豆腐).
Soup dumplings (小籠包)
Pan fried buns (生煎包) - I turned it to the side so you can see the crisp bottom.
Pan fried buns (生煎包) - The filling is primarily pork. In a really good one, there's broth also.

Address:
930 Webster St
Oakland, CA 94607

 Hours:
Wed-Mon 11am to 9:30pm

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