Walking into Guangsheng Food Shop (爾雅書馨一庭廣生食品行) is like entering a time warp back to 1940s Shanghai. A sitting area with plush red sofas, hardwood mantelpiece, lace-topped piano, Tiffany-style lamp and two extremely fat cats (Guangsheng’s pets are neighborhood celebrities) greet visitors as they enter the restaurant just off Shida night market. The rest of Guangsheng, including its basement seating area, is decorated with vintage furniture and knick-knacks, as well as several military posters and photos of Chiang Kai-shek
(蔣介石).
Retro chic and political kitsch aside, Guangsheng’s Shanghai cuisine, served in individually sized set meals, is very good. Even the side dishes included with each set, which vary from day to day, are thoughtfully prepared. On separate visits, I had tender stewed melon topped with a single clam, soup made from sweet corn and Job’s tears, and bean curd garnished with thinly sliced scallions. You get a choice between plain white rice and caifan (菜飯), or lightly seasoned rice mixed with diced vegetables. The latter is delicious and pairs wonderfully with Guangsheng’s menu of classic dishes.
These include lion head meat balls (listed as braised pork balls, 砂鍋獅子頭, NT$350). Served in a ceramic pot with broth, tender bok choy and glass noodles, the juicy mound of braised ground pork is very rich without being greasy. The lion head meatball is one of the heartiest of Guangsheng’s dishes and ideal for sharing. The drunken chicken (江浙醉雞, NT$350), served cold, is a good bet for hot and humid weather. The poultry, marinated in Shaoxing rice wine (紹興酒), is plated simply without any accompaniments and the taste of the wine is deep and heady. I also liked the steamed fish (三絲蒸魚, NT$350), but thought that the small tilefish (馬頭魚) was overwhelmed by a mound of nonetheless tasty toppings that included slivers of slightly salty pork, mushroom, bamboo shot and a huge heap of scallions.
For soup dumplings (上海小湯包, NT$90), you have to wait until Guangsheng’s afternoon tea. The dumplings are served four to a steamer and while tasty, they certainly aren’t mind-blowing. Neither were the crumbly, delicate red bean cakes (紅豆糕, NT$80). But Guangsheng’s afternoon teas are less about the snacks and more about hot or cold drinks brewed from Chinese teas and taking in Guangsheng’s old-fashioned atmosphere. The restaurant is busy even on weekday evenings, but usually quiet during the afternoons, which makes it a pleasant stop for a snack and cat watching. Guangsheng’s gigantic felines certainly look like they’ve indulged in plenty of Shanghai-style treats.
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