Hi!! Sorry for the late post. 2 upcomming presentations+science test+ essay due= blogging goes to backburner. Anyways, I finally have some time today, so I thought I’d share one of the most AMAZING seafood places I’ve ever been to, at least in Shanghai.

海至鲜 

海至鲜 is a relatively new and increasingly popular restaurant in the basement of Ding Xiang International Plaza. Its name translates to Fresh from the sea, and boy does it live up to its promise. The seafood is caught from the holding tanks at the front of the restaurant and literally steamed in front of you. For those, like my dad, who aren’t seafood inclined, they offer meats (steamed or grilled) as well as assorted dim sum. Of course, at a place called Fresh from the Sea, prepared to crack some serious shells

Food

Although the menu was only a page, the variety was HUGE. They offered at least 8 types of fish, 10 varieties of clams and more! As much as I would have loved to order everything on the menu, it was only the three of us. Here’s what we got:

Surf clam (garlic), New Zealand mussels, mantis shrimp, Hairy crab,

not pictured: assorted vegetables, assorted mushrooms, congee, beef tongue

One word: FRESH!!!!!

That’s a picture of the waiter “catching” our seafood literally 5 minutes before it arrived at our table/steamer.

While all the seafood good, my favorite had to be the mussels. Coming from Memphis, where seafood comes out from the freezer, and living in Shanghai, where mussels are second class to usually imported (and expensive) oysters, I can’t say I’ve had a good mussel….. until now. These mussels were plump, juicy and had an AMAZING salty fragrance. Even better, the steaming perfectly preserved the natural flavor so each bite was an explosion of juicy flavor.

For most, the seafood flavor isn’t enough, so…. toppings bar!

What I wouldn’t recommend are the meats and dimsum. Boiling meats in hot pot is fine because the broth is flavorful, but steaming it straight just makes it chewy and flavorless.

Service and atmosphere

Overall, the service was very good. The food was cooked in front of us so slow service wasn’t a problem. What the wait staff does do is put the items in the steamer, time it and take it out when its done. The staff were very quick and we barely ever had to wait for them to take it out

The atmosphere was also nice and casual, definitely a great place for a gathering. Upstairs, they have a couple of big rooms for events. Plus, the nature of the menu really rewards sharing. I recommend going with at least 2-3 people to get the best experience. From 6-8pm, it can get quite lively and very full, so I recommend going a bit early

Overall, this restaurant is a must for seafood lovers and I’ll definitely be looking for more excuses to go and test out more of the menu.

That’s it for now; I hope everyone has a great week. Until next time, Bye!

 

 

 

 

• Dining