Reviews

Been there? Add a review!

cityweekend

Second Bite Review

The upscale Taiwanese restaurant chain Bellagio has been living off its reputation for a while now. And while its ritzy name is a little silly, it does try to live up to its billing with its presentation and prices, especially at its Taicang Lu location. But overall the restaurant is reminiscent of a nice cafeteria at an art museum, a feeling exacerbated by the slightly- too-loud classical music soundtrack.

While the menu displays a wide variety of Taiwanese dishes, it’s been corrupted by regional overreach, namely with dishes like gong bao chicken and Chongqing hotpot. The menu’s inclusion of Hainan and Japanese dishes is a little more justifiable, but of all the regional cuisines to include, why Sichuanese? Alas, the first dishes we tried were disappointing. The iced milk tea with coffee jelly (￥28) tasted of powder, and the jelly itself had about as much coffee as a martini has vermouth (not a lot). As for the sweet walnut soup (￥26), it tasted rather like a bowl of sugar starched up with nut. Fortunately, the main courses were rock-solid, even if the portions were small.

Particularly good was the house specialty, the three cup chicken (￥49), a sizzling pot of tender marinated chicken joints coated in a light, sweet barbecue sauce and mixed with whole roasted garlic cloves, thick strips of ginger, Taiwanese basil and sweet and spicy red peppers. The sweetness was not overpowering and was complemented perfectly by the bitter melon with salted egg (￥28), which was as bitter and salty as a good divorce hearing. It’s a good dish, but not one that can stand by itself.

In the end, the hype wasn’t completely undeserved, but for our money, there are better options around.

■ Pete Sweeney

 

Most Recent Reviews

hibeverly

I've heard the Taiwanese flock to Bellagio for a taste of their home country's food, and the restaurant is often packed with people every lunch and dinner. Set in a bright, sunlit dining room, it looks more like a western cafe than a place that serves Asian food. They have an extensive menu for their food, and another extensive menu for drinks/desserts. A tip would be to go with a group of people so you can order loads, because you'll definitely want to!

Their dishes are simple, yet hit the spot. Very tasty, served in average-to-big portions (HURRAY!) and well worth its value. I just adore places in Shanghai that charge a reasonable price for a decent quantity of good food. It's not surprising that they're bustling with diners all the time. The only downside is their utterly incompetent service. They're friendly and look efficient because they're hurrying around the place. However, NOTHING ever gets done! I asked repeatedly for water, and we also asked for chilli FIVE TIMES with FIVE DIFFERENT PEOPLE, and none arrived, leaving us reeling in disbelief. It was pretty clear to us that they would only bother serving "paid food", anything that is normally served complimentary is steadfastly ignored until you give up asking (we did, unfortunately giving them negative reinforcement).

Fortunately their food makes up for it. My favourite by far was the Dandan noodles - slippery tender noodles lounging in a creamy peanutty soup, and with the subtlest hint of spice. Absolutely delicious and great comfort food. The rest of the dishes were also well-received by all of us, and I was impressed that we didn't order a whole lot, but left satisfied.

PHOTOS HERE: http://beverly.livejournal.com/823739.html

 

2 years ago

msanger

Try the beef and greens (i think it's spinach dish). Desserts are awesome, and seem healthy (how can you go wrong with beans and ice?) Makes for a good lunch place. Service can be a bit slow at times.

 

3 years ago