Delhi Belly: Indian Resturants in Shanghai

Delhi Belly: Indian Resturants in Shanghai
By Susie Gordon , eChinacities.com

Indian restaurants are a bit like Irish bars: you’ll find one in pretty much every city you go to, from Sydney to San Salvador. Subcontinental cuisine is well known around the world thanks to its memorable flavours and dishes – samosas, creamy masalas, hot seafood curries, and steaming naan breads. So where can you get your dhosa in Shanghai? Unsurprisingly, our city has its fair share of Indian eateries. Here is a range of options to suit all palates (and wallets).

If you want to go hard and go cheap, head to one of the three branches of  Punjabi.  There’s one in the French Concession, one on Peace Square in Hongqiao and one at 43 Thumb Plaza. The managers have realised that an all-you-can-eat buffet is a sure-fire way to attract business, and their ¥85 spread (including free beer) is a Friday night dream. Gather your crew and colonise a table. It might not be the best quality Indian grub in town, but it’s well worth the price. Sometimes there’s a live band, which adds a certain authenticity to proceedings.

Punjabi本杰比 View In Map
French Concession: 2F, 102 Xiangyang Lu, near Huaihai Lu襄阳南路102号2楼近淮海路
Peace Square in Hongqiao: N3, 12-20 Shuicheng Lu, near Hongqiao Lu水城路12-20号和平广场N3室
43 Thumb Plaza: Lane 199, 43 Fandian Lu, near Yingchun Lu芳甸路199弄43号证大大拇指广场1楼

Another multi-location name is Indian Kitchen. The Yongjia Lu branch was one of the first Indian restaurants to open in Shanghai, and later expanded to  Pudong, and the Hongmei Lu Entertainment Street in Hongqiao . The food is reliably good, and spans North and South India (tandoori, Keralan vegetables, and everything in between). Expect to pay around ¥100 per person for a two course feed with a drink and bread.

Indian KitchenView In Map
Yongjia Lu branch: 572 Yongjia Lu, near Wulumuqi Lu永嘉路572号近乌鲁木齐路
Pudong: 480 Minsheng Lu, near Pudong Dadao民生路480号 近浦东大道
Hongmei Lu Entertainment Street in Hongqiao: House 8, 3911 Hongmei Lu, near Yanan Xi Lu虹梅路3911弄8号别墅 近延安西路

A beacon on the expat thoroughfare of Dagu Lu is Good Times (401 Dagu Lu, near Shimen Yi Lu大沽路401号近石门一路). The name makes it sound more like a brothel than a purveyor of Subcontinental provender, but don’t be fooled. The menu takes the form of a tabloid newspaper. Finding the fare among the crosswords is a feat, but the super-friendly waiters will help you out. The selection is impressive – dhosa, fish curries, soups (the mulligatawny is delicious), British Indian favourites like chicken tikka masala, tandoori meat, samosas… and even fish and chips. The décor is bright and quirky, and a meal will set you back around ¥100 depending on how hungry you are.
A couple of doors down is Masala Art (397 Dagu Lu, near Shimen Yi Lu大沽路397号近石门一路) which ups the ante on luxe (and price). It’s less jocular than Good Times – a sensible older sister, you might say. For between ¥100 and ¥200 you can dine sumptuously on regional specialties, and sip from a surprisingly rich drinks list. A new branch has opened recently at 12 Yandang Lu, near Huaihai Lu, which is just as good.

Also worthy of a mention is Kebabs on the Grille (The Cool Docks, 479 Zhongshan Nanlu, near Fuxing Donglu中山南路479号老码头休闲创意园8号楼近复兴东路). This place is advertised everywhere, but suffers from its location at the Cool Docks, which everyone has heard of, but few have actually visited. But K. on the G. is a great reason to go. If you get there between 3pm and 5pm you get half price drinks and 50% off food. It’s a cross between shao kao and Korean barbecue – skewers are cooked at your table while you watch.

On the upper echelons of the price scale are Bukhara (3729 Hongmei Lu, near Yan'an Xi Lu虹梅路3729号近延安西路), and Vedas (550 Jianguo Xilu, near Wulumuqi Nanlu建国西路550号近乌鲁木齐南路) where the quality of the ingredients justify the expense. In a similar vein is The Tandoor (Jinjiang Hotel, South Building, 59 Maoming Nan Lu, near Changle Lu茂名南路59号锦江宾馆近长乐路) where you can watch chefs work the oven, and Hazara (Dong Jiao State Guest Hotel, 1800 Jinke Lu, near Longdong Dadao金科路1800号,东郊宾馆内近龙东大道) whose quiet garden location, albeit way out in Pudong, makes it the perfect spot for a date.

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