City favorite for wontons opens again
AN eatery known as one of the best 10 wonton places in Shanghai, run by an 82-year-old, reopened yesterday in Huangpu District after it was shut in 2015 for being unlicensed and disturbing neighbors.
Menghuajie Wonton, now licensed, reopened at the intersection of Zhonghua Road and Guangqi Rd S. With 70 square meters, it seats 18. But yesterday it had a queue 100 meters long. Many of them old patrons.
“The big wontons are very tasty and I have eaten them since I was a kid,” said Zhang Yun, in his 30s.
Zhang said he ate a bowl of Menghuajie wonton almost every day for the past 20-plus years since the eatery opened.
“It is the familiar taste of Shanghainese and a reminds me of when I was a kid,” he said. The eatery reopened under the help of Huangpu District Market Supervision and Management Bureau and online catering service platform Ele.me.
The bureau helped find the new venue. Ele.me covered the cost of decoration and will cover part of the rents of the new restaurant.
Menghuajie Wonton was a 9-square-meter eatery opened by Song Genxing in 1992 on Menghua street.
The eatery was on the first floor of Song’s cramped and dilapidated two-story house in a run-down area of Huangpu with only 24 sqare meters — shared by four people.
It was the only source of income for Song and his three daughters who had been laid off.
The wonton shop became popular after a TV program on revamping old homes refurbished it. But its popularity annoyed neighbors.
“I was lost when the shop was closed and almost gave up because finding a new venue is not easy and rents are high,” 82-year-old Song said yesterday.
Its closure triggered debate on food safety law enforcement and the survival of longtang (alley) delicacies.
“Huangpu District gathers a large number of longtang delicacies that residents love and we are exploring on how to ensure food safety and maintain longtang delicacies at the same time,” said Zhang Qin, director of the District Market Supervision and Management Bureau.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
- RSS
- |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证:沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证:31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证:0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证:沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证:沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.