My best meal when I visited Shanghai in 2010 was at Jesse Restaurant on Taiping Lu. Read about it here.
I couldn't wait to bring my folks there this trip and booked it for dinner the very day we arrived.
We all love to eat!!!
The 2-story restaurant is tiny and cramped and always full, so make sure you call ahead
to reserve your table.
Everything we ordered (and we ordered a lot) was delicious! We were oohhhing and aahhhing throughout the meal.
Well, everything except the braised pork which we found too sweet. But it was not Jesse's fault. This particular Shanghainese dish is supposed to taste saccharine.
Braised Pork in Brown Sauce with Cuttlefish - this is ulam and dessert in one. Lol! :P
I cannot recommend enough the following dishes. You must order all when you go to Jesse!
Jellyfish with Vinegar
Dates Stuffed with Glutinous Rice - wittily called "Heart Too Soft" in Chinese.
Reminds me of me! :)
Ko-Fu (Braised Wheat Bean)
Crisp Bone Carp
Roast Fish Head with Scallions
The fish head needs to be ordered 24 hours in advance. Make sure you call, it would be a
shame to miss this!
The cod is cooked perfectly. The meat soft, moist and flavorful.
Quick Fried River Shrimps
Crab Fat with Sheet Jelly
Boy, I love fat! Look at that precious sticky translucent goo!!! Love, love, love!!!
Spinach with Bamboo Shoots
Crab Roe Lion Head Meatball
Braised Superior Sea Cucumber with Fish Roe
Stinky Tofu - I really enjoyed this one and thought it tasted like blue cheese.
Frances, on the other hand, said it was like eating bad breath.
Vegetable Rice
Noodles
Complimentary watermelon dessert
Overstuffed bellies
What I don't understand is how Jesse can feed diners so much food and
expect that they fit into this shoebox of a toilet
It's so small you can do your business and wash your hands all at the same time!
Jesse Restaurant 吉士酒家: 41 Tianping Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, China. 徐汇区天平路41号(近淮海中路). Tel: +8621-6282 9260
