Location location....Shanghai 456

Wow this place is sketchy! The location is horrible and there is no real sign with the restaurant's name outside. But don't let the looks fool you! My family and I had to drive around a couple of times before spotting a small sign peaking out the window. This is restaurant was the old cafeteria of the Edmonton City Airport. Everything in the restaurant is outdated, and nothing was changed. Open kitchen with a few old tables and chairs to go with it. Upon walking in, it is easy to make quick judgments. But surprisingly the food was good. With 2 waitresses and 1 chef, service is super slow and you can tell by the number of tables that have yet to be dealt with and taken care of.. We decided to order small eats such as, hot and sour soup, xiao long bao (dragon buns), dumplings, bbq duck and a sticky rice roll.

The hot and sour soup was really good. Filled with ingredients and flavor, this is definitely one of the better hot and sour soup I have tasted. The soup was thick, spicy and everything came together nicely.

Dumplings were next, and the beef filling is amazing. My only complaint is the dough being a little too thick but other than that it was really tasty. The dumplings were crispy on the outside, yet tender when you bite through the center. The beef filling was well marinated and had a "soupy" filling as well to go along with it, similar to what you get in the xiao long bao.

The bbq duck was surprisingly good as well! Wow, the perfect crispiness on the outside skin, yet tender, flavorful meat underneath. It wasn't extremely salty either unlike other bbq meat places in Edmonton. It came with some random plain buns, but none of us had much interest in it. Even to this day, I am amazed and how well the duck came out... And I am not a big duck person.

The sticky rice roll followed quickly, and there isn't much to say about it. It wasn't bad, but nothing spectacular either. Filled with meat, mushrooms, dried pork. The rice was also a tad dry and hard, making it difficult to chew.

Last but not least, the xiao long bao! When you go to a shanghai restaurant, it is so common for people to order these. It is a must have appetizer! We wanted to try something different since we always go for the pork filled ones. This time we ordered the crab filled dumplings instead. And bad choice...something about crab meat and dumplings does not mix very well. The fishy/seafood taste ruined the soup broth within and the combination was not a hit among us all. Stick with the regular ones! But the dumpling was very well made, thin skin and loaded with filling!

Even though the location & appearance of the restaurant is a little bit daunting, it does not do the food justice! The food is really well made and is the best Shanghainese restaurant there is in Edmonton.