This was mostly delicious meal, though not everything was Shanghainese (for example my favorite of the meal was the fish stew which seemed Sichuan).
The only ordering misstep was courtesy the server, who made us switch from the Flaming Beggar’s Chicken to the Hunan Beef (it was good, but was not remarkable in any way, and the chicken is one of the dishes the restaurant is known for).
I was pleasantly surprised by the Crispy Smoked Fish – several reviews dinged it, but it was tasty and a nice textural contrast to the rest of what was on the table (in fried things, I thought it better than the pumpkin).
I thought the braised rice would have more flavor and also more mushrooms, but perhaps that was a mixing / serving issue. The water spinach was the worst of what we ate. And the Longjing Shrimp were fine, but the dish showcases the sweetness of river prawns, which these were not.
We ate:
XLB with crab
Fried pumpkin with salted duck egg yolk
Hangzhou braised half duck
Wine-soaked chicken
Crispy smoked fish
It had dry ice, but the point of this dish is the river shrimp (they wouldn’t serve it to me in hong kong last year because the shrimp weren’t available). So, it was shrimp, but without the shrimp that are the point of the dish
Did you ever return for the beggar’s chicken?
I’mm going soon for my birthday and not sure if I bought to order this in advance… We are only two persons (one does not eat spicy food) so have to be judicious in ordering.
Earlier this year two friends and I visited Che Li, at off-hours. We hadn’t thought to request the beggar’s chicken in advance, but we had no problem adding it to our order on the spot. I slightly preferred the braised pork belly, but the chicken was very tasty, too.
I imagine that you’re going for dinner. Why not give a call and ask if you really need to order in advance?
The chicken looks amazing. Does it have a smokey flavor (I love that!). I hesitated about ordering in advance because I figured with that one large dish, we might have very little appetite left for everything else..
Late lunch at CHE LI on a Sunday in November. Only one other table occupied at 4pm. Order on iPad, but servers very helpful in explaining dishes. I was limited in what I ordered due to partner’s pickiness. All dishes were good and this was a good amount of food for two people; we took home only the vegetable. Asked about Beggar’s Chicken but would have had to wait “1-2 hours.”
Pickled cabbage and edamame (super!); complimentary, with decanter of delicious plum juice with sweet osmanthus ($9)
