The Shanghai Dumpling Shop was an affordable yet delicious experience, with great menu options and fairly good service.

The Shanghai Dumpling Shop is a classic Chinese dumpling house located on Broadway Avenue in Millbrae, Calif. The restaurant offers traditional Shanghai-style items, including steamed beans, fried onion pancakes, stir fried noodles, fried rice, and, of course, dumplings.

My party of four ordered the Green Onion Pancake ($5.50) for an appetizer, the Braised String Beans ($10.95) as a side dish, and the Stir Fried Noodles Shanghai Style ($7.95) and the Shanghai Steamed Dumplings ($9.95) as our main courses.

The waiter first served the appetizer and side dish. The onion pancake was crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside with a perfect amount of green onions spread throughout the dough.

The string beans were especially tasty, because not only were they crispy, but they were also sprinkled with chopped pieces of shallot onions. The onions were the highlight of the dish and perfectly complemented the beans by making them taste both sweet and savory.

Next came the stir-fried noodles, or chow mein. These noodles were the most unimpressive portion of the meal, with the noodles chopped a bit too thick and the flavors too faint.

With the restaurant being a specialty dumpling shop, I had high expectations for the dumplings, and I was not disappointed. Steaming hot, they were juicy and bursting with flavor, leaving us with an excellent impression of the restaurant.

The restaurant was fairly small, and had simple décor with classical Chinese artwork and paintings.

The servers were friendly, but seemed a bit rushed to get through our order. However, the quality of the dishes, as well as how quickly they arrived, more than made up for it.

Since it was a strictly sit-down restaurant, each dish was served as a type of platter. This means that most of the menu items have large portions and are made for two or more people, which might prove an issue for those looking to eat a meal alone.

Overall, I had an excellent experience at the Shanghai Dumpling Shop because of the delicious food and speedy service. I would recommend everyone to try it, especially with a group of friends or family members, for an enjoyable and gratifying meal.

Rating: 4.5/5

Price: $$

Food: 4.5/5

Service: 4/5

Location: 455 Broadway Avenue, Millbrae

Business Hours: Monday-Friday 11:00 am to 3:00 pm and 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm, Saturday-Sunday 10:00 am to 3:00 pm and 4:30 pm to 9:00 pm

Telephone: (650) 697-0682