Celebrating the rich and diverse flavors of Pan-Asian cuisine, Shang High has grown from a popular food cart at Naveed’s comedy shows to a full-fledged restaurant.
This expansion allows them to offer a wider range of dishes and beverages, including Thai iced tea, Iced Milo, and various curries.
“We couldn’t offer drinks or many curries at the cart, but now we can,” said Founder Farhina Tahrim Hasan.
Food
Our meal at Shang High began with a delightful round of appetizers: naga dumplings, assorted dumplings, chicken and prawn potstickers, dumplings in chilli oil, and chicken lumpia—a Filipino spring roll. The naga dumplings stood out the most, offering a pleasant and consistent heat from the naga chillies without being overly spicy, making them thoroughly enjoyable.
For the main course, we sampled the Hunan chicken, Szechuan fried rice, and Mongolian beef. The Hunan chicken was slightly crunchy with a burst of savoury-spicy flavours from the ginger-garlic sauce. Paired with the fiery allure of the Szechuan fried rice—made with Szechuan peppers, soy sauce, red chillies, ginger, garlic, and chicken—this combination elevated both dishes to new heights, making them irresistible.
The Mongolian beef, often overly spicy in Dhaka, was a pleasant surprise. This version had a well-balanced savoury-spicy nuance, with the savoury notes cutting through the heat, making it momentarily spicy. The beef, prepared with scallions, onions, and garlic simmered in a thick roux, was delectable and paired well with the egg-fried rice.
Next, we tried the Thai chicken basil curry. Although the aroma promised authenticity and the flavors were good, it needed a touch more salt to truly shine. The lack of seasoning slightly dulled the bold taste of the dish.
For dessert, we enjoyed the Japanese cotton cheesecake with vanilla ice cream. The cheesecake was light and airy, with a sponge-like texture. To fully appreciate it, pairing it with vanilla ice cream is essential, making it a fulfilling dessert.
To round off our meal, we had coconut ice cream. The dominant coconut flavor, though somewhat overshadowed by the peanuts, was delightful for those who love coconut.
We washed everything down with an iced Milo, our favorite drink of the meal. This thick, Milo-flavored iced beverage was perfect for summer, with a consistency worth noting.
The price range for a meal at Shang High is Tk 250 to Tk 440, offering excellent value for a flavorful dining experience.
Ambience
Located in Banani, Shanghai has a cozy environment perfect for a casual lunch with friends or family, focused primarily on the variety of dishes. Shang High now offers a comforting indoor setting, preferred for longer meals and suitable for scorching summers in Dhaka.
Challenges
Opening the restaurant just over a month ago, Shanghai has leveraged good word of mouth from their existing stall at Naveed’s comedy club, but their new location has an extensive menu as compared to the previous one, said Hasan.
“The fact that I already had a cart open for a while really helped to draw people to the restaurant faster, but we’ve definitely added a lot more to the menu because some dishes aren't possible to serve in a cart but only at a restaurant,” She added.
The availability of certain imported goods has also been an issue at times, according to Hasan.
“The sauce for Nanban chicken isn't always available, for instance. We have to adjust to that as well,” she also said.
Verdict
You must try their hunan chicken, schezwan fried rice and naga dumplings if you love spicy food. Their Mongolian beef is the next best thing to try on the menu if you want something a little less spicy. Their Japanese cotton cheesecake with vanilla ice cream is delightful and you simply cannot leave the premises without trying their iced Milo.
Considering their location and variety, the price range is rather reasonable in our opinion. So if you haven’t already visited their restaurant, give Shang High a shot.
