My family and I have been going to Shanghai Wonderful for years. They have solid and delicious Shanghainese cuisine and the best xiao long bao in town. Shanghai Wonderful is located inside the Abercorn Inn on Bridgeport Road and there is a pretty large parking lot. It is right across from the Costco in Richmond, so it’s pretty hard to miss! You need to come to Shanghai Wonderful to try the best xiao long bao in Richmond!
What is Shanghainese Food and Xiao Long Bao?
Shanghai cuisine is a type of Chinese food that emphasizes the use of condiments and elevating the flavours of raw ingredients. Shanghai food traditionally is lighter in flavour and not as heavy. One of the most popular and well known Shanghai dishes is Xiao Long Bao. Xiao Long Bao (小籠包) is a labour intensive steamed dumpling filled with pork or crab and steaming hot soup. There are so many ways to eat Xiao Long Bao, but my preferred way is to dip it in some vinegar, nibble a little hole on the side of the dumpling, pour the soup into a spoon, drink the soup and then eat the dumpling. You definitely need to proceed with caution while eating this dish because the soup is very hot! One of the best renditions of this dish (with a twist) is at Mott 32.
Must Try Dishes at Shanghai Wonderful in Richmond
There are so many yummy dishes at Shanghai Wonderful, but my must try dishes are:
- Seafood Hot and Sour Soup
- Turnip Cake
- Pan Fried Pork Buns
- Crispy Chinese Donut with Hot Soy Milk
- Smoked Fish Shanghai Style
- Fried Rice Cake with Bamboo Shoots and Vegetable
But you can’t go wrong with any of the dishes here. In the past 15 years that we have been patrons, we have yet to have a bad meal here! Shanghai Wonderful is a no frills restaurant with excellent Shanghai food and xiao long bao that absolutely cannot be missed in Richmond!
