Hi Shanghai is another one of those restaurants where the English and Chinese name have two completely difference meanings. However, at this restaurant, non-Asians would be able to able to order food because the menu has English subtitles and nice colorful pictures.

As you no doubt guessed by the name, Hi Shanghai is a Shanghai restaurant. The restaurant looks really nice and up to date. The entrance has a beautiful wood, glass and flower wall. The menu has over 100 items on it, with most dishes served Dim Sum style. The prices are also very reasonable. The total cost for seven people came to just $70 with tips. It’s rare for me to eat out for $10 per person. Here’s a sampling of the dishes we tried.

Shanghai Noodles

let’s face it, you can’t go to a Shanghai restaurant and not order Shanghai noodle. That would be un-Shanghai. The Shanghai noodles at Hi Shanghai reminded me a lot of the Shanghai noodles at Kam Do in Richmond. It was very good.

Shanghai House Fried Rice Cake

This is another famous dish from Shanghai. The rice cake is like a very thick rice noodle. It was a bit on the chewy side.

Wine Preserved Whelks In NingBo Style

This is one of those Fear Factor dishes. I didn’t bother to ask what it was. I just took one and ate it. Whatever it was, it was terrible and I never want to try it again. Sarah and her parents loved it however. I guess you need to be from Shanghai to like it.

Shanghai Steam Mini Buns

This is another famous Shanghai dim sum dish. The steam buns can be ordered with a bunch of different meats, as long as there’s pork in it. We ordered some with pork, shrimp and pork, and crab meat and pork. They were not as good as the mini buns we get at a Shanghai restaurant we go to back home.

Pan Fried Pork buns

These are like the mini bun except they are fried instead of steamed. I found the bun too thick and the pork inside too dry. The pan-fried pork buns from the home town Shanghai restaurant in Richmond blows these buns away.

Overall, I liked Hi Shanghai and would dine here again.