Earlier this week I dined at the decadent Shanghai Blues found in a part of the Old Town Hall on High Holborn. It’s very close to my office and I’ve walked past it many many times and since the prices are significantly more expensive than many other Chinese restaurants I’ve never really had a good reason to eat there. Since my month of vegetarianess (is that even a word), I noticed that they offered an impressive range of vegetarian dishes, at least in comparison to your typical Chinese restaurant. Admittedly their normal menu looks superb as well. One unfortunate thing for me though was a special for the month of January where all of their four varieties of Lobster Noodle, typically £40 only cost £25. I was extremely tempted to turn pescatarian just to have them.

The inside of the restaurant is intentionally dark, adding to the atmosphere created by the black lacquered tables and chairs. Everything is very well presented and the menu is presented with both a bowl of nuts and a bowl of kim chee to nibble on as you decide. The offerings are wide and tempting although my task was made much easier with only a page to choose from instead of the overwhelming different ways in which all the meats are served.

Ordering tea is quite the experience as well, with each pot served in “one person” sized pots. A tea trolley is wheeled to your table, with the tea pot and the tea cup cleansed in front of your eyes with boiling water before being filled with the fresh tea leaves (presented to you first, strangely like a newly opened bottle of wine). The tea was nice and fresh and at least for such a small pot of tea, the waiters work constantly to ensure it is filled up during the meal.

Details: Shanghai Blues
Found on: 193-197 High Holborn, WC1V 7BD
Contactable on: +1 20 7404 1668
Highlights: Distinctly different dishes, a wide variety of offerings in a much more upmarket and stylish restaurant. Service is extremely attentive without being the excessively in your face. They also host jazz on certain nights of the week.
Room for improvement:Expect to pay a little bit more than your average Chinese restaurant.
The Kua Rating: 7.5 out of 10