Canto food in Shanghai is not really Canto food. It’s always got some weird additional ingredients, or its too sweet, or its just.. unfamiliar. But let’s face it.. we’re not really in Canton so its ok. Bo Duo Xin Ji is one of those spots that cooks “Cantonese” food, but doesn’t. Yet, their brand of Shanghai-style Canto/Chao Zhou is super delicious, casual, and almost reminds me of home.
Bo Duo Xin Ji is a chain restaurant with several outlets throughout Shanghai. We visited the one on Fuxing at Huahai Lu. It’s been recently renovated – now features some sweet Ikea chairs and signature black/red plaid fits for the waitstaff. Upgrade! The menu is the same.
We ordered this spinach in soup to start. I like that at BDXJ you can get your veggies wok-fried with garlic, or in this delicious soup with goji berries, fried garlic, and dried scallops. It’s perfect for a brick ass winter day in Shanghai, and with a bowl of steaming hot rice, it could almost be a meal in itself. Almost.
Ah, steamed Cantonese meatloaf. This is the ultimate home cooking dish for me. My dad minces half lean/half fatty pork with fragrant dried shiitake and woodear, while my girl Gee does hers up with Chinese pickles. I’ve only had this at a restaurant a few times, and I still think it’s kind of weird that I’m not eating it at home. BDXJ does their meatloaf with water chestnuts and pickles on top. It’s super tasty, and I love the crunch of the water chestnuts. But they could mince their meat a little better… fat chunks between every other bite is not a good look. This dish comes with a scoop of rice, green bean pickles, and boiled napa cabbage on plate. Kind of weird for a Cantonese resto, but I like it.
Herring with Chinese pickles (mei gan cai). This dish is so good. A nice section of white fish steamed with Chinese pickles and shredded green onions. Mei Gan Cai pickles are made from sun-dried mustard greens or bok choy and are not very acidic. They just lend a really fragrant flavor to the dish that works well with the soy sauce and green onions. Mmmm. This dish also comes with the whole rice plate thing too. BDXJ also offers whole fish, but for a weeknight dinner for two, this portion was perfect. Whole fish – next time!
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Bo Duo Xin Ji 博多新记
1465 Fuxing Lu at Huahai Lu
复兴中路1465号近淮海中路
+86 6437-2222
Tags: bo duo xin ji, cantonese, cantonese meatloaf, chao zhou, china, mei gan cai, shanghai
