| Shanghai's Best | |
|---|---|
 | |
 The restaurant inPine Street Market, 2022 | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | April 2018 (2018-04) |
| Owner | Lin Chen[1] |
| Food type | Chinese |
| Location | Portland,Multnomah,Oregon, United States |
Shanghai's Best (also known asShanghai's Best Street Food)[2] is aChinese restaurant inPortland, Oregon.[3][4] The business operates from thePine Street Market, as of 2022, and has previously operated from Portland'sAlder Street food cart pod and inSalem.
Shanghai's Best specializes inshengjian mantou, a type of friedbaozi (steamed buns). Pan-fried dumplings are made with pork, chicken,vegetarian, orvegan fillings.[5] The vegetarian variety hasegg,chives, andmung bean noodles, and the vegan version hastofu, mushrooms, carrot, and celery. The menu also includes steamed buns with barbecued pork or sweet red bean paste,[2] as well asmooncakes.[6]
Owner Lin Chen established the business in April 2018. In 2019, theAlder Street food cart pod closed for the development ofBlock 216 and theRitz-Carlton, Portland. The Shanghai's Best food cart was initially placed into storage,[7] then relocated to The Yard Food Park inSalem in October 2019.[2][8][9] The business began operating from theCart Blocks in July 2021.[10][11]
Shanghai's Best operates from thePine Street Market, as of 2022.[6] The restaurant also participated inThe Oregonian's annual Dumpling Week in 2022.[12]
In 2018, Andrea Damewood of thePortland Mercury included Shanghai's Best in her overview of "great new choices for your dumpling fix". She wrote:
Thesheng jian bao are the real stars, arriving piping hot and bubbling with juices from the porky filling. Find a place to rest your paper serving tray, which won't withstand the hefty buns without help, and let them rest just a bit before taking your first bite. Your reward will be a thick skin, an oil-crisped bottom, and a savory filling that really oinks when you add some vinegar and soy sauce.[13]
In her 2021 article "Best Thing I Ate This Week: Pan-Fried Pork Dumplings from Shanghai's Best",Portland Monthly's Katherine Chew Hamilton wrote, "The dumplings were a delight—meaty, juicy but not greasy, with crackly bottoms and pillowy tops, and generously sprinkled with sesame seeds."[5] Seiji Nanbu andBrooke Jackson-Glidden included Shanghai's Best inEater Portland's 2022 overview of "Where to Find Outstanding Chinese Food in Portland and Beyond".[6] The business was also included inEater Portland's 2022 overview of "Where to Eat and Drink in Downtown Portland".[14]
Media related toShanghai's Best at Wikimedia Commons
