Send Flowers to Iran AND Persian Carpets to Japan

Saturday, April 25, 2009

The 4-worst foreign restaurants in Shanghai

One of the great things about living in Shanghai is being able to experience authentic Chinese cuisine for incredibly low price. However, there are times when your palates simply need a break from the oil and spice. The good news is that Shanghai is a very international cosmopolitan - the bad news is that not only are they overpriced, they can also be disappointing. Here are top 4 worst foreign restaurants that you should shun away in Shanghai:


1) Watami - One of my ultimate cravings is Japanese food and I thought since there are so many Japanese in Shanghai then finding a decent restaurant would be easy. I was wrong. In Shanghai, sushi and sashimi is twice the price as in Japan and regular rice is substituted for Japanese rice. We have ventured a couple of places and we were never satisfied. But the biggest disappointment for me is Watami.

Location: Superbrand Mall, Luijiazui


2) TGIFridays - There is no need to thank God with the size of the servings nor the service. When I was a student in Tokyo I usually eat in TGIF once-a-week and order the appetizer for my lunch. In Shanghai, the appetizer is really good for only a few bites. Plus the taste is worst than my own cooking-slash-frying.

Location: Diplomatic Circle, #10 Hengshan Road

3. Greek Taverna (O Milos)- The first time I have ever tried Greek food in my life and I could not have been more disappointed. Carbs and flour without flavor (hey that rhymes!). The worst part is that the lamb meat tastes like goat.

Location: The Thumb Plaza, #199 Fangdian Lu


4. Baan Thai - One day, Mos was searching for the Iran consulate when he accidentally saw this restaurant and got intrigued with its ambience and architecture looking from the outside. Hence, a month after, he invited me for dinner and taste Thai food in Shanghai for the first time. We ordered Tom Ka Gai, Green Curry, Crab Cake, and two fruit shakes. The verdict - BAD!! The servings are small, the taste is not spicy enough, and the crab cakes does not taste like crab. Worst, the service is terrible, 5 women chattering while we were eating and gave us boiled tap water.

Location: 1479 Fuxing Zhong Lu








38 HIT back:

Unknown said...

Is Watami that bad? I ate there a couple of times not sure if that is inddeed Watami and I like it except for the eel.

Valley Girl said...

Oh, man. I could've told you about TGI Friday's, hun. Its an American chain and its not even that great here.

Eeva said...

Thanks for tips! I haven't been to any of those in Shanghai.

At leats one of them you can cross of your list: TGIF has closed its doors. There is now some other American restaurant, can't recal its name. Propably not a chain, at least I haven't seen it in U.S. of A (Well, not the whole country but in Chicago-area, New York, California, Hawaii or North Carolina, anyway.)

foongpc said...

Thanks for the info. Will avoid these restaurants like the plague if I ever go Shanghai! : )

Unknown said...

Will be avoiding these thanks. How about french, are there any warnings?

bluedreamer27 said...

ooops honestly im not familiar with the dishes thats why i cant commet anything bad as of this moment

bluedreamer27 said...

just dropping by here have a great day and happy blogging

bluedreamer27 said...

hello just dropping by here
have agreat weekend

lorela said...

hey, except for the curry one, i go for the rest! yummy!

i keep trying to find your link in my blog, since you've asked for an ex-link before, silly me, only 5 ex-links were showing.. sorry for that!

anyway, head over and see your link :)

visit me here, too...http://marketingpr.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_lucrative_business_of_freelance_marketing

thanks!

lorela said...

hey, except for the curry one, i go for the rest! yummy!

i keep trying to find your link in my blog, since you've asked for an ex-link before, silly me, only 5 ex-links were showing.. sorry for that!

anyway, head over and see your link :)

visit me here, too...http://marketingpr.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_lucrative_business_of_freelance_marketing

thanks!

Pinoy Daddy said...

Ooops. That's quite a bad experience. Thanks for the information. Any thoughts on good restaurants in the area?

2009 Nursing Board Exam Result said...

Saya naman ng experience mo...hehehe...sarap2 din ng mga pagkain...penge namn...hehehe...lol

Unknown said...

My first time to your blog! Thanks so much for sharing. I hope you will join me at diningwithdebbie.blogspot.com for Crock Pot Wednesdays. The giveaways this weeks are really great!

7 days weather forecast said...

You made a good tour on the worst restaurant in you place :)

Geotacs said...

i guess these restaurants are set up just to make money...

i suppose this being China, i bet the cooks are all chinese and have no experience whatsoever cooking authentic foreign food...

after all China is a well known place for fakes and counterfeit goods...

Sue said...

Hope you've found better restaurants since this post. Thanks for dropping by my blog a few months back, I'm a lot behind in keeping up with it!

John said...

ive never found a decent Japanese meal except from my brother in law who works in Hamburg yes he is Japanese and married to a Thai lady Japanese food there is just great
we dont have many places in udon thani north east Thailand but Thai food is very good also

Reinhard Sakowski said...

Viele Gruesse aus dem schoenen Fischerdorf Greetsiel.

purchase viagra said...

viagra prescription
purchase viagra online

Hemraj said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Learn to Play Guitar Online said...

While I was trying to surf the net for Learn to Play Guitar Online, I came across your blog. I found it interesting,since I'm planning of going to Shanghai myself. I take note of the list of restaurant you pointed on your blog and try to see it for myself.
The pictures you uploaded seems very tasty, so I better check it out. Thanks for the information that you shared.

Ralph Lauren Polo said...

Polo-Tops.com is a personal online shop that offers a wide range selection of affordable and fashionable men and women’s designer polo, polo shirt, ralph Lauren polo, lacoste t-shirts and lacoste polo. Visit us online to avail of some discount and promotion. Orders more than £50 could be free shipped.

Expert Forex Trading Software said...

Thank you for sharing this information. By the way if your interested to Be An Expert Trader kindly check this amazing stuff Automated Forex Trading and Forex Trading Software. These might help get some extra bucks.

Limo Memphis said...

Posh limo services in memphis tn takes great pride in servicing our clients. Best limousine
company in Memphis.Posh limo services in Memphis tn has never had any complaint's since we
opened in 2000. We are very proud of this.

pc game said...

I like your website. Thank you for great information. I will come back to your website again.

best regards

viagra cheapest price said...

this post really very good and effective for me thanks for sharing this nice post

Anonymous said...

If you like tacos as greasy as a 1970's disco star, getting the runs, rude and surley staff and being over charged for your meal then eat at Mi Tierra on Yongja Lu. In all my time travelling, including sewage oil, this has got to be the worst food I have ever eaten! the staff forces you to buy more liquor too. if you order 2, they bring 4 and "didnt understand" you. : funny how it never happens the other way. happened 3 times one night. Never EVER eat there.

Anonymous said...

I know exactly what you mean. Living in Japan years ago spoiled me for Japanese food. Now I'm living in New Zealand and I'm very particular about Japanese restaurants here. When you've been spoiled on the real thing, you suddenly see that so many aren't authentic.

Foodie Bugi said...

Very interesting!
We will be in Shanghai next year and I think these are places to avoid! Good reviews!

Hi from Dubai!!!

Nico Epermarket said...

Hello nice article about the restaurant in Shanghai , I am french and very like Chinese Food... do you have an idea of a restaurant mix Chinese and french Food fusion Food. Please indicate to me ...

Turkey Tour Packages said...

Great post, this restaurants sounds a very good place to have a treat..glad that you posted this.

пинап said...

Diamonds can burn.
A cow can go up stairs, but cannot go down.
Ducks are able to dive to a depth of 6 meters.
Chinese is the most popular language in the world.
A giraffe and a human have the same number of cervical vertebrae.
The tallest building in Europe is located in Moscow.
Ostriches reach speeds of up to 70 km per hour.

пинап said...

Until the 17th century, thermometers were filled with cognac.
Cats sleep for more than half of their lives.
Lemon contains more sugar than strawberries.
The longest flight of a chicken lasted 13 seconds.

пинап said...

Saudi Arabia contains no rivers.
There is only one river in Antarctica, the Onyx, which flows only 60 days a year.
Jellyfish don't have brains or blood vessels.
Every day 60 people become millionaires.

pin-up said...

Initially, the screwdriver was invented for picking out nails, the screw was invented 100 years later.
The Bible is the most stolen book in American stores.
Approximately 1/3 of all salt produced in the US is used to clear roads of ice.
There is a test tube whose diameter is 10,000 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair.

pin-up said...

The average cloud weighs about 500 tons, the same weight as 80 elephants.
There have never been moles in Ireland.
The US Navy maintains more aircraft carriers than all the navies in the world combined.
The speed of lava spreading after the eruption is close to the speed of running a hound.

pin-up said...

The largest pearl in the world reaches 6 kilograms in weight.
U.S. law allowed children to be mailed until 1913.
In the language of the ancient Greeks, there was no word that denoted religion.
There is a period of time in modern history when Apple had more money in its accounts than the US government.

pin-up said...

Lake Ladoga is the largest in Europe.
In a year, up to 500 kg of a Martian meteorite falls to Earth.
The earth makes a complete revolution on its axis in 23 hours 56 minutes and 4 seconds.
Diamond rains regularly on Jupiter.