Little Shanghai

Our favorite Shanghai restaurant in the San Francisco Bay Area.

+4

My favorite in the Bay Area yet. Xiao long bao and pan fried shanghai dumplings were A+

Very good Shanghainese food with the right amount of sweetness for my liking. The XLB wrapping is a bit too thick but acceptable. The restaurant is small so it gets full very quickly about 30 minutes after opening. Either you come early or later when the first round of diners are done.

Food was really good. Big selection of dishes to try. Enjoyed the spicy dumplings a lot.

Good food, generous portions and fairly priced

+1

Authentic Shanghai food. Great price and excellent service. Reserve table in advance for party of 4 (or more).

Love this place. Their food is so flavorful! The pork belly ( Dong Po Pork) is my go to dish every time I visit as it melts in your mouth but it is supper rich …we tried the sweet and sour spare ribs and the were also amazing. Make sure to come hungry…Service is fast and friendly, they are often busy with large groups, but we never had to wait long.

Authentic Shanghsiese Crusine. All dishes we ordered are good. Take us back time to China...lot of vegetables dishes to select. Tasty but not greasy. The duck soup is a must try.

Fast-paced restaurant with delicious Shanghai food. I would highly recommend their dessert of Mini Sesame Dumplings in Rice Wine Sauce (酒釀). For entrees, #703: Gi Chai w/Bamboo Shoots is my favorite vegetable dish while #301: Sweet & Sour Spare Ribs Shanghai Style. Their dim sum is on the more expensive side, and I found one of their classics #9: Shanghai Fried Pork Buns to not be the most flavorful. The restaurant has a small interior with a low ceiling. There are limited parking spots by the side. The staff are very friendly and speak both English and Chinese. They will even help ladle out soup and pack the food for you!

A Shanghainese friend of mine says this is one of the best Shanghainese food he has eaten in the Bay Area after all these years. Also the fact that the owner can just shut down for a month at a time to take vacation overseas says how established they are; customers will and keep coming back.

Finally authentic Chinese food!!!! So happy we found this little gem. We had to wait 15 mins to be seated because of how packed/busy it was but it was worth it. Go with a mind of patience and understanding and you won’t be disappointed. We ordered a lot! Next time we’ll go with a larger group to try more dishes. Can’t wait to go back. This will finally be our go to spot.

Food is fantastic. We have been twice now and have not been disappointed. The service is good, but try and go when they are less busy otherwise you could be waiting longer for service.

I was initially apprehensive to come since I wasn’t chinese, but the owners were super nice and had great service! The food was great, and they were definitely working hard between all of the tables in the restaurant. All the food was amazing, and paired well with the tea. I’ll definitely come back and try their Shanghai dim sum! They offered free flavored peanuts to everyone, which is rare for chinese restaurants.

This restaurant is the goat. It’s basically The Mandarin level taste but half the price. I’ve tried 15-20 dishes there, everything was amazing + generous portions + modestly priced, and only one has been less than outstanding (funny enough it was the xlb for me). My favs are the leek w eel, the casseroles, baked steamed rice

Nice Shanghai restaurant. Decent food and friendly staff/service. Pan fried bun is highly recommand. All vegetables are fresh and not greasy Will visit again soon.

Rating is for food only though waiters were nice and polite. Ordered the Xiao Long Bao, Pea Sprouts in Garlic Sauce, Spicy Wanton, Shrimp and Chive Dumpling. Everything was delicious, especially the Pea Sprouts and Spicy Wanton. Went again and enjoyed the claypot chicken and stir fried long beans

Super authentic and frequented by Bay Area Shanghainese! My family’s been coming here for years, and their consistency has only gone up

Little Shanghai is a true gem and totally legit. We ordered mapo tofu and Shanghai stir-fried rice cakes (nian gao). The mapo tofu was delicious and smelled like Sichuan peppercorns. So good!

Maria Stoimenova

Love this place. Their food is so flavorful! The pork belly ( Dong Po Pork) is my go to dish every time I visit as it melts in your mouth but it is supper rich …we tried the sweet and sour spare ribs and the were also amazing. Make sure to come hungry…Service is fast and friendly, they are often busy with large groups, but we never had to wait long.

P L

Authentic Shanghsiese Crusine. All dishes we ordered are good. Take us back time to China...lot of vegetables dishes to select. Tasty but not greasy. The duck soup is a must try.

James Wang

Fast-paced restaurant with delicious Shanghai food. I would highly recommend their dessert of Mini Sesame Dumplings in Rice Wine Sauce (酒釀). For entrees, #703: Gi Chai w/Bamboo Shoots is my favorite vegetable dish while #301: Sweet & Sour Spare Ribs Shanghai Style. Their dim sum is on the more expensive side, and I found one of their classics #9: Shanghai Fried Pork Buns to not be the most flavorful. The restaurant has a small interior with a low ceiling. There are limited parking spots by the side. The staff are very friendly and speak both English and Chinese. They will even help ladle out soup and pack the food for you!

Allen Lee

A Shanghainese friend of mine says this is one of the best Shanghainese food he has eaten in the Bay Area after all these years. Also the fact that the owner can just shut down for a month at a time to take vacation overseas says how established they are; customers will and keep coming back.

Samantha Thambyah

Finally authentic Chinese food!!!! So happy we found this little gem. We had to wait 15 mins to be seated because of how packed/busy it was but it was worth it. Go with a mind of patience and understanding and you won’t be disappointed. We ordered a lot! Next time we’ll go with a larger group to try more dishes. Can’t wait to go back. This will finally be our go to spot.

C Mack

Food is fantastic. We have been twice now and have not been disappointed. The service is good, but try and go when they are less busy otherwise you could be waiting longer for service.

Elizabeth B

I was initially apprehensive to come since I wasn’t chinese, but the owners were super nice and had great service! The food was great, and they were definitely working hard between all of the tables in the restaurant. All the food was amazing, and paired well with the tea. I’ll definitely come back and try their Shanghai dim sum! They offered free flavored peanuts to everyone, which is rare for chinese restaurants.

Ella Z

This restaurant is the goat. It’s basically The Mandarin level taste but half the price. I’ve tried 15-20 dishes there, everything was amazing + generous portions + modestly priced, and only one has been less than outstanding (funny enough it was the xlb for me). My favs are the leek w eel, the casseroles, baked steamed rice

Traveler

Nice Shanghai restaurant. Decent food and friendly staff/service. Pan fried bun is highly recommand. All vegetables are fresh and not greasy Will visit again soon.

Dev Sathe

Rating is for food only though waiters were nice and polite. Ordered the Xiao Long Bao, Pea Sprouts in Garlic Sauce, Spicy Wanton, Shrimp and Chive Dumpling. Everything was delicious, especially the Pea Sprouts and Spicy Wanton. Went again and enjoyed the claypot chicken and stir fried long beans

Katherine Chen

Super authentic and frequented by Bay Area Shanghainese! My family’s been coming here for years, and their consistency has only gone up

J K

Little Shanghai is a true gem and totally legit. We ordered mapo tofu and Shanghai stir-fried rice cakes (nian gao). The mapo tofu was delicious and smelled like Sichuan peppercorns. So good!

Good service Comfort food Spot on Gets busy at busy times Helpful to speak Chinese Cantonese But ok. Lunch specials include soup

One of my favorite places to eat, one of the only places where you can get authentic Shanghai food in the bay area. Excellent food, service is fast.

John E.

Good service Comfort food Spot on Gets busy at busy times Helpful to speak Chinese Cantonese But ok. Lunch specials include soup

Laura Hunerberg

An unexpected delight! The very unassuming exterior houses delicious food, good sized portions, pleasant service, and a very low bill. The sweet and sour chicken and spicy wontons were especially tasty. Would highly recommend!

I feel like I almost gotta eat here another time to comment but in any case, had the twice cooked pork and it was legit Shanghai goodness. It's a no frills place so don't expect some fancy banquet hall. Its not something I would seek out but its an easy decision for me to eat here when I get the Jones for Shanghai food and I'm in close proximity.

Great and delicious, deep fried little yellow fish that is my favorite dish

I thought the noodle is a small one, since it costs only $9.95. I am wrong. It's so huge that I can only consume 1/3, but it tastes good. I also find a ladle with it, which should have been used for sharing it with several people, I guess...When I ask for taking away the remains, definitely hear someone's snickers ರ_ರ The only drawback is parking problem. It's hard to find a parking place very close to the restaurant on weekend.

Very ethnic place, frequented mainly by Asians. To me that's a good indicator. Good prices, que a variety of dishes. Waiters were friendly spoke mainly Chinese, limited English. But enough to communicate the order. Had a few parking spaces. Four stars for what it is. Nothing fancy, just plane Chinese food

I have been going to Little Shanghai Restaurant for a few years now and I have to say it's been some of the best and most consistent Chinese food on the peninsula. Just delicious! It may not be the prettiest restaurant but the food is awesome, it's always packed so be patient and you will be rewarded with really authentic and traditional Chinese food of high quality! You should check it out.

Wonderful little gem of a Chinese. There can be a little wait for food, but don't worry, food will come and it will be plentiful and delicious.

Visited again - updated Their food was great. We tried “weekend special limited donuts and soup”. Shanghai noodle cake was really good. The food is delicious! It’s really crowded and packed with people. The variety of the menu is surprising, you better check the menu and what to order before going there. Yes, the staff was friendly and funny as many people mentioned! 🥟

The pine nut fish is perfectly sweet, sour, soft and crispy. I dislike the soup dumplings as they have no soup in them at all The 生煎包 is not bad, with crispy pan fried bun! The onion noodles are okay, too much to finish.

Food is authentic, my parents didn't complain at all. The bean pancakes are so good I forgot to take the picture before I dig it!

L

Visited again - updated Their food was great. We tried “weekend special limited donuts and soup”. Shanghai noodle cake was really good. The food is delicious! It’s really crowded and packed with people. The variety of the menu is surprising, you better check the menu and what to order before going there. Yes, the staff was friendly and funny as many people mentioned! 🥟

Dharma M

I've been visiting this restaurant for many years when I want Shanghai food. It serves authenticate Shanghai dishes and common chinese dishes. Price is reasonable, and portion is good. The food is yummy. The noise is a bit unbearable because it has a low ceiling, and when people start talking, it is pretty noisy. I like the spicyvpork noodle soup. The xioa long bao is good, but the skin is too thick. The spicy pork stomach is ok. It is kind of boiled and just mixed with the chili sauce. The chinese donut is fresh and crunchy. It seems they have too much msg in one dish. After the meal, I felt thirsty for quite some time.

Musho Pea

The pine nut fish is perfectly sweet, sour, soft and crispy. I dislike the soup dumplings as they have no soup in them at all The 生煎包 is not bad, with crispy pan fried bun! The onion noodles are okay, too much to finish.

We went there right as it opened on a Sunday, we were lucky to get a table as the restaurant filled up very quickly after. The food was hit and served super quickly. Some hits and some misses, but overall not a bad place for northern Chinese food.

Small restaurant and limited parking . Dishes are small and price is ok .

This is a place we’d go to with my Grandmother for Shanghainese food for many years. The food was amazing, near authentic, but those times have changed. Some of the dishes are still descent, but what disappointed was the won ton soup… the broth lacked any sort of flavor; it’s almost like they just kept a chicken stock and would add water to it every time it was ordered. Overall, the food and service was descent, but would I go back again? Not necessarily…

Some of the food items were good but others were a hit or miss. What we liked was the pork, tofu & leek dish, the sen jian bao (crispy bottom pork bun), & the chicken broth soup with bamboo and pork. The donburo (braised pork belly) was tasty and tender on the top 1/2 but the bottom 1/2 was a bit chewy (should be like butter all the way through). The salty soy milk was a good surprise. The appetizers (pig ears in spicy sauce & malan veggie tofu) were ok. We had better tasting of these same appetizer dishes at other typical Chinese restaurants that serve these cold appetizer dishes. The XLB skin was a bit thick with only a little bit of juice inside. The pea sprout dish was fine. The fried rice with pork and dried veggies was more moist than fried. The chicken and chestnuts in clay pot had no taste and was made with a flour coating instead of a quick stir fry in sauce only with broken chicken bones in the middle (a definite do NOT order). I might or might not come back. Very tight space between tables. Reservations highly recommended.

Julia Lee

Some of the food items were good but others were a hit or miss. What we liked was the pork, tofu & leek dish, the sen jian bao (crispy bottom pork bun), & the chicken broth soup with bamboo and pork. The donburo (braised pork belly) was tasty and tender on the top 1/2 but the bottom 1/2 was a bit chewy (should be like butter all the way through). The salty soy milk was a good surprise. The appetizers (pig ears in spicy sauce & malan veggie tofu) were ok. We had better tasting of these same appetizer dishes at other typical Chinese restaurants that serve these cold appetizer dishes. The XLB skin was a bit thick with only a little bit of juice inside. The pea sprout dish was fine. The fried rice with pork and dried veggies was more moist than fried. The chicken and chestnuts in clay pot had no taste and was made with a flour coating instead of a quick stir fry in sauce only with broken chicken bones in the middle (a definite do NOT order). I might or might not come back. Very tight space between tables. Reservations highly recommended.

The service here is great but the food is mediocre at best. I ordered the savory soybean milk, xlb, red bean paste pancake, Shanghai rice roll, and fried pork bun. The soybean milk is not what I'm used to because they put vinegar in there. The doughnut in the rice roll was soggy so I believe they were already pre-made instead of made to order. The xlb didn't have much flavor or broth and the skin is way too thick. The red bean paste tasted like red beans from a can. The fried pork bun also felt like it was fried for a while and the juice was already fully soaked into the bun and not crispy outside. I wouldn't call this authentic Shanghainese food but they do have a lot of varieties for those who want to get a feel of what Shanghainese food is about.

Jason Y

The service here is great but the food is mediocre at best. I ordered the savory soybean milk, xlb, red bean paste pancake, Shanghai rice roll, and fried pork bun. The soybean milk is not what I'm used to because they put vinegar in there. The doughnut in the rice roll was soggy so I believe they were already pre-made instead of made to order. The xlb didn't have much flavor or broth and the skin is way too thick. The red bean paste tasted like red beans from a can. The fried pork bun also felt like it was fried for a while and the juice was already fully soaked into the bun and not crispy outside. I wouldn't call this authentic Shanghainese food but they do have a lot of varieties for those who want to get a feel of what Shanghainese food is about.

If you want to have authentic Shanghainese cuisine, you will be disappointed. We ordered pan fried pork buns, and they were bland! Asked the waiter to check, but he didn’t give us any response. We didn’t get much service such as adding a new set of bowls. The dining atmosphere was good, but the pathway to the restroom is quite gross. Overall speaking, it has been an unpleasant experience for me.

Meg Yao

If you want to have authentic Shanghainese cuisine, you will be disappointed. We ordered pan fried pork buns, and they were bland! Asked the waiter to check, but he didn’t give us any response. We didn’t get much service such as adding a new set of bowls. The dining atmosphere was good, but the pathway to the restroom is quite gross. Overall speaking, it has been an unpleasant experience for me.

Food was mediocre, dumplings skins were so thick with meat fillings that it was mushy. Complained about a little bug on a plate and wait person asked what we want him to do with it. Wouldn't attempt to replace the dish and didn't even offer a clean plate. Will not go back.

We order our dinner with a salted pork soup, it has a foul sour and gamely taste to it. We ask the waiter about it and he said everyone in the restaurant has no problem with it. So we r the problem??? He walk away… we asked again another waiter and ask him to taste it but then he replied the same thing and walk away. Well there r many dishes here that we like. It could happen one sour dish however their customer service go down the toilet for this restaurant on my book.

No frills, authentic Shanghai style dumplings and dishes. Gets very crowded with locals who know what's good. Like every good Chinese restaurant the service isn't the focus, the food is.

Absolutely terrible experience! We waited 20 minutes to be seated despite empty tables being available, and once we finally got a table, we sat there for another 20 minutes with no server even acknowledging us. No water, no greeting, no one taking our order—just complete indifference and neglect. The service was disorganized, and downright unacceptable, making us feel like we didn’t exist. If this is how they treat paying customers, I can’t imagine how they stay in business. Do yourself a favor and avoid this place at all costs!

Sunday lunch, fairly busy, got seated at a shared table quickly. Ordered the Shanghai dry fried dumpling and then pork belly with mustard greens. Both are dished I've had before at multiple restaurants and like very much, the dumplings were bland and the dough was oil drenched, and to top it off I found a piece of plastic in one of them. As for the pork the mustard greens were sparse, and the sauce did not come coating the food and was fairly watery. Overall I am disappointed in the food, with lukewarm feelings on the expedient but cold service. As for value, I recommend it to anyone who enjoys inedible surprises in their food.