Sweet Dynasty
B108-109, Hong Kong New World Tower
300 Huaihai Zhong Lu
Xin Tian Di
Shanghai, China
PRICE: ???
RATING: ****
It was the Dragon Boat Festival on Thursday in China. How cool is that name?! Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated on the 5th day of the 5th month. But that’s not May 5th each year – it’s calculated according to the lunar calendar. It is customary on this day to eat Zong Zi dumplings in rememberance of a patriotic and much loved poet that committed suicide, you can read more about it here. Whilst I know nothing about the festival itself, I ADORE zhong zi, so decided to visit Sweet Dynasty, which boasts great dim sum dishes as well as their array of ‘soups’ which are meant to be good for the health and body.
We kicked off with a Lime and aloe vera juice which blew us away. PERFECT for the summer heat, it was tangy yet sweet, and so refreshing with cubes of chilled aloe vera sitting jauntily atop the crushed ice.
The Rice rolls with mince beef and mushrooms was one of the best I’ve had – better than Australia or Singapore. The rice roll skin was silky smooth, amazingly so, and the meat inside was tasty but didn’t overpower the mildness of the rice roll. Drizzle a bit of soy sauce over it and slurp it all up, and you’re in seventh heaven! It was outstanding, will definitely get this next time.
We also got the zhong zi, since it was the Dragon Boat Festival after all. It was MASSIVE and came unwrapped on a plate. Inside the hot glutinous rice was some pork and mung beans. I think there were other ingredients but it was all I could figure out. The rice itself was delicious, dipped in some sugar that they provide in a little bowl. However, I can’t stand mung beans and it was everywhere! We had to dig em all out and could STILL smell/taste them throughout the rice. The pork was also fairly uneventful and pretty tough, so I picked that out too. In the end, I was just eating the glutinous rice – making it not worth the money at all. In fact, my office gave us free little zhong zi’s and those were WAY WAY WAY better than Sweet Dynasty’s.
However, the Crispy skin chicken was, fortunately, a standout dish. It had great reviews online and loads of people were ordering it. It’s not hard to see why – the dish is fantastic! Sublimely tender and juicy meat and crispy thin skin. You dip it in a little plate of seasoned salt and/or soy sauce, and the dish packs a real punch. So tasty, it was divine and we went through half a chicken easily.
Dessert was Red bean and sweet tofu pudding which I really enjoyed as well. Smooth creamy sweet tofu in a sugar syrup, and topped with a scoop of red beans. Delicious! The restaurant is obviously famous for their dim sum dishes.. so I’m keen to go back for yum cha soon 🙂
Sweet Dynasty
Lime and aloe vera juice
Rice rolls with mince beef and mushrooms
Zhong zi
Crispy skin chicken
Red bean and sweet tofu pudding
Inside the restaurant
I desperately want those rice rolls!!!!
I desperately want those rice rolls!!!!
Sweet Dynasty! Yumz! Would this be the same as the one in HKG? Awesome dim sum and desserts..
Can I pack my bags and move to China and stay with you? Then you can feed me every day with all these food 😉 I’ll look after your hamsters for u! I’ll be your hamsters nanny? yeah? good deal?No? =(
Haha and it’ll be super cheap too! I don’t have hamsters though..
That Lime and Aloe Vera juice sounds so good, although the aloe itself throws me off a bit, I don’t like aloe juice on it’s own.
I think i’ve had aloe juice by itself, it was a bit weird.. I like it in chunks though, it really just tastes like plain sweet-ish jelly!
Sweet Dynasty! Yumz! Would this be the same as the one in HKG? Awesome dim sum and desserts..
Can I pack my bags and move to China and stay with you? Then you can feed me every day with all these food 😉 I’ll look after your hamsters for u! I’ll be your hamsters nanny? yeah? good deal?No? =(
Haha and it’ll be super cheap too! I don’t have hamsters though..
i must say that you’re the rare ones who possess such a positive disposition in shanghai and gives them a positive review. so many i know can’t wait to get out of shanghai despite us agreeing that it’s the most liveable city in china. 🙂
I won’t lie and say I find Shanghai total peaches and cream, but I think all cities have good points and bad points.. Shanghai has some things that drive me bonkers, but other things that just make me go “sweeeeet!” 😛
That Lime and Aloe Vera juice sounds so good, although the aloe itself throws me off a bit, I don’t like aloe juice on it’s own.
I think i’ve had aloe juice by itself, it was a bit weird.. I like it in chunks though, it really just tastes like plain sweet-ish jelly!
I’m Cantonese and AUTHENTIC Cantonese dim sum doesn’t get much better than this. Sorry the Zongzi wasn’t up to scratch, it was sort of my recommendation, but I actually like the beans, you can’t have Zongzi without beans! But glad you liked the beef rice rolls which are ALWAYS on my order list. Next time try the stuffed eggplant and the 1000 year egg with pork congee and for dessert the mango and tofu dessert.
Yeah I believe proper zongzi has beans 😛 But i don’t like ’em! I like the el cheapo sort with mostly rice, hahaha..
I was eyeing the congee as i love it, but chris can’t stand it (says it’s like snot…) and vetoed my idea 🙁
Beverly what you do is you give me a call (or Tweet) then you and I share a bowl of congee while Chris can eat his “gweilo” food like spring rolls! Actually it’s mostly water. I think you could manage without my help!
Ooooh loves the look of the yummy red bean with tofu. Makes me crave for some but no idea where to get.
It was the first time I had that dessert, usually I just have the sweet tofu plain, which I love as well!
i must say that you’re the rare ones who possess such a positive disposition in shanghai and gives them a positive review. so many i know can’t wait to get out of shanghai despite us agreeing that it’s the most liveable city in china. 🙂
I won’t lie and say I find Shanghai total peaches and cream, but I think all cities have good points and bad points.. Shanghai has some things that drive me bonkers, but other things that just make me go “sweeeeet!” 😛
I’m Cantonese and AUTHENTIC Cantonese dim sum doesn’t get much better than this. Sorry the Zongzi wasn’t up to scratch, it was sort of my recommendation, but I actually like the beans, you can’t have Zongzi without beans! But glad you liked the beef rice rolls which are ALWAYS on my order list. Next time try the stuffed eggplant and the 1000 year egg with pork congee and for dessert the mango and tofu dessert.
Yeah I believe proper zongzi has beans 😛 But i don’t like ’em! I like the el cheapo sort with mostly rice, hahaha..
I was eyeing the congee as i love it, but chris can’t stand it (says it’s like snot…) and vetoed my idea 🙁
Beverly what you do is you give me a call (or Tweet) then you and I share a bowl of congee while Chris can eat his “gweilo” food like spring rolls! Actually it’s mostly water. I think you could manage without my help!
Ooooh loves the look of the yummy red bean with tofu. Makes me crave for some but no idea where to get.
It was the first time I had that dessert, usually I just have the sweet tofu plain, which I love as well!