Five Loaves

Greetings from Shanghai!  I’m having my first dinner at Rui Fu Yuan Restaurant.  This was not my first time eating here.  I tried this restaurant in early 2008 and really liked it.  Business must be very good because I’m eating at the new branch just two blocks from the original location.  I was able to try the original location on my first trip. There are only two locations. There are two things to take note:

• If you don’t read and speak Mandarin then don’t bother coming to this place
• Make sure you have a reservation

Rui Fu Yuan is known for their authentic Shanghainese food among the locals.

Our first dish, Jellyfish Appetizer.  The dish was served at room temperature containing jellyfish heads, black vinegar, sesame oil and parsley.  It was lightly salted with a defined black vinegar taste.   The jellyfish had a sharp and crisp texture.  Jellyfish heads sounds weird, but its a Shanghai delicacy.  I liked it.

For vegetables, we ordered the Snow Pea Shoots. Typically, we ordered the snow pea shoots with garlic, but I wanted something more local. The waitress recommended the veggies with white wine. The white wine blended the dish very nicely. I noticed the vegetables are much fresher and tastier in China.

Next, came the Radish Pastries.  This was the first time for me to see the pastries shaped like silk cocoons.  The under side of the pastry had a sesame crust.  I found a soft radish puree inside the pastry.  I loved the crispy and flaky texture of the pastry coupled with the soft radish puree.

The Yellow Fish Soup with Dumplings was their signature dish. Make sure you order this dish when making your reservations. Yellow Fish is a favored fish in the Shanghai food culture and it is really good. The soup was made with a yellow fish with its bone intact, white pepper, parsley and pork dumplings. The chef used the white pepper and parsley to counter the fishy flavor.  Our waitress served two pork dumplings, fish meat and soup per bowl.  The pork dumplings are small bite sized servings and has absorbed all the natural flavors and aromas of the fish.  The fish still retained its soft and delicate texture.  The soup was not ideal for drinking due to its medium richness and slight saltiness.  I found that the pork dumplings and the fish were not too salty and flavored well from the soup.  This was my most favorite dish.

Next, Stir Fry Shrimp was a classic local offering. They used smaller peeled shrimps to stir fry with salt, sugar and hints of white wine. The shrimp has to be dipped in the accompanying black vinegar. Hence, the shrimp’s aroma was neutralized by the vinegar. This dish tasted refreshingly light.

Tempura Sliced Beef was served on a plate with a traditional wooden strainer. Its not too thin, giving it some bite. I noticed the tempura batter was very light and had a rice flavor. The beef was super tender and lightly seasoned to preserve the natural taste of the beef.  Its optional to use the mayo.  Personally, this is my second most favorite dish.

Lastly, Corn Rice Krispies. It had a medium texture compared to Kellogg’s Rice Krispie Squares. I don’t think it had much seasoning.  Instead, the flavors came purely from its natural ingredients: corn, rice and pine nuts.  The dish obtained its sweetness and strong flavor from the fresh corn.

Five Loaves Rating:
Value: 8/10
Quality: 8/10
Overall: 8/10

Verdict: Rui Fu Yuan is known for their authentic Shanghainese food among the locals.

Rui Fu Yuan Restaurant
132 South Maoming Road
Puxi, Shanghai
China
64458999