Shanghai Cafe

[sychocism]

I haven't been out in West Caldwell in a while and saw there was a Shanghai Cafe in West Caldwell. Has anyone tried this place before and any reviews? Thanks.

I truly appreciate the suggestions I've seen on this forum. I've had many more lunch choices since I started browsing through here.

[sychocism]

Ok, I'll reply to my own thread. I actually went out to lunch there today and have a mini report.

I ordered the juicy steamed buns and the beef thick fried noodles. My compadre had a chicken noodle soup dish.

The buns, while less greasy and oily than most of what I find in NYC, was lacking a little. The skins were far too thick and the buns were rather large. Although the filling was decent, it wasn't terrific. I personally prefer Shanghai Cafe in NYC over this.

The stir fried beef thick noodles dish was similar to what you find in NY, however, it was far too salty for my taste, as well as a little sweet.

To get to the bottom of the picture, I asked the owners where they were from. They're from Tian Jing, which may explain why the tastes bordered more towards Northern China cuisine than what we expect to be Shanghainese.

[MJP]

sychoc, where is this place in relation to the intersection of Bloomfield and Passaic? I was raised in North Caldwell and now work in Fairfield, and I'd kill for a step above generic dragon for an occasional lunch.

[sychocism]

sychoc, where is this place in relation to the intersection of Bloomfield and Passaic?  I was raised in North Caldwell and now work in Fairfield, and I'd kill for a step above generic dragon for an occasional lunch.

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It is actually right on the corner of Bloomfield and Passaic. It's in the plaza where the Shell Gas station is, across the street from the plaza with the TJ Maxx. If you know where the UPS Store is, it's basically right in the center of that plaza.

[MJP]

I thought the address sounded familiar; that's where Broadway Photo/Video used to be. I spent many a Friday night in that store as a kid deciding on video game rentals for the weekend. :-D

I might stop by there for lunch today.

[sychocism]

I thought the address sounded familiar; that's where Broadway Photo/Video used to be.  I spent many a Friday night in that store as a kid deciding on video game rentals for the weekend.  :-D 

I might stop by there for lunch today.

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Sounds good, you may want to check out the menu online

www.shanghaicafenj.com

[Laksa]

I took a look at their menu and it's all over the map.

A restaurant called "Shanghai Cafe" that serves Sushi, Thai and American Chinese food with a few Shanghainese dishes scattered here and there. They're trying to be everything Asian to everyone not Asian in a neighborhood that probably doesn't have much direct competition.

Alarm bells are ringing. American Chinese can be had all over North Jersey for cheaper.

[sychocism]

I took a look at their menu and it's all over the map.

A restaurant called "Shanghai Cafe" that serves Sushi, Thai and American Chinese food with a few Shanghainese dishes scattered here and there.  They're trying to be everything Asian to everyone not Asian in a neighborhood that probably doesn't have much direct competition.

Alarm bells are ringing.  American Chinese can be had all over North Jersey for cheaper.

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I don't disagree at all, and even though NY Shanghainese isn't authentic (I've had better in Cupertino); it's miles ahead of this place. I was about to ask the owners if they had anything to do with the Shanghai Cafe in NY's Chinatown, but the second I saw the Chinese name, I knew they weren't remotely related.

In the meantime, I'll stick to Noodle Chu for my Chinese fix.

[MJP]

I had take-out today from Shanghai Cafe again and I'm pretty impressed. Their scallion pancakes were not the out-of-the-box kind you see around, but they were crisp and flavorful even after a ten-minute drive back to the office. I had the "88 Cafe Noodles" with pork, basically a stir-fried udon. This was a cut above and a really tasty dish. They seemed to do a pretty decent lunch business as well.