The Old Concession's Shanghainese
Shanghai's Old French Concession is the historic European-quarter that has held its architectural character against the city's broader development. Cheng Long Hang is one of the local Shanghainese rooms within that district that handles the city's classic regional cooking at restaurant standards.
The cooking is traditional Shanghainese in its proper form: xiaolongbao, drunken chicken, red-braised pork, hairy crab in season. The format is the proper local restaurant — short menu, careful preparation, the steady rhythm of a Shanghai institution.
What to Order
Xiaolongbao — Shanghai's signature soup-filled dumplings, properly executed. Drunken chicken, red-braised pork with the right level of caramelisation. Hairy crab in autumn, the seasonal benchmark.
The Format
The room is comfortable in the way successful local restaurants are comfortable. The crowd is overwhelmingly local; the energy is consistent.
Best Occasion: Team Dinner
Cheng Long Hang handles a team dinner with the practiced ease of a Shanghai institution. The shared format absorbs a group; the menu handles dietary requests; bringing visitors to a proper Old Concession Shanghainese restaurant sends an exact message about the city.