I am not an expert in Shanghai Dim Sum but by the looks of the long lineup each time I venture here, this place must be good.
The décor is cool in the sense that you can see the chefs making the dumplings through a window. Also, the place is slightly more upscale than your typical Chinese restaurant due to the nice washroom and table setting.
I also found the service great! The manager came to explain to us what each dish was about and took the time to help us select a set that will please our taste buds and yet, allow us to experience Shanghai Dim Sum at its best. I have had this sort of cuisine only once before in Hong Kong while on vacation.
We ended up with scallop soup dumpling / chives dumpling / wonton with XO sauce dumpling / beef noodle soup / red bean pancake.
I LOVED the beef noodle soup (hello minced salted vegetable!) as the broth was just perfectly spiced! The beef was so tender and the noodles were chewy (yet soft). My second favorite dish was the chives dumpling followed closely by the scallop soup dumpling. I have to say that the wrap is AWESOME - not starchy but yet doesn't break apart. The wonton was ok but I didn't think the seasoning was as good as the other two (I could have eaten the others just by itself due to the excellent flavor of the stuffing). I guess I should have figured that out considering XO sauce was a component of the dish. As for the red bean pancake, I didn't like it (hence, no picture). I would get the puffy red bean ball next time.