Pick of the Week: Shanghai Taste | Las Vegas Dining and Entertainment News
By Bob Barnes
Food & Loathing
ShangHai Taste opened in 2019 in the Shanghai Plaza in Chinatown and continues to serve elevated, authentic Shanghainese cuisine.
The restaurant, founded by longtime restaurateur and Business Partner Joe Muscaglione and 2023 James Beard Nominee for Best Chef in the Southwest, Chef Jimmy Li, was recently named to the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s top 100 restaurants of 2025. Chef Li’s menu is primarily known for its handcrafted Xiao Long Bao soup dumplings, of which more than 3,000 pieces are made daily and arrive in bamboo baskets with eight to an order. For dining entertainment, you can observe them being formed by an artisan through a window near the restaurant’s entrance, or inside the dining room, and catch an excellent view of other chefs in action, preparing dishes in an open kitchen.
In addition to the traditional Xiao Long Bao, other dishes worth delving into include Sheng Jian Pan Fried Soup Dumplings ($8.95, larger size and thicker dough than the Xiao Long Bao, with pork filling), Shanghai Scallion Pancake ($4.95), Scallion Chicken Salad ($7.95, served cold with a generous portion of the protein), Steamed Vegan Dumplings ($13.95, with tofu, rice noodle, bok choy, and vegetable juice), House Fried Fat Noodles ($15.95, with choice of pork, chicken, beef, shrimp, or mushrooms), and Chocolate Xiao Long Bao ($10.95, with a rich chocolate filling similar to that in a lava cake).
As this eatery offers authentic dishes not typically found in the average Chinese-American restaurant, consider expanding your horizons to try dishes such as Cold Sliced Ox Tongue with Sichuan Sauce ($8.95), Shanghai Duck ($13.95, with sweet fruit sauce), Pickled Mustard Greens & Pork Tenderloin Noodle Soup ($12.95), Boiled Greens with Oyster Sauce ($8.95), and Candied Fruit Skewer ($8.88).
The restaurant is known for its excellent service, which is helped by an efficient ordering system. Each table is provided with a pen and a sheet listing the table number and the full menu, allowing you to select dishes for the table. After giving your server your order, the selections begin arriving within minutes.
ShangHai Taste has earned a national reputation as one of the city’s top authentic Chinese eateries popular with both locals and tourists. Proof of its excellent reputation with visitors is that, during my recent visit, I observed a couple entering, rolling in their suitcases, which is evidence that some tourists make their way to this addictive eatery before heading to their hotel.
In addition to the Chinatown location, there is also one in the Southwest at Windmill and Rainbow, one in Plano (near Dallas), and yet another opening on October 8—ShangHai Delight, a more upscale version in the Parkwest Bicycle Casino in Bell Gardens (in the Los Angeles area).
Be sure to make your way to the Southwest ShangHai Taste, where 16 new dishes have recently been introduced exclusively at this location. They include Garlic Stem Shrimp with Vermicelli, Shanghai Style Beef and Green Onion Stir Fry, Mapo Tofu, Black Pepper Beef, Chili Pork, Shanghai Style Eggplant, Kung Pao Chicken, Shanghai String Beans, and Shanghai Crystal Shrimp.
One of the reasons patrons keep returning must be the reasonable pricing for outstanding quality. The most expensive item on the menu is $15.95, with prices ranging mainly between $6.95 and $11.95. As all dishes are ideal for sharing, one can easily leave with their appetite satisfied without putting a significant dent in their pocketbook.
Both Las Vegas locations are open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. For more info, visit instagram.com/shanghai_taste.
