This Hong Kong chain just opened up its first location on the Chinese mainland in the ifc Mall, bringing homey Canto comfort food to Shanghai in an already bustling, vibrant setting. The best bets here are the namesake dishes, their congee and noodles, which make up the bulk of the menu. Their noodles in soup with shrimp dumplings (正斗鲜虾水饺面, zhengdou xianxia shuijiao mian, RMB38) was authentic and utterly pleasing, with a clear mild broth, firm noodles and shrimp-packed wontons. And their fish fillet congee with ginger and spring onions (姜葱汁爆鱼腩粥, jiangcong zhibao yu’nan zhou, RMB45) is a fine choice from the voluminous congee selection. Liberal amounts of steamed carp accompany the smooth porridge. It’s a heartwarming dish–just watch out for the bones. They’ve also got the usual range of dim sum options towards the end of the menu. Unfortunately we found some of them to be quite disappointing. Their “fragrant minced fish balls with clam” (酥炸蚬蚧鲮鱼球, suzha xianjie lingyu qiu, ¥40), for example, are utterly Nerf-like, despite their fabulous name. Our advice? Stick to the namesakes and you’ll get a good, affordable, authentic meal.

Our rating: 3.5/5

DETAILS

What: Tasty Congee 正斗粥面专家

Where: Rm. 9, 3/F, ifc Mall, 8 Century Avenue 世纪大道8号上海国际金融中心L3楼9室

Tel: 5012-3998

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