Shanghai Gate
Green Line to China
What I Ate by Kitty Kaufman
TripAdvisor Snap Shot: Shanghai Gate - Allston, MA
Shanghai Gate knows just how far authentic home style can go: all the way to China. I won't be surprised to find out someone's mama's in the kitchen.
Proteins are fresh, vegetables crisp, greens brightly sauteed and sauces with just the right amount of seasonings. I was going to say you can find all the usual suspects but actually, authentic begins with appetizers like seaweed fish, chef's duck, eight treasure delights, mashed taro rolls, and smoked fish. Seafood choices: chili pepper fish, magic shrimp, seaweed shrimp, plus shrimp and tofu stew slow cooked with Chinese bacon and peas.
The chef's menu is long: duck tongue; preserved pork, celery and baby bamboo, deep fried duck. A bowl of hot and sour fish soup into which we dumped rice was huge, steamy and enough for three. We saw sea conch with tofu and baby cabbage at the next table and were jealous at once. Lots of sizzle: eggplant in pork and garlic; fish, eel plate and beef. Vegetarians are covered; there are vegetable tofu plates, noodles and rice.
Sixteen lunch specials run the gamut with chicken, beef, tofu and shrimp all for six bucks.
The atmosphere is cozy with most seating for groups of four and up. Scenic view of Harvard Street. Street parking. Delivery after 5. Shanghai is closed TUESDAYS. Sadly, no beer but still. We're taken with Jeffrey, the manager.
See it on TripAdvisor
© January 24, 2012 for TripAdvisor.com
2012 © 2001-2012 all rights reserved. please contact us for permission to reprint.