Grand Shanghai Restaurant

I ate here with my wife and daughter after they insisted we get Chinese food for dinner. We hadn't heard of this restaurant so went in with no prior knowledge, etc. We ordered an appetizer sampler, potstickers, fried rice, beef lo-mein, and sesame chicken - all things we always order when we eat at nearly any Chinese restaurant. \r \r What a disappointment. Everything had the same bland taste. In the appetizer platter there were egg rolls and they were supposed to have pork in them but they were all cabbage, the bbq pork was basically roast pork with awful hoisin sauce on it, and the chicken wings were from a cornish game hen - they were really small. The won-tons were edible but how hard are they to mess up? The potstickers were good and my daughter ate them up, but the sauce they give you isn't sauce like you get at every other Chinese restaurant I have ever been to - it was like a wine sauce - F'ing Awful. We ended up mixing some of that with soy and duck sauce so she had something to dip them in.\r \r For the main food of rice, lomein and sesame chicken, the same bland flavors were throughout. The lo-mein was nearly inedible and was so oily my wife refused to eat it - and she had insisted we order lo-mein. The fried rice was OK, but nothing special and it was bland and tasted like everything else. The real awful thing was the sesame chicken. I have ordered this dish at nearly every Chinese restaurant I eat at and this was the first time I had ever seen it prepared this way. It was basically batter fried pieces of chicken plainly put on the plate with no sauce, and then a sauce of some type poured over it haphazardly and then some sesame seeds sprinkled on. It looked like sweet and sour chicken with sesame seeds shaken on. If Only. The sauce was very bland and it didn't really taste like anything. Absolutely the worst version of this dish I have ever had.\r \r Overall one star seems too much. The service was friendly and fast but there were virtually no customers when we were there. Now I know why. How they could make such awful food when they aren't busy is beyond me. Never again. Never again. more

Best cream cheese won ton in town!!!! more

My daughter and I come here at least once a month for their simple but fresh buffet. The potstickers, green beans and curry dishes never fail to satisfy. The waitstaff are friendly. more

Small Chinese restaruant on Grand St. in St. Paul. Every dish is good, but the Pot Stickers are the best I have ever had. Dim Sum on the weekends is also fantastic. Great food for a very good price. more

We will be back, groupon or not. Good all around service! more

I have been eating here for years, since I was a kid and I absolutely love it. Most of their food is pretty standard and things like Chicken Lo Mein and Beef and Broccoli are good but nothing spectacular. I would like to see more vegetables in their General Tso's Chicken as that's pretty much just chicken and rice; it's tasty though! more

Food was excellent more

The food is delicious! All the staff are so friendly and welcoming. Thank you! more

finally came to Grand Shanghai and was impressed with their unusual menu items, from fried tofu skins to the ""8 treasure rice pudding."" Their specials board suggested a variety of vegetable stir-frys, though I didn't ask about those. The place was bustling and filled mostly with families eager to set their children on the early road to obesity through $6.99 all-you-can-eat buffets. As such, if you're coming to the restaurant alone or with only one other person, be warned that they'll seat you in a high-traffic and busy area with kids running around and people picking up take-out orders.\r \r I had the mock goose (thick mushrooms wrapped in fried tofu skins and cooked in a wine sauce) and the ""tofu skins with Chinese greens."" The mock goose is ostensibly an appetizer though, at $7.25, it's quite expensive and the portion size could easily constitute an entire meal. That said, it was delicious. The tofu skins are semi-crunchy and chewy, amazingly all at once, and the mushrooms were delectable. This was a highly unusual dish with tricky and complex textures. It's also one I've never seen before and I've eaten at hundreds of Chinese restaurants more

Good value, friendly staff, great service and delicious. Thank you! more

great food, friendly service more

Fast service, good food, and helpful waitress. more

Great food and prompt service with a smile. Order the green beans with chicken. more

We had a great meal here. Great prices and quality food. more

Husband and I went looking for true Shanghai food. Ordered the 5-spice sole fillet, and it was amazing. Fillet was cut into strips and battered and fried. It was light and pillowy. You could not tell where the batter ended and the fish started. The seasonings were in the batter. The dish came with strips of pepper, onions and ginger, but no sauce. Did not need sauce. Very flavorful. Pork dumplings (bao) were very tasty! Husband ordered chicken with black beans and chow fun noodles. Also very good, but much more subtle in flavor than black bean dishes at other Chinese restaurants. Prices were appropriate: Sole $15, chicken $10, pork dumplings $7. Would definitely recommend. (Have not tried the buffet.) more

I've been going there with my family for years. Our favorite dishes are peking duck (two ways: Flour tortilla wrapped crispy skin, and stir-fry with green beans, yum!), 5-spice squid, Steamed Pork Bao (best in town!), and I can't remember the name of the last dish, I think it's call Lion's Head with Vegetable. Don't worry, it doesn't involve eating exotic animals. It's actually large pork meatballs simmer with napa cabbage, bamboo shoots, and shiitake mushroom. Very flavorful. Our experience there have always been pleasant. They are quite authentic, but you do have to know what to order more

Have been coming here for over 15 years - consistantly exceptional service and quality of food. more

Authentic chinese food with great service. A neighborhood favorite and beyond! more

My favorite restaurant - we feel like family when we come here. A great neighborhood fixture! more

The people are friendly the atmosphere is inviting the food is outstanding. I have made it my good to try everything on the menu , a most enjoyable meal. more