New & Noted: Restaurant Reviews

Chinese Corner: Cha’s 2

What: The second edition of Shanghai’s favourite Hong Kong-style diner

Where: Novel Place, BF, 131 Tianyaoqiao Lu, near Xingeng Lu. Tel: 3461 5618

Why: It’s just as good as the first – and twice as big

When the first Cha’s opened two years ago, it was an overnight success. Diners hungry for a perplexing and delicious meal of curries, sandwiches and Ovaltine started lining up outside the French Concession location. Now the second outlet has opened, with its vintage signs and original menu in tow.

About twice as big as the Sinan Lu branch, Cha’s 2 seems to be a little more cafeteria and a little less diner than the original. Round tables with plastic chairs dominate the dining area, although there’s a sparingly used upstairs section with a handful of booths. Little of the charm is lost by this change, and the increased capacity brings a welcomed shorter wait time. We were seated in less than five minutes for a Sunday night dinner – a peak time for the Sinan restaurant that usually results in a wait upwards of half an hour.

As for the menu, not an item has changed. Most tables are populated by the tried-and-true dishes: curry with beef tendon and brisket (RMB 40), poached chicken in soya sauce (RMB 28 for a standard portion, RMB 50 for half a bird), deep fried chicken wings (RMB 20) and prawns with egg (RMB 38). One of the restaurant’s signatures is their instant noodles, and while there are scores of topping options, you can’t go wrong with fried version topped with BBQ pork (RMB 32). Really, the hardest part of any dinner at Cha’s is deciding what to order. Go for a few classics, and throw in something new every trip. You never know what edible treasures you’ll find.