Every college town has its share of restaurants. Amongst the many pizza joints and chain restaurants, Shanghai Bistro stands out with a unique take on Asian cuisine. Their extensive menu features dishes from all around Asia and boasts an impressive selection of sushi. Shanghai Bistro is the ideal place to take a break from homework and treat oneself to a satisfying meal.
An inviting entryway immediately transports guests to the Far East. Linen covered walls shimmer with a deep yellow glow accented by traditional Chinese decorations. The three-tier sushi bar, brightly lit and busy with activity, is easily spotted in the center of the restaurant. In the rear of the building sits the main dining room. Granite tabletops and rich red walls are a pleasant surprise. The abstract paintings are great conversation starters. One of the most peculiar paintings consists of a uterus, a hacksaw, sperm, and a giant fetus. Although the piece is very strange and takes a while to grasp, it makes for an interesting evening. Shanghai Bistro continues the bizarre theme into its menu but does a much better job explaining its food than it does explaining its choice of art.
The menu is simple. Each item is clearly described, and every ingredient in the dish is listed. Servers are more than happy to answer any questions and are very knowledgeable. Do not be afraid to ask about any unusual ingredients. The prices are also straightforward. Almost every entree is less than ten dollars, with the exception of the high end sushi. For the truly broke college students, Shanghai Bistro offers a half-price happy hour from 3 p.m. until 5 p.m. every weekday. However, if you are unable to make it during the happy hour, there are numerous inexpensive appetizers to choose from as well.
Appetizers can be ordered for around three dollars. Egg rolls come filled with either vegetables or barbeque pork. Served with a side of bright red sweet and sour sauce, each egg roll is encased in a crispy dough exterior and packed with fresh, crunchy vegetables. The rolls are unexpectedly light and have just enough flavor to entice the taste buds for the food to come.
The main entrees consist of duck, chicken, beef, or shrimp served over a hefty portion of rice and vegetables. Shanghai Bistro prepares duck beautifully. The Schezchwan Duck is a slightly spicy dish. The duck itself is not greasy and is so tender that it falls apart on the fork. However, the duck and the Schezchwan sauce combine to form a sticky texture that is somewhat unpleasant. While the main entrees have generous amounts of food and are priced to fit, the sushi is less expensive and generally comes in sets of five.
Sushi virgins have nothing to fear, except for the Knock Out Roll. I ordered this dish despite the warning of its high level of heat. The server laughed to herself as she walked away with my order. I felt as if the entire restaurant had an inside joke, and I swear I could hear the laughs echo out from the kitchen. The Knock Out Roll was not as spicy as the menu had warned. Filled entirely with bright green wasabi and roasted chili peppers, the taste was worse than the heat. The flavor mimicked burnt rubber in the most evil way possible. It took me a good minute to finish one roll after I had convinced my body that this was indeed food. Wasabi should never be featured as the main ingredient in a dish. It is similar to putting a heaping scoop of spicy mustard on a plate and attaching a five dollar price tag. Luckily there are more enjoyable sushi varieties offered.
The California Roll and Tobiko Roe Roll are both delicious. An American take on sushi, the California Roll is always prepared with crab. Shanghai Bistro makes its California Rolls with white rice and chilled crab meat. The crab itself is delicate but too stringy, and the rice is barely enough to mask the texture. Less complicated than a California Roll, a Tobiko Roe Roll is exactly what its name suggests: flying fish eggs wrapped in seaweed. The eggs are an intense shade of neon red. Despite there being so many eggs, the flavor is very mild and only slightly fishy. To prevent a texture overload, I suggest eating the eggs in small bites of a few hundred instead of eating the entire roll at once. Because it is such an odd dish in the college culture, Tobiko Roe is actually fun to eat. College students can share this delicacy with their friends or save it all for themselves. For the more adventurous diners, there are exotic sushi types such as eel and sea urchin, but be sure to ask if the ingredients are available. They were out of sea urchin when I went.
Shanghai Bistro creates an exciting dining experience. Intriguing wall art, elegant amenities, fearless dishes, and comical servers all enhance the excellent food. The restaurant offers all of the classic Asian entrees but also adds some twists that even the most stubborn diner will find to their liking. Shanghai Bistro’s friendly atmosphere makes it a great place to stimulate the mind and the taste buds.
No comments:
Post a Comment