As the saying goes, fire tries gold, and adversity tries the strong. With a pandemic ravaging the world, the catering industry has suffered successive blows. Many restaurants have been forced to close to stop losses. However, there is still an entrepreneur choosing to move against the current backdrop of pessimistic sentiments and panic by opening an authentic Shanghai cuisine restaurant with offerings that would otherwise be inaccessible to locals. The bold move turned out to be a huge success.  Then, what is the secret behind the phenomenal success of Shanghai Cuisine despite all the adversities?

Shanghai Cuisine

上海小馆

11 Pine St, Waltham, MA 02453

(978) 737-3515

Boldness behind prosperity in adversity

The emergence of Shanghai Cuisine originated from the keen insight of Mr. Li, the owner.  With years’ worth of experience in the financial industry, Mr. Li soon discovered the trend of homogenization in Chinese restaurants after he came to Boston with his wife. Chinese food took a foothold in the U.S. a long time ago. In recent years, restaurants specializing in authentic Sichuan, Hunan and Cantonese dishes have become an important part of local food culture in Boston. However, the authentic Shanghai cuisine, which occupies a special position in Chinese food culture, can rarely be seen in the locality.

Mr. Li realized that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought with it a wider selection of store spaces. Seeing this as a rare opportunity, he decisively established Shanghai Cuisine, a restaurant specializing in authentic Shanghai dishes. Although this is his first attempt in an ever-changing catering market, Mr. Li as a native of Shanghai does not want to make compromises in terms of dish flavors, but instead insists on operating an authentic Shanghai-style restaurant of his own.

Only natives of Shanghai can make authentic Shanghai dishes.

Mr. Li, the owner of Shanghai Cuisine, and the chef of the restaurant who also goes by the surname Li, are both natives of Shanghai. The restaurant offers multiple classic Shanghai dishes that illustrate to the highest extent possible the appropriateness of the combinations of sweet, salty, thick, light, mellow and fresh flavors. Only fresh, high-quality ingredients are used in the restaurant, which are magically transformed into a variety of delicate and tasty dishes through the ingenious cooking of Li, the head chef. Take a slight bite of a steaming hot dish with inviting smells, and you instantly perceive the wonderful taste of thick red oil sauce.

The chopped Braised Pork Shoulder, a bright red colored dish, tastes soft and tender along with a mellow charm thanks to its sauce. With an appropriate combination of lean meat and fat, the dish offers a rich complex taste combining salty and sweet flavors without greasiness.

Sauteed Shelled Baby Shrimp, often acclaimed as the most famous signature Shanghai dish, has a bright, translucent texture and tastes crispy, soft and refreshing.

Looking pleasantly like pine nuts, the Sweet Sour Fish consists of sweet sauce and a crispy fried fish that tastes crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, fresh and delicious, with lingering aftertastes.

Unbending principle

In this newly established restaurant, the owner Li does not pay much attention to operating revenues. Rather, he has been devoted himself to making the most authentic Shanghai cuisine in Boston, while upholding a principle of letting more locals appreciate it.  With all efforts dedicated to researching and improving dish quality and services, Shanghai Cuisine has gradually developed its own specialties and gained a foothold in the highly competitive local market, successfully conquering the stomach of local diners. With a huge success gained in his first attempt, Mr. Li is expecting to open more branch stores in Boston, make Shanghai Cuisine a more internalized brand in people’s hearts and a spreader of the authentic Shanghai cuisine culture in the U.S.