Finding a professionally run Chinese restaurant in the U.S. that specializes in a specific regional cuisine is a challenge. Finding one that also innovates is even rarer. We were therefore delighted to discover that Shanghai Dynasty, located in a forsaken shopping mall in the suburbs of Dallas, achieves all of this and more.
True to its name, the restaurant specializes in the famed cuisine of Shanghai, but it also offers refreshing innovations. The extensive menu features classic Shanghainese dishes alongside offerings from Hunan and Sichuan. However, those familiar with the fiery nature of those cuisines should note that the dishes here are tempered and not as spicy as one might expect. Where the restaurant truly shines, in our opinion, is its creativity. We particularly recommend exploring the dessert section, which features a wonderful variety of warm desserts that are unfamiliar to the American palate and are a rarity even in Asia.
The restaurant itself is surprisingly elegant and spacious, with many private dining rooms available for those seeking a more intimate setting. Service is conducted primarily in Shanghainese, a testament to its authenticity, though the staff also speaks some Mandarin and English to assist other guests.
Shanghai Dynasty is a remarkable find—a restaurant that honors a specific regional cuisine while also daring to innovate. It stands out in a category where professionalism and authenticity are often hard to come by.
As ordinary consumers, we are not paid or compensated in any way for this review. We were genuinely impressed and felt compelled to share this exceptional experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Brandon Chang
Food is good and staff are very friendly
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
S. Wong
We tried this place for the very first time and didn’t have much expectation but ended up with a very pleasant surprise! Food was very delicious and service was great. Pricing is quite reasonable. Overall a very nice experience. Will definitely go back to try other dishes on their menu 😊
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jay J.
Since our move to DFW a year ago, this is the first time we ate in “ Shanghai Dynasty”…one of the best amongst the 20 to 30 Chinese restaurants we have tried in DFW area. We ordered three-dish lunch special choosing stir fry squid, spicy fish with tofu, and honey walnut shrimp. Our following ratings are six outstanding and one “needs improvement”: 1. The ingredients of all three dishes were very fresh and cooked with excellent wok hei (the “breath of the wok”) . 2. Their free soup included in the 3-dish lunch special was good. It had lots of ingredients served in a big bowl. We’ve not seen a free soup with this quality in other Chinese restaurants. 3. We were a pleasantly surprised by the serving size of all the dishes. Shanghai style dishes are known for its good quality but with smaller serving size. At first, we thought we might need to order a fourth dish. As it turned out, the three dishes were more than enough for us. 4. The price of $36.99 for three dishes is very reasonable. It is hard to find this deal with free rice and soup anywhere else. 5. Their service is good. The waiter always came to check if our tea pot was full. The owner also stopped by to make sure that we were happy with the meal. 6. The restaurant is very clean.
There is one dish we would like to see improvement in the future: 1. We chose “honey walnut shrimp”(HWS) because we read other customers comments and saw photos they posted two month ago. Per comparative photos attached below, our “Honey Walnut Shrimp” looked totally different. Although the shrimps tasted very fresh, the heavily battered shrimp was dunked in “much too thick mayonnaise” sauce. Raw unsalted pecans, not honey glazed walnuts, were given on side as chef forgot to blend them in the sauce before plating the HWS to be served. Disappointedly, this dish is not always consistent. 2. HWS was served with longer wait time than we expected. The waiter waived our tea charge. Although $4 is not a big deal, his initiative indicates restaurant stayed true to their core value of caring about customer’s experience. We also commend the solo smiling waiter on “going above and beyond” and took time to refill our cups with tea, being particularly stressed from serving multiple tables at the same time. It is refreshing to find a Chinese restaurant with the “right attitude”.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Chegwe rgfdfbd (FooTon)
This place is amazing! The food content is top-tier and absolutely worth your time. Don’t skip out on it, it's a true hidden gem!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Mitsu Kubo
We all loved what we got: Stir fry chicken Crispy noodle Orange chicken Shrimp fried rice Orange beef
Super friendly staff and very clean. Definitely will be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
philip elliott
We had a large group of people eat lunch and the food was great, as well as the service. We all had a great time and will be going back there soon. I highly recommend Shanghai Dynasty to everyone!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Joseph Skotnik
Really great food and portion sizes. We had a big group and they were extremely accommodating with us. All the entrees were amazing with the pork belly being my personal favorite.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Zshotty1590
Great food, prices and atmosphere. Highly recommend!
Great food & service. Would definitely eat here again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Drey Taylor
I tried at least 6 different dishes here, and each was delicious. It is a great spot to have lunch with friends.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Patrick Chung
Shanghai Dynasty offers a compelling and authentic Shanghainese dining experience. It is a solid choice for those craving a true taste of Shanghai in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ricky Lai
I was in the area and stopped by for lunch. Service was amazing and the whole staff were extra friendly! The food was immaculate and cooked by their own staff. It gives great home cooking vibes!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Wilson Yuen
This place deserves a higher rating, I stopped by Shanghai Dynasty in Plano and they have a lunch special. 3 dishes for $36.99. 35 items to choose from meat to seafood! After 20 mins trying to decide, I went with: 1. Fried chicken w/chili peppers 2. Shanghai sweet & sour pork ribs 3. Honey walnut shrimp
Westlake soup (minced beef w/egg white soup) and steamed rice was complimentary with the combo.
My review: ***Fried chicken w/chili peppers - the blend of fried chicken, chilis and peanuts made this a tasty dish. It wasn’t too spicy but just the right amount of heat. I think if the chicken pieces were a little bigger, it would be easier to eat. 8/10
***Shanghai sweet & sour ribs - Falls off the bone!!! Perfect balance of sweet and sour. The glaze on them was also very good. 9/10
***Honey walnut shrimp - Many restaurants offer this but not all restaurants make it well. The shrimp was well fried, juicy inside and the mayonnaise glaze was fabulous! To top that off the walnuts were candy glazed and sweet. Not the raw ones that other restaurant use. 8/10
As you can see, I barely made a dent and my wife also had some. Definitely enough for 4 and at less than $10/pp, it’s a great deal. Highly recommend.
Their lunch is Tuesday - Sunday 11:30a-3p. Yes, weekends too!
The food is not good.
Finding a professionally run Chinese restaurant in the U.S. that specializes in a specific regional cuisine is a challenge. Finding one that also innovates is even rarer. We were therefore delighted to discover that Shanghai Dynasty, located in a forsaken shopping mall in the suburbs of Dallas, achieves all of this and more.
True to its name, the restaurant specializes in the famed cuisine of Shanghai, but it also offers refreshing innovations. The extensive menu features classic Shanghainese dishes alongside offerings from Hunan and Sichuan. However, those familiar with the fiery nature of those cuisines should note that the dishes here are tempered and not as spicy as one might expect. Where the restaurant truly shines, in our opinion, is its creativity. We particularly recommend exploring the dessert section, which features a wonderful variety of warm desserts that are unfamiliar to the American palate and are a rarity even in Asia.
The restaurant itself is surprisingly elegant and spacious, with many private dining rooms available for those seeking a more intimate setting. Service is conducted primarily in Shanghainese, a testament to its authenticity, though the staff also speaks some Mandarin and English to assist other guests.
Shanghai Dynasty is a remarkable find—a restaurant that honors a specific regional cuisine while also daring to innovate. It stands out in a category where professionalism and authenticity are often hard to come by.
As ordinary consumers, we are not paid or compensated in any way for this review. We were genuinely impressed and felt compelled to share this exceptional experience.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food is good and staff are very friendly
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We tried this place for the very first time and didn’t have much expectation but ended up with a very pleasant surprise! Food was very delicious and service was great. Pricing is quite reasonable. Overall a very nice experience. Will definitely go back to try other dishes on their menu 😊
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Since our move to DFW a year ago, this is the first time we ate in “ Shanghai Dynasty”…one of the best amongst the 20 to 30 Chinese restaurants we have tried in DFW area. We ordered three-dish lunch special choosing stir fry squid, spicy fish with tofu, and honey walnut shrimp. Our following ratings are six outstanding and one “needs improvement”:
1. The ingredients of all three dishes were very fresh and cooked with excellent wok hei (the “breath of the wok”) .
2. Their free soup included in the 3-dish lunch special was good. It had lots of ingredients served in a big bowl. We’ve not seen a free soup with this quality in other Chinese restaurants.
3. We were a pleasantly surprised by the serving size of all the dishes. Shanghai style dishes are known for its good quality but with smaller serving size. At first, we thought we might need to order a fourth dish. As it turned out, the three dishes were more than enough for us.
4. The price of $36.99 for three dishes is very reasonable. It is hard to find this deal with free rice and soup anywhere else.
5. Their service is good. The waiter always came to check if our tea pot was full. The owner also stopped by to make sure that we were happy with the meal.
6. The restaurant is very clean.
There is one dish we would like to see improvement in the future:
1. We chose “honey walnut shrimp”(HWS) because we read other customers comments and saw photos they posted two month ago. Per comparative photos attached below, our “Honey Walnut Shrimp” looked totally different. Although the shrimps tasted very fresh, the heavily battered shrimp was dunked in “much too thick mayonnaise” sauce. Raw unsalted pecans, not honey glazed walnuts, were given on side as chef forgot to blend them in the sauce before plating the HWS to be served. Disappointedly, this dish is not always consistent.
2. HWS was served with longer wait time than we expected. The waiter waived our tea charge. Although $4 is not a big deal, his initiative indicates restaurant stayed true to their core value of caring about customer’s experience. We also commend the solo smiling waiter on “going above and beyond” and took time to refill our cups with tea, being particularly stressed from serving multiple tables at the same time.
It is refreshing to find a Chinese restaurant with the “right attitude”.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This place is amazing! The food content is top-tier and absolutely worth your time. Don’t skip out on it, it's a true hidden gem!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We all loved what we got:
Stir fry chicken
Crispy noodle
Orange chicken
Shrimp fried rice
Orange beef
Super friendly staff and very clean. Definitely will be back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We had a large group of people eat lunch and the food was great, as well as the service. We all had a great time and will be going back there soon. I highly recommend Shanghai Dynasty to everyone!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Really great food and portion sizes. We had a big group and they were extremely accommodating with us. All the entrees were amazing with the pork belly being my personal favorite.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great food, prices and atmosphere. Highly recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Great food & service. Would definitely eat here again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I tried at least 6 different dishes here, and each was delicious. It is a great spot to have lunch with friends.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Shanghai Dynasty offers a compelling and authentic Shanghainese dining experience. It is a solid choice for those craving a true taste of Shanghai in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I was in the area and stopped by for lunch. Service was amazing and the whole staff were extra friendly! The food was immaculate and cooked by their own staff. It gives great home cooking vibes!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This place deserves a higher rating, I stopped by Shanghai Dynasty in Plano and they have a lunch special. 3 dishes for $36.99. 35 items to choose from meat to seafood! After 20 mins trying to decide, I went with:
1. Fried chicken w/chili peppers
2. Shanghai sweet & sour pork ribs
3. Honey walnut shrimp
Westlake soup (minced beef w/egg white soup) and steamed rice was complimentary with the combo.
My review:
***Fried chicken w/chili peppers - the blend of fried chicken, chilis and peanuts made this a tasty dish. It wasn’t too spicy but just the right amount of heat. I think if the chicken pieces were a little bigger, it would be easier to eat. 8/10
***Shanghai sweet & sour ribs -
Falls off the bone!!! Perfect balance of sweet and sour. The glaze on them was also very good. 9/10
***Honey walnut shrimp -
Many restaurants offer this but not all restaurants make it well. The shrimp was well fried, juicy inside and the mayonnaise glaze was fabulous! To top that off the walnuts were candy glazed and sweet. Not the raw ones that other restaurant use. 8/10
As you can see, I barely made a dent and my wife also had some. Definitely enough for 4 and at less than $10/pp, it’s a great deal. Highly recommend.
Their lunch is Tuesday - Sunday 11:30a-3p. Yes, weekends too!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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