JESSIE’S
Shanghai, Xintiandi
Tai Cang Road, Shanghai, PRC 200021
W not available
E not available
T pointless no one ever answers
F not available
OPEN 7 days lunch and dinner

FOOD It is very rare that we recommend a restaurant where the menu is written in anything other than the local language. We have found all too often that a menu written in English in a foreign country is warning of a tourist trap with no relationship to the great cuisine of the country. Jessie’s in Xintiandi is the exception and is a place where real Shanghainese can be found and no quarter is given to any tourist who might be on the squeamish side when it comes to dining.
Expect queues at weekends but the food is well worth waiting for. Despite the dual language menu unless you are familiar with Shanghainese food you will probably need to do a bit of pointing. Especially recommended are the pork hocks slow-cooked in soy sauce with vinegar and sugar and anything in bean curd skin. Their cold dishes are especially good and the tiny worm-like eels are absolutely terrific. Vegetables dishes are favourites in the Shanghainese kitchen and tofu comes in multitudinous forms. We especially like it with slippery green vegetable.
Beer and tea are the preferred beverages but there are plenty of bars in the Xintiandi area if you want to have a drink.
If you are lucky enough to have a friend that lives in Shanghai (and speaks Mandarin) they will surely know the suburban Jessie’s which is even better and so popular we have waited an hour to get a seat. They kindly offer chairs and we have been known to take a bottle of wine with us.