Shanghai 1930: Firecracker hot!

    Shanghai 1930 is the result of these ruminations and it is exotic indeed. Shanghai in this particular era, even though it is experiencing a modern recurrence of global growth and interest, has not generated the same stir as it did then. An international city of intrigue and mystery, it beckoned those involved in nefarious deeds and the arts... Many actors, composers and writers such as Noel Coward, Cole Porter, Somerset Maugham and Rudyard Kipling came here to live, dissipate and create. It is no wonder that they were inspired to compose some of the classics of their day... Coward wrote "Private Lives" while living at the Peace Hotel. Maugham wrote "The Painted Veil."  Cole Porter, beloved composer of so many standards loved to come here and stayed in Shanghai often. People are fascinated with Shanghai: Madonna made a movie called, "Shanghai Surprise," (1986) not a success, but it's the thought that counts...  Hilary Duff has starred in "Shanghai Kiss," and Jackie Chan in "Shanghai at Noon," (2000) It is obviously still a name that conjures up fantasy and romance.  In 1930, it was the "Tangier" of Asia, full of mysteries, intrigue and many dark secrets...

 

    Restaurant:  One has to walk down a staircase to enter Shanghai 1930 and it helps to get in the mood for entering another gastronomic world, another era... Welcome to Shanghai 1930. The adventure continues as one wends ones way  through the marvelous and decadent-looking cocktail bar with a jazz band playing in the background. Chinese red is the predominant color and this particular shade is considered "lucky."  

 

    What a menu! I have had enough Chinese food to last me a lifetime, if I never saw another noodle, it wouldn't bother me... So when I say, this is an incredible spread, fit for an emperor, I am not exaggerating. There are dishes on this menu from ancient Chinese dynasties, and of particular interest are the dishes from Shanghai. We are so spoiled in San Francisco for Chinese food. One can get dishes from Hunan, Szechuan, Canton, Beijing and even, Hakka dishes from Singapore! Seldom, if ever, does one come across such a "high level" of presentation of cuisine as this.  I have eaten at many Chinese "banquets" in Hong Kong, Macau, Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia and this tops the lot.

 

   Owner George Chen, has his finger on the pulse of the consuming public. The keyword for dishes at Shanghai 1930, is "crispy." Americans will buy any food item, if it is "crispy," even ice-cream. One such "crispy" dish which is highly recommended is the: Yangtze River Lite Fry, "tender white fish wrapped in river grass batter, served with ginger aioli, black vinegar and Sichuan pepper-salt $15. It comes to the table fried to a light crispiness and festooned with tall, wispy tails of seaweed, (also fried) which have been "flash fried" by the hot oil, until "crispy." These "flash fried" crispy pieces of seaweed break off and are delicious all by themselves. The whole thing is marvelous dipped into the aioli. I ate the whole thing, just as well, I didn't have a diner companion that night...

 

   I tried some of the "Jin Jiang" -- the world famous Peking Duck, served crispy skinned with cucumber, scallion flower (there are flowers on those things?) and plum-bean sauce (delicious) in papery thin crepes or lotus buns. This is the duck that won over President Reagan - $36. This was, as advertised, "mouth-wateringly good." The dense flavor of the duck paired off nicely against the sweet dense plum-bean combination of the sauce. There was also a textural play off going on with the "outer skin" of the smooth thin membrane of the crepe against the crispy duck and then the unexpected fresh veggie crunch of the cucumber. To just call this "good," would be to insult Chef Jason Xu. It is outstanding, and shows what is meant by food fit for an Emperor.

 

   The incredible dishes just kept on coming... Next was the Crispy-chewy Sichuan Beef, multiple-seared beef strips wok tossed with a carrot julienne and celery in Sichuan peppercorn sauce - $17. This dish was so good, I would even have paid more for it! The same type of "flash frying" hot oil wok technique that was used for the seaweed in the Yangtze River Fish Fry had been applied here. Phenomenal! That's not easy to do! Most chefs can figure out how to season the batter before you fry  to get a certain piquancy in the finished product, but to do it without a batter is nothing short of miraculous and to make it crispy without burning it, while you're at it, really takes this one into the major leagues in Chinese cooking...

 

   Two simple dishes I use as "benchmarks" to check the quality and consistency of Chinese dishes are the "Sichuan Green Beans" ($10) and "Yang Chow Fried Rice" ($12). I had both of these at Shanghai and they were both superior in every way, in ingredients, preparation, plating and taste of the final product to the point that they were almost definitive for how these foods should taste. A simple dish that deserves special mention here is the Garlic Tossed Noodles $10.

 

    My only complaint was that the desserts could have been more imaginative, but the real truth is that Eastern and Western palates diverge at this point. What would be considered the last word in wonderful for desserts in the best oriental restaurants would probably not appeal to Western tastes. Something that was really popular in Hong Kong restaurants in the old days was the flaming dessert, prepared tableside: i.e., Crepes Suzettes, Cherries Jubilee etc., perhaps that would be a good compromise...

 

   I would have tried more dishes, but I only have one stomach and so little time... I will be back, I can't help myself, it's that good! Good place for celebrity watching too. Incredible wine list and such good taste to include a 1/2 bottle of Taittinger with the champagnes. This is not only great tasting and superior quality, but the quantity is just enough for one person without going over the top. Just enough to get you in the mood either for a trip to Shanghai, or something else ...

 

   Shanghai 1930: 133 Steuart Street, San Francisco. Tel: (415) 896-5600. Reservations recommended. Info: www.shanghai1930.com