Chicago Food｜Unlocking Hidden Shanghainese Cuisine 🥢

This is a hidden Shanghainese home-style kitchen tucked inside a sushi restaurant — make sure to reserve in advance with the owner and pre-order your dishes! The meal was cozy and satisfying, not a flashy “trendy private kitchen,” but the flavors truly felt like Shanghai. A great choice when you’re craving authentic Shanghainese food 👍 🍽️ Recommended Dishes: 1️⃣ Xiang You Shan Si (Eel with Hot Oil) Highly recommended — especially if you love savory-sweet flavors! Slightly adapted from the original; less sweet and heavy than the versions I’ve had in Shanghai, making it more approachable and delicious for this Zhejiang native! 2️⃣ Xin Tai Ruan (Red Dates Stuffed with Sticky Rice) This combo is amazing! The sauce is thickened and infused with osmanthus — sweet, fragrant, and chewy… absolutely loved it! 3️⃣ Cai Fan (Vegetable Rice) A classic Shanghainese dish — a bit oily but very tasty! 📝 Solid but Not Outstanding: Good if you like these ingredients, but not particularly memorable. 1️⃣ Fried Yellow Croaker with Seaweed Not greasy, but tastes like standard fried fish. The dipping sauce (vinegar + ginger) is refreshing and cuts through the richness well. 2️⃣ Xiao Shao Xing White Cut Chicken Tender chicken with nice dipping sauce, but overall a safe and simple dish. ✅ Overall Impression: Will definitely return! If you order the right dishes, it’s genuinely delicious Shanghainese food. In Chicago, this level of authenticity is rare. Btw, the owner is super sweet — a kind and warm Shanghainese auntie 💖 📍 Shine Address: 756 W Webster Ave, Chicago, IL 60614 #ChicagoEats #ChicagoLife #ChicagoFoodExplorer #ChicagoDining #ShanghaineseFood