Season Mansion 四季和府

Discounted dim sum at the Hilton Shanghai City

My ancestry is Cantonese and even growing up in London, we often went for Yum Cha (dim sum) in Chinatown, so I consider myself somewhat of an expert when it comes to Cantonese dim sum. We usually have to travel to go for decent dim sum, by which I mean at least a short taxi ride to Jade Garden at IAPM or the excellent but slightly more expensive Imperial Treasure by The Bund. So we were excited to hear that the Hilton City Hotel that opened just across the road from us offered dim sum 'afternoon tea' from 1:30pm with all dishes 50% off! (All prices quoted here are the original prices before the discount.)

The selection is not huge, but there's certainly enough to enjoy a Sunday family lunch for 3. The restaurant is located on the 3rd floor which also houses a Japanese Robatayki restaurant. It's not a huge space, but it's clean and modern, with dark wood-panelled walls, wooden flooring and wood and leather seats. If I had to be ultra critical, I would say perhaps the lack of carpet resulted in a slightly cool ambience.

The half price offer is definitely a great deal, but I would have to say the original prices are not cheap, so the discount might not be as attractive as you might think. I'd say it is still worth visiting.

The quality of the dim sum dishes was certainly above average. I especially liked the steamed Chicken Feet in Golden Sauce (52 RMB) and the Deep Fried Tofu Skin Roll with Shrimp (42 RMB), but I have to say, every dish was great.

So were there any negatives? Well, the big one for me may not seem like a big deal, but for me to properly enjoy dim sum, I need to have some good chilli sauce and this is where they let themselves down. In places like the aforementioned Jade Garden and Imperial Treasure, they have great chilli sauce. Here, sadly, they had what I imagine is what might accompany Shanghai cuisine, but it just wasn't right for Cantonese dim sum. After the disappointing request for chilli sauce, we tried asking for chilli oil, thinking perhaps that would get something we could use, but unfortunately, we just got some red coloured oil that wasn't anything like what we were hoping for. It's a small detail, but details matter and I hope they can address this small fault quickly.

The 50% off deal is certainly appealing, but it is worth noting that their original prices are quite high, even when compared to Imperial Treasure, which I consider the best dim sum in Shanghai (they've been awarded a Michelin star) and is located close to The Bund where rents are far higher. A few examples would be the steamed chicken feet, which are just 40 RMB at Imperial Treasure compared to 52 RMB here. Also the Siu Mai which is just 48 RMB at Imperial Treasure for 4 pieces, but 52 RMB here for 3!

I'll be back for an evening meal soon because I heard they do a decent Beijing Roast Duck and of course, they also have regular, non-Dim Sum dishes that need to be sampled.

Address:
Hilton Shanghai City Center, 3rd Floor, 488 Yan'An Road West, Changning District
上海城中希尔顿酒店延安西路488号三楼

Telephone: (021) 6222 6858