Shanghai Restaurant Review: Kwei Mun Lung

By Tongfei Zhang, November 9, 2015

The place

Since most of us rarely have the chance to dine on a boat, Kwei Mun Lung offers an offbeat experience, boasting three real boats for diners to eat on. The third location of a popular Hangzhou chain, this branch is inspired by anecdotes of Southern Song Dynasty emperors treating their ministers to elegant gatherings aboard dragon boats on West Lake.

The food

Located in slightly less elegant surroundings – MTR City Plaza to be precise – the menu here is dominated by seafood. Marinated hairy crab steamed with eggs (RMB76 for two) sees two hairy crabs cut in half and stood on top of steamed eggs, enabling the crab juice to fuse with the egg while steaming.

Hairy Crab Kwei Mun Lung Shanghai

'Spicy canal lobsters’ (RMB88), otherwise known as crayfish, resembled a crowd of mini crustaceans swimming in a bowl of overflowing dry ice smoke.

Spicy Canal Lobsters Kwei Mun Lung Shanghai

Dried fish pot (RMB48) – a typical countryside dish with a mix of dried wild fish, tofu, meat bones and bamboo shoots – is a nice attempt but we weren’t impressed with the dried fish, apparently sourced from the Zhejiang countryside.

Other dishes include sweet and soft Chinese yam in osmanthus sauce (RMB18), surprisingly tasty cumin spinach (RMB16), girls’ favorite salad in a cone (RMB7) and their most popular dish, traditional rice wine-marinated pork, roasted in straw for a rich and earthy flavor (RMB38).
Food verdict: 2/3

The vibe

It’s not just the interiors adhering to Kwei Mun Lung’s theme – staff also get in character with various period costumes, including a live zither player. Despite being busy, wait staff seem to be holding up pretty well, and provide efficient service. Expect to wait for a table, however, and make sure to get a ticket early.
Vibe verdict: 0.5/1

Value for money

As with many popular restaurants, prices here are very affordable, and especially so if you’re in a group of four plus. To dine in the ‘boat’ booths (each seats four) you’re required to order one set menu (RMB598/ five dishes), but of course, you can always add more if you want!
Value for money: 1/1