M Shanghai Bistro & Garden
“I came here just to rave about the xiao long bao ("juicy steamed pork dumplings" on their menu).”
“the communal seating actually works for me here, as the atmosphere is very intimate and laid back.”
“oh and the bok choy is awesome too.”
M Shanghai Bistro & Garden
Takes Reservations: Yes
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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Not too bad for the area. I like the vibe here. Seems like a good place for a casual meal or even to sit at the bar. We came mainly for the soup dumplings, which I was told were the best by friend. Unfortunately I didn't agree. I found the dough to be too thick, and the pork seemed overcooked and not tender. I also got some gnarly pieces mixed in there. The veg we got and the fried rice were pretty good though. I much prefer Joe's Ginger (Chinatown) or Kings County Imperial (Brooklyn) for Chinese and soup dumplings, but this seems like a good neighborhood spot with your standard no frills Chinese food.
First of all- the sticky rice shumai *needs* to be removed from the vegan menu. It contains pork. While dining at the bar (because of the awkward-for-couples communal seating arrangement) we asked for the vegan menu as it is available online. The bartender explained there isn't a vegan menu in house but just to holler if we had any questions. We ordered four or five vegetarian dim sum plates including sticky rice shumai and he informed us it contains pork! Yeesh… I've eaten that dish several times since giving up meat. Not very happy about that.
But the good is that I really love this place. I love how vegetarian friendly it is and everything I've had has been delicious.
This place was hyped up very much so maybe I was expecting too much? We got an order of the standard pork soup dumplings as well as the vegetable dumplings. We ended with the cold peanut butter noodles. For the pork soup dumplings, it was pretty good, but nothing special and I felt that the skin of the dumpling was way too thick, like that of a normal Chinese pot-sticker, and not that of a soup dumpling. They're supposed to be very different. The meat inside was also pretty coarsely ground, although the meaty soup was decent. The veggie dumpling was quite good, and was my favorite part of the meal. Well made. Lastly, the peanut butter noodles I cannot recommend. I've had peanut butter noodles that my mom used to make and they were a million times better with some chunkiness to the peanut butter. The ones here were basically over-boiled flat egg noodles with watery peanut butter and sugar. Not a fan.
If you don't like soup dumplings, I don't think we can be friends.
There's absolutely no better late night snack for when you've been drinking and want to burn the entire inside of your mouth.
The decor of the place is cool, very modern. It's also surprisingly spacious.
Between four of us, we ordered two orders of the pork buns, and one of the "Shanghai style" lo mein. The lo mein was actually better than I thought it'd be. Not a big portion, but enough for everyone to get a taste. The buns were hefty, the skin was thick but not overly so, and the pork inside was a sizeable ball. Basically what you want in a pork bun. Wasn't the absolute best, but it got the job done.
Also, a tip for all of you – if you're scouring the menu looking for "soup dumplings", it's #6. They're called "steamed juicy pork buns" for some reason.
Speaking of, after we ate what we ordered, we just had to order another batch of them because they were so good. So if you're keeping count, we had 18 between 4 people.
Probably should've ordered more.
Whenever my boyfriend or sister are in town they want to come here. The Juicy Pork Buns are what everyone dreams about. The hot and sour soup is AMAZING. I get the chicken broccoli alot, its not a typical chicken and broccoli dish bc the broccoli is more like broccolini but i really like that. Anything we have ever ordered here, we are happy with. The bartender is friendly, the service is quick, and we have just began ordering in from here and that has been great too. I am always shocked at the bill, because it is so cheap! I usually drink tea here and I get a big pot for $4. If you start drinking cocktails and beers it will add a pretty penny to your check, but every once in awhile you gotta treat yo self!
Sidenote: We recently tried "M Bistro" which we assume is owned by the same owner in Greenpoint and were very disappointed… I will always come to this original location.
This place was ok. Came here with a large group around 20 and we got to sit in the back.
Now I might be biased, being Asian and all, but this place was WAAY overpriced and the food was just fine. I mean if I'm itching for soup dumplings, I'd head to Joe's Shanghai in Chinatown for the best ever soup dumplings – AND they're CHEAPER for 8 pieces instead of the 6 you get here for 9 bucks. The noodles, scallion pancakes and other items were all fine, but nothing I need to come back here to get.
So in summary, the food was fine, wait staff was nice and company was fun, but this is not a place I need to come to again and not my choice for good Chinese food.*
*This might be the best one in THIS neighborhood and I don't mean to trash any place so don't be offended if you love it =)
Pretty standard Chinese (although definitely way better than your average neighborhood takeout joint), but their soup dumplings here are outstanding; they're probably the best you'll find on this side of the East River. Super flavorful, piping hot, always intact (even with delivery!), and just the thing for soaking up the last of your hangover.
Their fried dumplings and sticky rice shumai are also delicious, and I love that they have a lot of dim sum options for appetizers.
The only thing you should stay away from here are drinks; although they have a full bar, their mixed drinks are way overpriced, small, and watered down. Stick to beer or slurping the soup out of your dumplings instead.
Really good Shanghainese food if not the best I've ever tasted in my life. They have really tasty soup dumplings/xiao long bao, veggie dumplings, & seafood/shrimp dumplings. I also recommend getting the peking duck or the rice cakes as well. Everything they have to serve or offer here is pretty much a thumbs up for me. Only downside is for the portion is high price which I'm not used to for even premium Chinese cuisine (as others priced higher would get a greater portion).
Other than that service is decent and decor is dark/romantic. Highly recommend.