Shanghai 1 - Philadelphia

Home away from home!!! We had one of the better meals since we stayed in Philly!! All the dishes reminded me so much of Taiwan!!! Definitely a required stop when here!! Trust me

Great beef soup and soup dumplings. The beef was super tender. Server was super nice. Yeah don’t go in expecting your food to come out on a silver platter but the food makes up for the lack of dinnerware and was very reasonably priced.

First time here after always passing it. Felt like eating in a small comfy place and this was a good choice. Food was really tasty and staff were friendlyFood: 5/5

When I learned I would be visiting Philly, I immediately Yelped 'must eats (in the area) was directed to many collections full of Chinatown recommendations. Perfect for my friend 's suggestion she had always wanted to try soup dumplings a few clicks later I found Shanghi-1. Their photos had me drooling. I over ordered in my head immediately, and realized it wouldn 't be a hard reality to achieve at their reasonable prices.Parking a few blocks away, in a paid garage, near the Reading Terminal, we navigated throughout the crowded city streets to the quaint hole in the wall feeling restaurant. Inside was on the smaller side, minimalist décor, eat- -go ambiance- but the staff were very friendly. They answered many questions we had regarding dish ingredients. We settled on: crab pork dumplings: $1 more than the standard pork dumplings- flavor-wise I couldn 't distinguish crab flavoring compared to the basic pork-but overall they were absolutely delicious nonetheless- moist w.just the right amount of soup sauce busting within the bite. Paired really well w. the house hoisin sauce or spicy chili oil. At first I thought they seemed a bit on the small side, but after diving in realized they were so filling the sizes were spot on when pairing w. our other menu items.beef scallion pancakes: stuffed w. shredded beef, onion, peppers- wonderfully flaky not greasy scallion pancake-well-seasoned meat, but the onions peppers had a more raw taste- and I would have preferred them sauteed or charred a bit more- paired really well w. the house hoisin sauce- very hearty (cut into 4 slices we brought some home)dam dam tofu: this is the kind of dish that becomes a craving- then a sad realization I live far away need to immediately look up does a place near me offer a similar dish- the tofu was perfectly cooked- I mean perfect- crispy, well-seasoned batter on the outside, moist melt in my mouth juicy inside- the minced pork had the right amount of salt spice w. fresh green onion flakes- I loved the presentation of the dish- as the middle tower of tofu was smothered w. the minced pork but some pieces along the outer edges were bare crispy tofu pieces-allowing me to enjoy dipping in the house sauces. I believe in all there were 12 hearty pieces of tofu within the dish- between the two of us, they were so hearty we finished 6 took the rest home- they reheated really well in my air fryer, keeping their crispiness flavor profileDefinitely agree w. the 'must eat ' recommendation. If I lived closer, I would love re-visiting again trying new menu options along w. eating all of our order again.

Came during the Flower Show when the whole area near the convention center, Reading Terminal, and Chinatown was packed with crowds. A friend and I sought out Shang Hai 1 based on the menu and photos on Yelp. We were pleasantly surprised that it wasn't busy at all. Inside is modest with plenty of seating and very attentive staff. It's not overly decorated or warm inside, but the food was great. Ordered soup dumplings, beef scallion pancakes, and fried tofu. All of it was delicious! The staff answered all of our questions and the food came out very quickly. The two block walk from Reading Terminal is 100% worth to beat the crowds and have a really great lunch.