09/25/17
Canton 8 喜粵, is owned and operated by Chef Jie Ming Jian, was recently awarded as the cheapest two Michelin starred restaurant in the world. Located at 457 Jumen Road, in the south Huangpu District of Shanghai, this restaurant sources local ingredients to create Cantonese masterpiece cuisine dishes such as its lobster congee and braised fish maw in abalone sauce, along with staple dim sum dishes such as crystal prawn dumplings, crab roe pork siu mai, and its roasted duck, pork belly, and char siu. What caught my eye to try was the baked stuffed crab shell. This dish comes in one serving, a perfectly baked crab shell containing a hefty filling of shredded crab meat, milky creamy cheese, Chinese chives, and breading. Even though the filling is substantial, it is not too heavy, as with many other crab cake like dishes you may have tried in Baltimore, Charleston, or New Orleans, places where I've had some of the best crab cake dishes ever. The taste of the filling is slightly sweet, similar to the sweetness level of a crab rangoon. But each bite is filled with succulent blue shelled crab meat, which makes the affair a wonderful treat in itself. . The outside layer has a nice crisp, again with a light batter that is not too heavy. Accompany each bite with a dash of Chinese chili oil, providing a balance of sweet and savory.
I had a few other Cantonese and dim sum dishes along with this meal, all prepared wonderfully with lots of wok chi. Another dish to try if you are here are the Stir Fried Scallops and Prawns with Greens.
Overall, I can't say that this is the best Cantonese Cuisine restaurant I've been to, or that it warrants its two Michelin star rating, as there are many dai pai dong restaurants in Hong Kong that surpasses this restaurant in taste and execution. However, in Shanghai, where high quality Cantonese food is sometimes difficult to find, you can't really go wrong with Canton 8. Furthermore, this restaurant is very affordable, with most dishes coming in between 20 - 100 RMB ($3 - $15 USD), and the Baked Stuffed Crab Shell at a comfortable 78 RMB (~$11.78 USD).
Canton 8 is located on 457 Jumen Road, Huangpu District, Shanghai, and is open Monday - Sunday, 11am - 3pm for Lunch, and 5pm - 10pm for Dinner. Reservation is recommended, as waiting for a 1-2 hours for a table is quite common. Enjoy!