This is a restaurant my family, relatives and friends enjoy immensely. Since the 90s it has become so popular there are several of them in Shanghai. The one in Pudong is in the food court between the Pearl TV tower and Jin Mao Tower where the Grand Hyatt is. Another one is on Huanghe Lu near the Hard Rock Cafe on west Nanjing Lu.

Our favorite is in the french concession at 2 Ruijin Lu, the huge gorgeous garden mansion compound which was Madame Sun Yat San's former home. The interior is not as glaring bright as the others, and the private rooms are serene. Service is impeccable and reservations are a must.

I've been there several times, swoon over hairy crab meat with soft tofu, crispy squab, sauted fresh water shrimp with green tea leaves, red cooked pork with chestnuts; cold dishes favs are goose, pig's paws, tender bamboo shoots with green soy beans (edamame), lotus root stuffed with sticky rice. It's heavenly.

I'm saving all of this information.

What are pig paws, what we here in the US would call pig's feet, I am guessing?

S, Seriously, you are an amazing resource and I thank you again.

Say it ain't so - Shanghainese!! that Madame Soong Ching-ling's former residence has been turned into a dumpling restaurant???

I thought the Xiao Nan Guo branch on Ruijin #2 Road (Ruijin Er Lu) is actually inside the Ruijin Guesthouse, which is a gorgeous garden mansion like you said. That is the hotel I recommended to Ekscrunchy on 118 Ruijin #2 Rd in one of the earlier posts.

Madame Soong's former residence is by Fuxing Park a couple of blocks east of Ruijin Road. She donated the house she lived with Sun Yat-sen (on Xiangshan Lu - meaning Fragrant Hill Rd) to the government as a "Memorial Museum to the Father of the Nation". Xiangshan Road was formerly known as Rue Moliere. This house is "officially" Sun Yat-sen's former residence in many Shanghai maps.

After she moved out she was renting for a while until her brother-in-law Chiang Kai-shek arranged to have her stay in a villa on 1843 Huaihai Central Rd (Huaihai Zhong Lu). This villa also is now a museum and is officially Madame Soong Ching-ling's former residence.

It is in this villa that one finds the Soong family's connection to America (photos and letters): the father Charlie Soong went to North Carolina as a young lad in the 1880's. Durham industrialist Julian Carr took Charlie under his wing, arranged for his education at Trinity College (the forerunner of Duke University) and Vanderbilt, and supported his plan to return to China as a Christian missionary.

E: I picked up the word "paw" from the Hawaiian Fodorites when they get together and have chicken feet. I think the same goes for pig, either feet or knuckles? I had a hot home-cooked mexican dish last week made of the same parts of the pig.

John: Thanks for the correction, it's in the 5 star Ruijin Guesthouse, and there is more than one restaurant in the huge compound. We saw two weddings going on at the same time with 500 guests each, garden ceremony in western garb, and chinese banquet all decked out in red. The Okura Garden Hotel is another favorite wedding venue, a couple of my relatives were married there, it was interesting to see the brides in white and grooms in tuxes.

Now now, Xiao Nan Guo is gourmet fare, not a dumpling place.

Sorry Shanghainese: any restaurant that is located inside the Ruijin Guesthouse can't be too shabby.

Do you remember seeing two stone dogs at the guesthouse entrance? The Ruijin mansions were built by Henry Morris Jr., owner of the North China Daily News, the oldest English newspaper in China. His passions were horses, greyhounds and his``Hellier'' Stradivarius violin. He bred greyhounds and raced greyhounds (there used to be a race track close to the guesthouse) - maybe that's the reaon for the stone sculpture of 2 dogs at the entrance.

I like this restaurant too, but avoid the branch on HongMei Rd. Service there is poor because they are always busy with banquets and large parties.

Johnmango: Are you a (old) china hand? I am so impressed with your old shanghai knowledge. I plan to see "Painted Veil" this weekend, and get "White Countess" on dvd. BTW, Chou Enlai's former residence is nearby.

Yes, my cousin's young son tried to climb the stone dogs. The racetrack was called Wen Hua (Cultural) Square after 1949, and the horse racetrack is the current People's Square.

E: I am fortunate to have many local contacts, family/relatives, old classmates, friends who are colleagues, expats and hai gui's (sea turtles, the chinese word for expats of chinese descent). Last year DH and I housesat a 3 bedroom luxe condo that came with a car/driver when the family went on vacation in SE Asia. The compound had the highest ratio of dogs in the city, DH fell in love with a pure-bred who he swears is Lassie's great granddaughter.

Shanghainese:

Me? an old-China hand? You're too kind.

I have never been to Shanghai and know nothing about Shanghai until about 3 months ago when I started looking for information for our trip next May. Thanks to the internet and Google it is very easy to assemble information.

Always like to do research on cities that I plan to visit: hotels, restaurants, cuisine, custom, architecture, dos and don'ts etc. etc.

A city like Shanghai has so much history that it is fascinating to read about them - like the Astor House Hotel claimed many "firsts": it is where China turned on it's first light bulb, switched on its first telephone and held it's first western ball. Or stories about Victor Sasson (same family as Vidal Sasson), whose grandfather made money by controlling 70% percent of China's opium trade. Besides building the Peace Hotel, he also built the huge Cathay Mansions, now the Jinjiang Hotel in the French Concession.