Ren He Guan For Excellent Shanghainese Food & The Best Hong Shao Rou

Ren He Guan (人和馆) is an excellent Chinese restaurant that does Shanghainese classics. It's also a Michelin one-star restaurant, and dinner would only set you back around ¥250 per person.

It's currently my favorite Shanghainese restaurant in Shanghai. And in my opinion, it outpaces Old Jesse by miles in food, and especially in service.

The Space

There are two locations of Ren He Guan, one on Zhaojiabang Lu in Xuhui, opened since 2014, and another that opened end 2021 in Jing'an. The Zhaojiabang Lu is the busier location, the one that holds the star, and the one I go to.

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The restaurant is decked out in nostalgic 1930s fashion with old-timey booths and art deco stained glass panels. There's even a decorative stage in the style of Bailemen, the famed Paramount theatre and entertainment destination.

Food is excellent! Great service, too. The staff are polite, friendly, and patient, and you don't get rushed. The restaurant gets pretty busy and bookings in advance are the only way to go, otherwise be prepared to wait for an unspecified amount of time. More on how to book below, but first, the food.

The Food

Shanghainese food, as you might have heard, tends to lean sweet. I don't have a problem with that, in fact, I quite like it. I also find that there are different levels of sweetness, and I don't perceive it as being forcefully sweet or flat.So if you like Shanghainese cuisine, give this place a try.

Signature dishes at Ren He Guan include hong shao rou (it's out of this world!), crabmeat everything from rice to tofu to sheng jian bao, and Squirrel Mandarin Fish, among others.

Without further ado, here's the food:

Hong Shao Rou (¥27, 红烧肉) – The shining star in my opinion, and the best red-braised pork I’ve ever had.

The hong shao rou is served as individual portions, which is genius, because it's just enough to sate your craving, but not too much that you become hongshao-ed out. Melt-in-your-mouth porky goodness.

Another popular dish to order is the Crabmeat with Rice (¥199/small, ¥397/large, 蟹粉捞饭), another signature. Crabmeat and roe is topped on rice, vinegar added, and is mixed table-side. What I like most about this version is that they let it sit in the pot longer than other restaurants, crisping some bits of the rice and keeping it warm, making the freshness of the crab last longer as opposed to that 'fishy' smell coming in too quickly.

Velvety, creamy roe and flaky crab meat over rice. Yum!

Other dishes to order include kaofu (¥31, 司机烤麸), wheat gluten with black fungus mushrooms in a sweet soy marinade. A light starter, cold dish. Simple and comforting.

Shanghai-Style Smoked Fish (¥49, 本帮熏鱼), a classic Shanghainese cold appetizer. It’s usually carp, first fried then braised with soy sauce, cooking wine, aromatics, and spices. Sweet, savory, and tangy.

Shaoxing sweet plum shrimp (¥87, 花雕话梅虾) – Poached shrimp served in an addictive Shaoxing wine marinade.

And another crab dish, if you're so willing, the Crabmeat over Tofu (¥69, 蟹粉豆腐). Cubes of silken tofu with creamy crab roe and flaked crabmeat.

Guess what? Even more crab! The best part about these Crab Meat Sheng Jian Bao (¥99/three, 蟹肉生煎包), apart from its overall deliciousness, is the crispy crusted bottom with sesame seeds.

Stir-fried seasonal vegetables (¥45) - Tender seasonal veggies flash fried with chicken fat.

The dish to share is the Squirrel Mandarin Fish (¥20.90/50g, 桂鱼). Fish (perch, carp, or similar) that’s checker-cut and fried, puffing the skin and flesh to makes it "look" like a "squirrel". It's drowned in an addictive sweet and sour sauce that pairs with rice.

Deep Fried Shrimp (¥72 , 油爆虾), so crispy you can eat the shells. I love this classic, but it’s not for everyone. Doused in a sweet marinade.

Stone-Pot Tofu (¥45, 石锅手撕蜂巢豆腐) with black fungus mushrooms and salted pork. Comforting and great with rice.

One of my personal favorites, Salted Pork and Bamboo Shoots (¥45, 咸肉笃玉笋), crunchy bamboo shoots in an umami-rich broth with salted pork.

Chenpi Chicken (¥55, 老上海陈皮鸡) - Tangy chicken cooked with dried orange peel. Has a delightfully bouncy texture. Worth trying once, but not in my not five.

Grilled Beef Short Rib (¥287, 碳烤牛肋排) – Another dish that’s worth ordering once, but not necessary. Tastes good, no faults, just not special.

Simple yet satisfying Scallion Noodles (¥23, 葱油面), cooked to a firm bite, and fragrant with scallions. A sharing portion, far from petit.

They also do a “liquor cooked” crab for ¥46 a piece, which I haven’t tried yet. It’s on my to-eat list.

Must order list: hong shao rou #1, crabmeat with rice, crabmeat shengjian, squirrel mandarin fish, salted pork and bamboo, smoked fish, fried shrimp, kaofu.

Tips & How To Book

Highly recommend booking a week ahead. Call or use the booking function on the Dianping app, the latter will confirm via sms.

Most of the seating is for two or four people, six at a squeeze. They only have two private rooms, the only option for groups of 8 or 10 guests.

Here’s a hot tip: Once you have successfully booked, add “renheguan” on WeChat to pre-pay for the pork belly to avoid disappointment should they run out, because they do run out!

And if you love it so much, you can sign up to become a VIP member and get discounts on a ton of dishes.

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Ren He Guan 人和馆
Click here for the Zhaojiabang (flagship) listing.
Click here for the Jing'an venue listing.