Eat. @ Shanghai 1930

959 Whitehorse Rd, Box Hill  ph : (03) 9899 8666

Situated on the busy corner of Whitehorse Rd and Station St in chinese restaurant competitive Box Hill, Shanghai 1930 occupies the building that previously housed the Post-Chiang Cafe.  Serving up Shanghai Cuisine to the locals, it is often necessary to book a table in this busy eatery.  We've been here a few times having dinner with family and friends, sharing a table full of the Shanghai Cuisine loved by its founder "Shao Meng".

The food is generally pretty good.  As we've only been here in a big group, dishes are ordered and placed on the lazy susan for sharing.  Most dishes are fairly authentic and of a good standard.  The standout for us is probably the Steamed Shanghai Dumplings (Xiao Long Bao).  Hubby actually prefers these to the ones at Hu Tong. 

My other favourite is the Double Flavour Prawns.  The prawns are crisp, and the eggplant soaks up the beautiful chilli vinegar, and the whole dish is very moreish and goes a long way with a bowl of rice.

Double Flavor Prawns
(Prawns sautéed in a Chilli Vinegar Sauce with Egg Plant )

The kids like the Crispy Noodles, and also the "Mock Crab" made from egg white and fish, which I think originated from chefs wanting to recreate crab meat on the menu when none is available.  It's served with a yolk and a splash of dark vinegar.  It's again quite good with some rice. 

Crispy Noodle with Beef

Mock Crab

I've included pictures of other dishes we've sampled here.  (Taken over a few visits - we didn't eat all this at once!)

Nanjing Salty Duck

Lamb Cutlet Country Style

Stewed Pork Knuckle

Stir Fried Scallops (with ginger and snow peas)

And some traditional Red Bean Fried Pancake for dessert to finish off.

Red Bean Fried Pancake

The service can be quite variable.  The first time we were there they were fantastic - fast service, friendly staff, accommodating with the pram and extra cutlery required for the kids.  Another time we had sloppy service with distracted waiters, and we were told they had run out of rice (a Chinese restaurant with no rice!!!) 

The Shanghai 1930 website states that they are "an ideal place for a romantic dinner for two, a business lunch, a special celebration or just a gathering of family and friends."   While most of that is true, a dinner for two would probably not be so romantic given the inherent high level of ambient noise that is normal for most chinese restaurants.  All the better for eating out with kids though!


Eat.Play.Shop. Recommends - the Xiao Long Bao and the Double Flavour Prawns
Give it a Miss - if you've got kids that like to roam after eating.  It's a fairly tight restaurant and there's no place or toys for entertainment, so they pretty much have to stay seated throughout. 

Toilets - Yes
Highchairs - Yes, Ikea type