Butterfly Garden 蝶园餐厅
70 Taicang Lu,
Xintiandi
near Shunchang Lu
太仓路70号
近顺昌路
5383-7338
Open 11am-11pm
Price Y100-Y199 per couple
- Share with a friend
- Add a review
- Add an event here
- Report corrections or abuse
- Is this your business?
Claim it!
- City Weekend says
This Shanghainese eatery stays true to its roots, both in ambiance and cuisine, despite its proximity to the tourist masses of Xintiandi. A selection of cold dishes offers all the usual suspects. Munch on some garlicky cucumbers while you wait for piping hot dishes of delicious tofu and crab or the classic hongxiao rou to grace your table.
Reviews
Been there? Add a review!
cityweekend
Most Recent Reviews
Never had such a problem with the bill. But the food here is great. Try the pork knuckle, the crab tofu and the fresh water eel. Some dishes can be a bit oily, but we take clients here a lot, and everyone seems to love it. It makes a nice alternative to the pretentious XinTianDi and it;s right next door.
The low rating here is for aggressively padding the bill. A pity, since the location, food and atmosphere are basically good; I have been there several times before. But they don't hesitate to "inflate" the otherwise reasonable prices, one assumes especially for foreigners as though I was part of a Chinese group I was paying. In this case, on Oct. 7, we were "upgraded" to a 188 RMB bottle of Huangjiu (yellow rice wine) from the 28 RMB bottle ordered by name from the Chinese menu. While a very boisterous vocal complaint secured return of the difference with an apology, this type of practice needs to be strongly discouraged.
Savory Shanghai
Many believe that a restaurant's proximity to Xintiandi indicates a more Westernized palate, but this venue sticks true to its Shanghainese roots, offering a variety of well-prepared local dishes. We began with a selection of refreshing cold dishes including cucumber and jellyfish ( lu cia , RMB25) and the quintessential local dish, eggplant with garlic sauce ( lengban qiezi ). For a mere RMB10, this dish's balance of garlic, vinegar and soy sauce was so distinctive that we ordered two. Our requisite dose of the local crustacean craze came with the xiedun doufu (RMB38), a tofu and crab meat dish that had us spooning thirds into our bowl. This dish packs in the crab's rich flavors without the fishiness that sometimes accompanies lower quality preparation. We saved room for the highlight of the meal, the braised pork knuckle in brown sauce ( zhuba jieti zuqiu , RMB58). We ate our way around some of the fattier pieces as we pulled the oh-so-tender meat off the bone and dunked it into the thick, flavorful, soy-based sauce. To compliment this savory dish we rounded out the meal with a mixed pot of fiery Sichuan-style meats, vegetables, herbs, noodles and zhu xue called the jiping maoxue wang (RMB48). --Jessica Beaton