Shanghai Elan, like many other SH restaurants, it specializes in traditional Shanghainese dishes and is located at crystal mall. I have been to this place about five times, their food has been generally consistent. At one point, Jin Jiang topped Shanghai Elan when it first opened, but since Jin Jiang is going down hill with the quality of their food, Shanghai Elan is now my favourite SH restaurant in the area. The room is very limited, but I'm very used to the style of Chinese dining so it wasn't a big problem for me. (However, it'd be nice to get a renovation.)
*Just in case you didn't know, The photos on the wall are athletes Liu Xiang and Yao Ming. Why are they up there? They are both Shanghainese, and are two of the most famous olympic champions in China and worldwide. (ayyyyy Shanghainese pride! )
Pork pot stickers 锅贴 $5.50 4/5 (Price and name unsure since my dad ordered everything and I couldn't find this on the online menu. If you really want to try this dish, show them the picture!)
The meatballs were soft and juicy. The skin was decent, but could have been crisper. Overall, a simple yet decent dim sum.
Sliced beef and Pork Lungs in Chilli Sauce with crushed peanuts and Cilantro 夫妻肺片 $8.50 4/5
I usually don't eat organs but this one is an exception! I really like the combination of cilantro, crushed peanuts and sliced meats, mixed with mild spicy chilli sauce. I have had better ones in Shanghai, but this one was good enough.
Wok-Fried Cauliflowers with mushroom and Shepherd's purse 荠菜群菇花菜 $12.50 2.5/5
Broccolis and cauliflowers look very similar, but personally I like soft cauliflowers rather than chewy ones. The mushrooms were good, but the cauliflowers were under cooked which basically ruined the dish.
Salted Pork In Hot Pot 腌笃鲜 $16.50 3/5
Possibly one of the most famous Shanghainese soup. According to my dad, there was a chance that the soup base was made out of powder instead of the real ingredients which ruins the whole concept of this soup. Meat was over cooked but the tofu knots were great.
Smoked Duck 樟茶鸭 $18.50 5/5
I used to hate this dish because my parent's always order it at Jin Jiang and their smoked duck was salty and over seasoned, I thought they just naturally taste weird due to the smoking effect? I didn't understand why my mom would order it again this time, but one bite and I was so amazed by how good it was, It was at least ten times better than the ones at Jin Jiang, and every detail was on point. I strongly recommend this dish. (Let's hope this one's consistent since it was the first time that we ordered.)
XLB 小笼包 $5.50 4.5/5
By being Shanghainese, I think I have consumed over 10000 of these things during my 17 years of existence. LOL
Fun fact! Xiao Long Baos are actually not suppose to be juicy! Because if they are, why don't we just call them soup buns instead? But even restaurants in Shanghai make XLBs full of juice, oh well! they do taste better!
Steamed Rice with Salted Meat and Vegetables 咸肉菜饭 $12.50 4.5/5
A Shanghainese classic and my childhood fave! My grandmas make the best ones! This one was decent as well. But it would have been better if it was less oily, and had more vegetables.
Not bad! It's a bit pricy but is in the range of most Chinese restaurants. The order of the dishes was badly mixed up. How awkward is it to get a cold appetizer in between soup and hot dishes? Nonetheless, Elan is approved by my family, with lots of possible improvements though! But If you are craving Shanghainese Cuisine in South Burnaby, give Elan a try!
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