Xien Yue Hien (Shen Yue Xuan)
Nestled in the sprawling Dingxiang Huayuan, a residence and garden built by the Qing Dynasty military commander Li Hongzhang for his eponymous concubine Ding Xiang, this two-story restaurant-in-a-mansion is often cited as one of the city's best bets for a dim sum brunch primarily because of its lovely garden setting. It certainly isn't because of the inattentive and apathetic service (which makes the 10% service charge all the more egregious). The usual dim sum suspects are all here, with notables being the steamed shrimp dumplings, the barbecue pork cake, the parsley ravioli, and the preserved egg and pork congee. For dinner, there's plenty of fresh seafood, including steamed bean curd with shrimps and silverfish, and fat green crab with mashed garlic and ginger sauce. When you make your reservation, ask for a table by the window.
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| Cuisine | CANTONESE, DIM SUM | |
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| Hours | Mon-Fri 11am-midnight; Sat-Sun 7am-midnight | |
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| Address | Huashan Lu 849 | |
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| Location | Inside Dingxiang Huayuan between Wukang Lu and Fuxing Xi Lu, Xuhui District (Southwest Shanghai) | |
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| Transportation | No Metro | |
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| Reservations | Reservations highly recommended | |
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| Phone | 021/6251-1166 | |
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| Prices | Meal for 2 ¥100-¥250 ($13-$31); subject to 10% service charge | |
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| Credit Cards | AE, DC, MC, V | |