Shanghai River

This is good Chinese food. The environment is great and the people are so nice. I thought the prices were a little high. We had fried rice, orange pork and sweet & sour chicken. Food came out fast. I was surprised, for dinner there were no egg rolls included or a cup of soup. That would be a nice addition.

Great Chinese food at a very competitive price. The lunch soup to go was huge! Easily twice what I am used to. The egg roll was a very standard veggie one with nothing to complain or rave about. The sesame chicken was also quite good with nice big pieces of white meat Chicken. Fried rice was pretty standard, but a good accompaniment. If I am looking for some simple Chinese food and in the area, I would stop by again. The only complaint was that the place itself is pretty dated inside. Clean but dark and older feeling. Almost like a smoking room or casino poker room

This place was fantastic! Very nice decor and the staff were super friendly and attentive. The food was hot, plentiful, and in line with the price. I particularly liked the hot and sour soup and the Kung Pao (pictured) was savory. I couldn't figure out why the crowd was so sparse on a Sunday for lunch, but we enjoyed it.

$13 for lunch,service very bad too,no spoon no fork.wont come back again

Lunch or dinner, the place is always ready to deliver. We are regulars, and we like all the different dishes that we’ve tried. The picture is from the last visit, and that right there is the Singapore-Style Noodles (my usual order)

Elegant Restaurant with very reasonable prices 👌....Service was excellent as well our meal 😋.

My husband and I ate here a few months ago. I got so sick right after I ate our meal. I used to love this place. I am not sure if it was the scallops or what but I had extreme stomach discomfort. Then my husband felt it later on in the evening. I will never eat at this place. It was the second time this happened. Never again.

We were in town looking at a car and stumbled upon this place for dinner. Could not have been happier, reviews can be misleading but these were anything but. The food and service were amazing!!! We live in Montgomery and will gladly make the drive back in a heart beat.

Needed some soup, so I ordered my favorite Sizzling Rice Soup. Hit the spot! Also ordered the spicy dumplings, but I forgot they aren't my favorite. They still tasted good though. I just prefer the hot oil style. Best Chinese restaurant in Houston for the American favorite dishes. Service is always fast and friendly.

Easy five star review. We came in after the lunch rush and we're very happy with our meal and service. Food: I went with the Mongolian beef. It was absolutely amazing. Full of flavor and very tasty. Side of fried rice was actually really good. Probably some of the best fried rice I've had in a long time. The egg roll was just as good. as always I tried to my girlfriend's meal and I really enjoyed the cashew chicken. I'll definitely get that next time I come. Both of the dishes were top-notch. Cooked to perfection. When you walk in there it's like stepping into a time capsule. I like the decor. And everything is pretty cool looking. The customer service is really good as well. Everyone that works here is very friendly. Their ships really really good American Chinese style food. Do yourself a favor and stop on in. I really really don't understand the low reviews here because the food was great as well as the customer service. Will definitely be back soon.

Upon entering you feel like you are transported to a different time period. The setting and the service will keep me bringing back over and over again. Last night we had the most fantastic service even though we came in a little after 8pm on a Monday night. It is an ode to classic Chinese American cuisine in all categories. Most favorite to least favorite: General Tso's chicken, shrimp fried rice, hot and sour soup, and the beef lo mein. The reason why I absolutely loved the General Tso's chicken was because it was crispy on the outside and perfectly tender on the inside. The sauce wasn't too salty and the chicken stayed crispy until the very last bite. The shrimp fried rice could have used a little bit more crisp on the rice but otherwise it was cooked to perfection. Hot and sour soup had too much pepper. Not sure if it was the bottom of the barrel or just not mixed enough properly while it was poured into my bowl. Lastly the beef lo mein. The lo mein had a very celery heavy taste, way too much egg and the beef tasted slightly different than what I was expecting. Now mind you, none of the food tasted bad but this is my ranking from most favorite item to the least favorite item. I can't wait to return to Shanghai River and become a regular patron because it is just so cute on the inside!

We had an excellent 7-person family supper this evening. The staff immediately recognized the grandson as their "famous chicken fried rice boy." So that was nice! We enjoyed the following dishes: Pu pu platter to start (good variety, do not hesitate) Won ton soup Mongolian beef Sesame chicken Green beans Pork fried rice, and of course Chicken fried rice Every dish was shared and enjoyed. Atmosphere is quiet and very old school with a dark red theme and comfortable seating. Service was excellent. 多謝

The food wasn't bad but pretty average but extremely overpriced. There are many more options within a mile radius that are better and more appropriately priced. Also, the older waiter was not nice at all.

Good news: Parking is available. Bad news: looks like the local gathering spot for the triads based on Rush Hour movies. Interior is very 70's niche and still hasn't been updated. The carpet is probably older than me and hasn't seen a Dyson in years. If they're going for a retro style, they really would benefit from a little remodel. It just felt a little bit dingy. Came by for lunch service, and the menu is a little bit long, and consists of very Chinese American items from decades past. How can you not love crab puffs (with no crab) and various dishes (in brown sauce lol). The food is very non-authe tic if you are looking for Chinese; it is almost strictly Americanized. Honestly the food isn't bad, but it's definitely very average at best. Nothing was great or overtly bad but if you're going out, it shouldn't be settling for average. The price point is surprisingly high (but not for the area of River Oaks). It's Chinese competition nearby is definitely taking a lot of business away (looking at you Pepper Twins). Glad I tried it, however I probably won't be coming back when looking at the amount of options nearby.

Environment feels dirty. Floor is visually unlevel, the carpet is full of wrinkled up spots, and it seriously needs to be replaced. It's a definite trip hazard. Food is bland & seriously overpriced & waiter is grumpy.

I've driven by Shanghai River countless times before dining in and happy to have finally done so. The restaurant is wonderful and deserving of a five-star rating. The interior space brings back fond memories of a popular restaurant I regularly visited years ago in New York City. More importantly, the quality is incredible and the service is truly amazing. My favorite dish included their Orange Chicken. Five stars for this special place off Westheimer Road.

I went here for the first time ever n ordered one of my favorite Chinese dishes being the Sweet n Sour Chicken. It was very delicious with a really good flaky crust and semi sweet sauce. The chicken pieces were large n very tender. The batter was crispy without being too crunchy or chewy, just right. The sauce was sweet, but not too sweet and not too sour either, just right once again. The chunks of bell peppers and pineapple pieces added more goodness to the dish. The service was great too. This was probably the best sweet n sour chicken I have had ever since Feng Ling on Hillcroft closed some years back. Fu's Garden is great for Chinese dishes, but their sweet n sour chicken sauce was a bit too sour. When I crave that dish, I am coming here and plan to order the House Fried Rice next time from here as well.

Great food and service. I love the Special Wonton soup. So good and excellent delivery service

This little neighborhood spot is tucked away in the corner of a shopping center but has some quite tasty General Tso's & Orange chicken. The spring rolls from this place might even be worth a call home, but be prepared to pay-up as dinner for two will run you in the ball park of $50-60

Love this place...only drawback-can you believe a Chinese restaurant that doesn't give you fortune cookies after a meal?!! Our waitress said the owner had discontinued the fortune cookies...WTF!!! The food here ia great, the ambiance is nice. You can actually have a conversation with your each otheron a normal tone of voice. Service is good. Bring back thr fortune cookies and you'll get 5 stars next time.

Okay I have been a longtime fan Of this spot, and especially the Marvin zindler happy family special!!! My sister ordered dinner tonight and it's still as awesome as it was 10 years ago but I highly recommend dine-in! I used to live/work at the beauty La Maison across street and loved walking here almost every Sunday it was our tradition! The portions are always best for dine in. Was feeling under the weather with a cold but will try to make it by soon. Thx

We have been dining here with extended family for 20+ years and love it. It is American-style Cantonese, located close to the intersection of Kirby and Westheimer, facing Westheimer. The decor hasn't been updated maybe ever, and they are often playing show tunes on the music system, but that's part of the charm lol. Favorite dishes include Szechuan spicy dumplings, which we order every time, mu shu pork, crispy shrimp, and pepper corn cabbage salad. They have a decent wine list, full bar, and lunch specials. The late Houston investigative reporter Marvin Zindler is memorialized everywhere in pictures and on the menu, he was a big fan. I've posted some pictures taken over the years.

Have been coming in for DECADES and even knew the GREAT Mr. Marvin Zindler... that said, had the WORST RUDEST SERVIE EVER and acceptable food this past week. WHAT happened guys. You are a proud RIVER OAKS staple...? "Wen" was our waitress -absolutely terrible. SORRY.

Best shredded pork with garlic sauce I've ever had! The ambiance is upscale yet very comfortable. The service is outstanding. This is my new favorite Chinese restaurant.

Throwback AMERICAN Chinese Food Restaurant. This place is a love letter to early Chinese cuisine/dining from 1980's/90's USA, just check out the decor. Overall I can't bring myself to give Shanghai more than 3 stars. Nothing jumped out at me, while at the same time nothing was overtly bad. This place is clearly a staple of the community and has a place, but for more authentic Chinese food I much prefer Duck & Bao or Pepper Twins.

This place is an institution. If you haven't been. Go. If you haven't been in a while. Go. Keep this place in our neighborhood. Great food. Nice little bar. All of the nostalgia.

Great lunch specials. Took a coworker to here for lunch, we both had chicken lunch specials. They were great and plenty of food for a lunch special. Soup, egg roll, fried rice and entree were delicious.

Phenomenal delivery service. Super fast and accurate. Would definitely recommend to anyone that wants awesome food and expedient service!!

This place has been around for years and has decent American Chinese Food with a full bar. The interior is very dated and it kinda seems like your walking into a funeral home for Marvin Zindler's wake since one of the only photos on the wall is a creepy photo of him with his poodle. The food is pricey for standard Chinese food but after all you are in the heart of the River Oaks. They seem to do more takeout than dine in. There was only one table besides us at 7:30pm. I am sure at some point I may be back but not in a rush.

Friends told my husband about this place, so we decided to stop by. OMG!! Hidden gem. My daughter went to school right up the street, and i never noticed this tucked away place. The ambiance is so very relaxing and soothing. Our waiter, John, was very pleasant and friendly. We'll definitely return again.

Excellent food, great service. Enjoyed the shrimp special. Hot and sour soup was great see

The food is delicious and the serve is amazing. Always look forward to eating here when I drive in to Houston. Pretty sure the bathroom is haunted though...

One of the best take out for Chinese food if you are not looking for spicy food. It is not a Sichuan cuisine. There is clearly these days for a popularity of Sichuan cuisine but there are many other Chinese Cuisines. I recommend their shrimp dishes. There vegetable dishes such as eggplants are very good.

Good food clean and nice staff Came with a large group Nice place to talk Not too loud Very tame

Food was fine. I felt like the edamame had way too much salt and the SPICY GARLIC chicken didn't have any of the flavors which the name indicated. Steve was nice though. Overall not anywhere close to my top choice but for the prices I guess it's decent.

Quite possibly the worst Chinese food I've ever ordered. I selected the Mongolian Beef and a wonton soup. The former - greasy, fatty, veiny low end beef that tasted like a month old grease fryer. Absolutely gross. The latter - tasted like someone made it a year ago. Nothing was fresh. Nothing was good. They couldn't even get the rice right. Clearly this place uses subpar ingredients. I need to go drink a gallon of lemon juice to clean out my stomach now. Eww.

Valentine's Day. It's like Christmas or Black Friday for restaurants. Loads of couples step out for a dinner they might do many other times a year. But singles? I guess we can be ignored on such days. I had been a regular at Shanghai River for YEARS. But I made the mistake of going Valentine's Day at night. Lots of tables, all either 2 or more patrons. I sat for nearly 20 minutes after my drink was brought over. No menu. No order taken. To the business, I say this: the couples and families that visited your place this holiday, this might be the only time you see them. Regulars - single or not - are the ones that keep you in business when it's not a holiday. I had been on another non-holiday night recently. It was busy, but you took care of me. What happened tonight? Stay away from Shanghai River on major holidays, especially if you're single. Unless you have all the time in the world to wait. And, courtesy of Google Translate: 情人节。 这就像餐厅的圣诞节或黑色星期五。 很多夫妇出去吃饭，他们一年可能会做很多次。 但是单身？ 我想我们可以在这样的日子里被忽视。 多年来，我一直是上海河的常客。 但我犯了一个错误，晚上去情人节。 很多桌子，都是2个或更多的顾客。 我的饮料端过来后，我坐了将近 20 分钟。 没有菜单。 没有接单。 对于企业，我要说的是：这个假期到你家拜访的夫妇和家庭，这可能是你唯一一次见到他们。 常客----无论是否单身----都是让你在非假期时继续工作的人。 我最近在另一个非节假日的晚上。 很忙，但你照顾我。 今晚发生了什么？ 在重大节假日远离上海河，尤其是单身人士。 除非你有世界上所有的时间等待。

Stopped in for a quick bite to eat. We had got turned around in looking for another restaurant, and decided to just try this place. We were warmly greeted upon arrival and quickly seated. Our server also promptly approached us to take our drinks and then our food order. We both ordered the spicy garlic shrimp lunch portion, which came with your choice of soup (hot n sour) and eggroll. Here's why the three stars, the spicy chicken was not bad at all; nice large pieces of shrimp, but I had to remove quite a bit of the green bell peppers, which were practically raw. I do honestly hate when Chinese restaurants either "over compensate" by adding a TON of bell peppers & onions vs. the meat, OR when they are not cooked down so it's like biting into an apple. Who wants that while eating shrimp (or chicken, beef, or whatever your choice is)? Plus, the egg rolls were just... meh- no real flavor at all. For me, when I go to Chinese restaurants you have to win me with the entree (usually pepper steak or beef and broccoli), the egg roll and the soup. If EITHER one of these are off, you've missed me. Aside from that, everything was very clean; the tables, the restroom and dining area were all tidy. Our server was definitely attentive, and was quick with refilling our drinks, even asking how the food tasted. He noticed my removal of the peppers and said that next time I could request them not to be added-noted. For the service alone I would give 4 stars, or 3 1/2 in total if possible, but unfortunately I can't.

Pro's: I had low expectations. Was curious to try Americanized Chinese food like I hadn't eaten for many, many years. The place was mostly empty on a weekend night. Con's: It got worse. We got our drinks quickly (they make tea from teabags, not loose leaves), and the busboy refilled the waters occasionally (not often enough). But the waiter didn't come back for an hour to take our orders. I kid you not! Then half our group got the food a half hour later than the rest. One dish never even arrived. Nothing would probably have saved this dated restaurant. There was only one waiter for the entire floor. Ultimately, there were guests seated at about eight tables. A lot of waiting for the all of us. And pity the poor, bedraggled waiter.

Previously rated the food here as acceptable to pleasant, but not wonderful. However, on this visit we selected some "totally unacceptable" dishes. Without doubt, the Sweet & Sour Pork is the single worst dish we have ever been served at a Chinese restaurant in Houston. Absolutely the worst dish we have ever received at Shanghai River. What was this mess?? What we received must surely be some low-end frozen product brought in to increase profits while ignoring any pretense of quality? In each bite there was a TINY piece of tough, gray, totally tasteless pork (I hope), which was COVERED in a THICK, chewy batter that was TOTALLY SOAKED in grease. So disgusting it was abandoned after the first bites. Should have absolutely returned it to the kitchen, but the other dishes were acceptable. As noted by other reviewers, prices here have gone up "significantly" but the food quality & portion size appear to have been reduced. Not a change that will be taken graciously by long-time customers, which may be why there were only 3 other persons in the restaurant during our lunch visit from 1-2:00. Shanghai River owners/managers need to WAKE UP & do a review of the business before losing more customers.

My grandkids wanted Panda Express but I wanted something nice. We enter the restaurant and there was only one table with two people in the entire place. That should have told me to turn around and run. The hostess sat us right away in a small table, there was four of us. We ordered our drinks and started with appetizers, some cups of wonton soup, steamed dumplings, and ribs. The soup tasted watered down and only two dumplings, no meat. The steamed dumplings meat inside tasted kind of funny. Don't know what kind she brought us because she did not ask us for what kind of filling we wanted. Next came our Fried Shrimp, only 9 small pieces for $22 dollars, Shanghi special noodles, bland and tasted reheated, terrible for $19 dollars my grand daughter even said gosh grandma should of went Panda Express, this taste nasty, get this she is only 7 years old. Shrimp Fried Rice was cold it had so many peas it was not even appetizing it was not shrimp fried rice it was pea fried rice, and the Egg Foo Young was so so nothing special for the price. All the food was in very small plates, but very big prices. It was a joke, one of the workers ask me while he was clearing our table if everything was okay, since most of the food was still in the plates. I did tell him that the food was horrible and for the amount that we paid was horrific. $159.00 dollars and leaving hungry. I was very upset, It was very good 10years ago now I know why I did not go back. I will never step in this establishment again NEVER. What a waste of my money and I was very disappointed no wonder it was empty. Just closed you damn doors because this place is a JOKE. Next time I will listen to my grandkids and go to Panda Express.

I have driven by this place for years but finally went for dinner and definitely putting it on my Go To List. There was no wait, nice atmosphere, extremely friendly service, plenty of parking and reasonably priced. The dumplings, Mongolian Beef with vegetables and Curry Chicken were fresh, flavorful & not greasy at all. We enjoyed our meal very much as well as our waiter Joe. Looking forward to exploring more items on the menu. Thank you Shanghai River!

Excellent mothers' day dinner! Food is always fresh and the server treat us like family! We've been here for over 10yrs and love this place!

I'm really picky about my Chinese food... I'm never happy with the local options. Shanghai River is actually quite good. They have big tables that can seat 10 and have a lazy susan in the middle so everyone can share the food. The interior feels VERY old fashioned - heavy wood on the walls and the chairs, dark interior, etc... It definitely caters to the older crowd. Each time we've been there the place has been about 10% full, at least there hasn't been a wait! The food is always good. The fried rice is very good, the sweet and sour pork is delicious, the egg drop soup is good and what you'd expect, and we really haven't found a dish we wouldn't get again. The waitstaff is friendly and always seems a bit frazzled even when the place is basically empty. I don't think I'd bring any small kids here, it's not their scene. Also, baby cries would just bounce off the empty room walls, so this place is really reserved for an older crowd. It's a bit unassuming because it's in a strip mall (next to the Empty Vase) but it's very good! Give it a try!

Went here for lunch on Christmas Day, and it was definitely a 2. When we walked in, we were behind 2 other groups that hadn't been helped. After a few minutes the hostess showed up and the first group was seated. Then the second group proceeded to order, all while we stood watching them. Then, once they were done, a waiter came and needed change, so we got to watch that transaction for a good additional few minutes. At no time did this hostess attempt to address us, mind you, so I was starting to wonder if I had stumbled upon an invisibility cloak. After all of that, my fiancé asked for a table for 2, and she went to go look for one. By the time she returned, she confirmed that we were a table for 2 (for seemingly good reason as by this amount of time it felt as though we could've reasonably conceived and birthed a 3rd person to join us). When we got to our table, we couldn't get in because of the tight quarters and the table next to us getting their food, so we waited for them to be served then FINALLY took our seats. Taking our seats means literally just that, as the table had no napkins or silverware at all, and didn't until we fetched someone mid-way through our meal. We ordered the chicken with broccoli (2), diet chicken with vegetables (2), bbq ribs (2), and hot and sour soup (3). We had to pay an additional charge for brown rice for both dishes, which would've been fine had they given us more than a super measly portion. While it was enough for lunch, it's crazy to be paying extra for such a small amount of rice. My dish, the diet dish, came with sauce on the side of which there were 2 and one was definitely soy sauce, which I only found out once I sampled it. My fiancé's chicken with broccoli didn't come with any brown sauce, which is why we thought the two sauces were for each of us, so I ended up sharing mine (maybe it was his??) with him. (Please note the photos are taken with a portion already scooped out due to poor timing). The ribs were whatever, and they were super interesting to attempt to eat before we had any napkins. Would not recommend that one.. Also, they were so discombobulated that we had non-matching glasses that were later replaced by more normal glasses, and we finished our meal with a fortune cookie with no fortune, which pretty much defines this experience.

I ordered from here through Uber Eats for lunch while I was at work. I ordered 1 thing - vegetable fried rice. It was terrible, I opened the container and the rice literally looked like white rice. There was no seasoning, no flavor and barely any vegetables at all. I haven't tried anything else from here but usually the fried rice is a good indicator if the restaurant is going to be good or not. Would not recommend.

were great loved that they changed the table cloths, also service was great! Thank you guys for lunch we had a great time!! Food was super good

Hate to give away a hidden treasure, but Shanghai River definitely deserves some love. My family are regulars here. Food is always good--it's the spot for holidays!

Very good and clean Chinese restaurant. If you want American Chinese food it's a solid choice. We really enjoyed the black bean chicken we substituted white onions for the broccoli. Sweet & sour pork was super tender and tasty. Will definitely be back.

The food took the cake as the worst Americanized Chinese food In town I have tried in Houston, I have no idea how the Riveroaks crowd could love this place. We ordered Sichuan dumplings and end up throwing away after one bit, the plain dumplings would have been ok but they added the peanut sauce that taste like a stolen receipt from a thai restaurant with missing ingredients. The Marvin zindle mix is atrocious. The only thing edible was the bean curb veggie mix. We will never order from this place again.

We love Shanghai River for takeout and dining in. We will always remember eating a delicious meal there when we had no power after the hurricane, and they kindly let us charge our phones will enjoying cool AC and a warm meal.

Always good food and good service. Never a bad meal or experience. Yum!!!! Yum!!!!! Love their egg drop soup

Awful. I don't know how they can serve worse than Panda Express quality food at twice the price. This place is pretty much slightly gussied-up fake Chinese food for white people. Alarm Bell #1 was that this "Shanghai River Restaurant" has a menu consisting mostly of Hunan inspired dishes. I say "inspired" because the food definitely wasn't actually Hunan food, but it was at least closer to Hunan cuisine than it was to Shanghai cuisine. Alarm Bell #2 was that chopsticks weren't provided and that we had to ask for them. The restaurant is run by Chinese people but they seemed surprised when our group of Chinese people sat down in their restaurant. The portions were tiny as well, I particularly remember a $15 stir-fried shrimp dish that had exactly nine little shrimp on the plate. Alarm Bell #3 was that every dish had a crapload of inedible vegetable garnish on the edge of the plates. When I get Chinese food I want a hearty and tasty meal, not a few pieces of food with two "artfully" arranged pieces of carved turnip.

Lisa: [talking to townsman] Famous for your mud? How's your Chinese food? Vinny Gambini: You just keep asking about Chinese food. You gotta let everybody know you're a tourist? This was Marvin Zindler's favorite restaurant back in the day. That lends it some amount of classy prestige. If nothing else, a helpful assurance that there was no slime in the ice machine, at least back in 1991. However I still played it safe by avoiding the ice machine altogether and just ordered up some bottled Tsingtao. The alcohol will kill all that could possibly ail you. Beer: the solution to (and cause of) all of life's problems. Tsingtao is Chinese. Shanghai is a city in China. I know this because of geogramuphy. Therefore Tsingtao, a Chinese beer, belongs here. Sapporo, Asahi, and Kirin are also on the menu. Sapporo, Asahi, and Kirin are all Japanese. That is almost a severe faux pas in the Eastern world, no? Things got pretty heated between the Chinese and the Japanese in World War II. That would be like me driving a BMW today, or giving a playful nickname like "The Kaiser" to a hooker at the Ramada Inn by the airport. It's still too soon. So you could tell (besides this being in River Oaks) how much it is catering to rich white folk largely ignorant of world history. Most of them probably could not tell you the substantive differences between China and Japan - it's not even the actual malice of the Tea Party's ridiculous xenophobia. More of the ilk on display in the television program King of the Hill where the boys tried to determine the particulars of Kahn Souphanousinphone's native Laos, whether the family was ultimately Chinese or Japanese. Other reviewers have additionally expounded on how this is not an "authentic" Chinese place but for the beer drinkers who explore the world through a pint, you need look no further than the bar to know that this is not authentic. That is okay by me, greasy Americanized-Chinese food is a way of life. Pei Wei, PF Chang's, and even Panda Express all serve their purpose as delicious hangover olde timey elixir remedies to soothe you as you listen to Phish and find your center. If Dr Oz will will hawk any "miracle" he can, he should really get in on the action of letting Americans know how great Chinese food is as a "miracle" for anything and everything. Might as well get in on a little more side action where you can on your next episode of "Check this shit out with some guy named Mehmet" I was here for dinner. Your mileage may vary for lunch and fourthmeal. Dinner at least: the atmosphere has a tinge of romantic night out. The solid wood furniture, the dim lighting, the white tablecloth, the napkin folded decoratively, the dark color scheme on the walls besides the one glamour shot of Marvin, and the light piano music on in the background. It all seems like a set up for a nice and pleasant dinner. This is a place you put pants AND a shirt on to come here because you want to - not because the ball and chain made you. I was searching reviews earlier trying to find what I wanted, shrimp is always good. But eggplant is always wonderful. Sadly no reviews had touched the eggplant yet. So it was my yelp duty to stick a fork in it. The eggplant Szechuan style is sadly, not hot. That chili pepper on the menu is a filthy liar. This is not hot at all. Even if they do prepare it on the white person heat factor scale, this was about a zero point zero. Even the old white lady that complained about the water being too spicy, well she would find this was perf. Notwithstanding the total lack of heat, the eggplant was served up like a boss. Delicious, not overcooked, not too drippy, not drowning in cheap spice ingredients to mask eggplant that is just a bit older than it needed to be. This dish is just as perfect as eggplant can ever be. Prepared with same solemnity that their brother from another mother prepared in the eggplant parmesan at Josephine's when that glorious beast was still in existence down. This eggplant was not too greasy, it was just right. So not-greasy even that it did not soak through a shallow bed of white rice. At Mo Mong that eggplant used to soak straight through like it was on the drippy highway 2 hell. Not Shanghai River. My dining companion ordered something else, decidedly less eggplanty in nature, and seemed to enjoy it just as much. Service was attentive and prompt. A nice waiter. The place was clean. The environment while a bit romantical-like, was still a warm and welcoming one to eat a nice dinner with a friend. It's a cut above the local Pei Wei, because it is not Pei Wei. You don't order at a counter. And they have plenty of alcohols - however their Green Tea Soda cocktail is not really on the menu, their menu is a filthy liar and needs to be updated, because I really wanted to drink that. Instead I had a brief unsatisfying cry and settled on another Tsingtao. For an Americanized-Chinese place in River Oaks this is pretty great for the zip code.

I've read the reviews from the other Asians. They seem harsh but I have to agree with them. This restaurant caters to non-Asians and you can't expect anything otherwise from a place in the River Oaks area that's not exactly teaming with rich Asians. Nice decor although the service is traditionally curt. I've read many times that this was Marvin Zindler's favourite Chinese restaurant. If he's into fake tans and fake hair, it's no surprise he's into fake Chinese food. At least we know it's a clean kitchen. Their lunch specials are more expensive than better tasting alternatives since you are paying for the rent. Only one vegetarian option with respect to the lunch specials so you have to order from the full menu. That option, the stir-fry vegetables, is tasteless and of course is the reason you should order from the full menu..

Ordered takeout from the establishment based on the history of its cleanliness and that the my original Chinese goto had issues with their phones and I didn't want to go pick up the food. The food had a good fresh quality and the flavors are what you expect from the traditional American Chinese staples. The pricing is definitely much more than what you normally would expect to pay. If you've got a hankering for Chinese takeout and don't mind overpaying, then this place will do

Nice decor. Quiet dining. Good food. Reasonable prices. Good service. What more can one ask for.