Michelin one-star restaurant, recommended by locals for authentic Shanghai cuisine (Ben Bang Cai), is well-known for its good business and truly authentic dishes. The environment is clean, bright, comfortable, and the food is served quickly. Currently, there seem to be several branches, and it looks like there is one at Hongqiao Airport now.

The Crab Roe Pan-Fried Buns and the Drunken Crab left a particularly deep impression on me; I would go back just for those. The other dishes are somewhat similar to those in Tainan, leaning towards a sweeter taste, but overall, everything is pretty good and safe to eat.

📍Location: Shanghai, China

Today I came to eat at the Michelin one-star 🌟 restaurant "Ren He Guan," known for its traditional Shanghai cuisine and claimed to be an old brand with authentic Shanghai flavors.

The Zhao Jia Bang location is the main restaurant that earned its star, and it’s necessary to book online a few months in advance to secure a reservation. At the Jing'an Temple location, it’s not as tough, but it’s still very popular. The doors open at 11:00 AM, and I arrived at 11:05 AM, with several tables already seated.

The entire restaurant is styled with a Republic of China theme, and the staff are dressed in period clothing, which adds to the atmosphere. The seating is in private booths, offering a personal touch, and the dining style is set meals served one dish at a time, making it great for gatherings of friends.

Upon being seated, a thick menu is presented to us. We ordered almost all the dishes recommended online, with detailed descriptions in the pictures. First-time visitors unsure of what to order can refer to those.

The most famous dish here is the crab meat rice!
¥199 per serving, suitable for 1-2 people, each person can expect to have about two small bowls. The ingredients blend the delicious essence of the female crab's roe, male crab's paste, and crab meat 🤤 paired with stone pot rice.
For every table that orders this dish, a staff member will assist in mixing the crab essence with the rice and serving it into your bowl. Their technique is quite nimble, and there’s a bit of performance in the process, making you swallow in anticipation while waiting!
Watching the golden crab paste being stirred into the plump rice is truly soothing, and it tastes amazing when you finally dig in! The crab flavor is rich and layered, and the rice is cooked to perfection, each grain distinct. This dish deserves its top recommendation on the menu; if you dine at Ren He Guan, this dish is a must-order!

Other dishes are also quite unique, and overall, I recommend dining here. The ambiance is stylishly decorated. Although I didn’t love every dish, they all have their own characteristics and are well-crafted, with excellent service. If you’re looking to eat something good, consider this place—it’s a reasonably priced Michelin option that can easily earn stars 🌟.

Additionally, a little reminder: if you plan to dine here, it’s crucial to make a reservation. If you don’t, you need to arrive as soon as the restaurant opens. We visited on a weekday around noon, and by the time we finished dining at about 12:30 PM, there were already over twenty groups waiting outside. Time is valuable while traveling, so it’s best not to spend too much time in line!