Perhaps the best way to describe Xiao
Shaoxing is utterly chaotic. This restaurant,
the name of which literally means ‘little
Shaoxing’, has been present in our city
since the 1940s, when founder Mr Zhang
arrived in Shanghai from the eponymous
Zhejiang city, birthplace of Lu Xun. At first,
Zhang etched out a living for himself selling
snacks, but as time went on, his tender
boiled chicken grew in popularity and it is
now the restaurant’s signature dish.
To the uninitiated, things can seem
confusing here. Heavy wooden chairs
clatter and bang as they are moved about
the stark dining room. Waiters push carts
piled high with dishes and chicken bones
get scattered about on the tables. Given
how busy this place gets at meal times,
you might have to hover next to a table
and wait to sit down, or share a table with
other diners. But it’s an authentic type of
no-frills Shanghai dining and this raucous
environment is home to some of the best
tender-boiled chicken in the city.
When you get to Xiao Shaoxing, you’ll
need to order at the counter in the middle
(it might be useful to have the Chinese dish
names handy). Then take your receipt to
the counter on the left, grab a plastic tray
and you’ll be unceremoniously handed your
chicken. If you’ve ordered anything other
than the chicken, you’ll need to head to the
counter on the right for collection.
If you’re after a more sedate experience, head up to the second floor where you can
sit and order from a menu. Prices are slightly
more expensive (with the chicken priced
from 36RMB for a small, and 60RMB for a
regular-sized platter) however it’s not a bad
option if you’re keen to avoid the bustle on
the ground floor.
On our recent visit, we were joined at our
downstairs table by fellow diners Mrs Qian
and her sister and mother. They’ve been
going to Xiao Shaoxing for almost 30 years,
since Mrs Qian was a little girl.
In the beginning, she tells us, the taste of
the chicken was better. ‘Nowadays we are
spoilt for choice. There are just too many
things for us to try and the quality of life has
risen. But the price here is reasonable; it
hasn’t really increased much.’
As for the atmosphere, Mrs Qian says she prefers the renao environment downstairs.
‘It’s ordinary, like any other restaurant,’ she
says. ‘You can’t compare it with the fancy
places especially when the food is such
good value for money.’
And it’s true, Xiao Shaoxing is a great little
place to chow down on affordable, tasty
Chinese food, not to mention brush up on
your Shanghainese with some locals.
Key dishes
If you’ve managed to navigate a seat
downstairs, the tender boiled chicken (小绍
兴白斩鸡, Xiao Shàoxing báizhanji, 42RMB
for regular size) is a must order. It’s soft and
succulent, and you can see why people get
hooked. One serving is easily enough for
a few diners, especially if ordered with a
soothing – albeit somewhat bland – chicken
congee (鸡粥, jizhou) for a ridiculously
affordable 2RMB per bowl.
Elsewhere on the menu, the spicy chicken
noodles (鸡骨酱面(辣), jigu jiàng miàn [là],
again cheap at only 13RMB), are tasty and
satisfying, but it’s really the chicken that’s
the draw here.
By Victoria Brownlee
