Dian Dou De Shanghai Xintiandi Review: Must-Try Dim Sum

Experience the unique chewy and crispy texture of

Shanghai's essential culinary delight:

Red Rice Cheung Fun at

Dian Dou De

Huanlihui Branch

Hey there, fellow explorers! It's Ciel, your travel influencer!

Today, I'm excited to introduce you to a highly recommended spot often featured in Shanghai travel guides:

Dian Dou De Huanlihui branch, a must-visit restaurant in Shanghai's Xintiandi area.

Dian Dou De Quick Info

Hours

Mon-Sun 9:00 AM - 9:30 PM

Tel: 021-63333213

Payment

Card payment, Alipay

🥟Dian Dou De Huanlihui Branch in Shanghai's Xintiandi is perfect for those who:

✔︎ Want to savor the unique chewy and crispy texture of Red Rice Cheung Fun.

✔︎ Are eager to try a variety of authentic Cantonese dim sum.

✔︎ Are looking for a highly-recommended, must-try restaurant during their Shanghai trip.

When planning a trip to Shanghai, searching for the best restaurants is always a top priority, right? And time and again, Dian Dou De's Red Rice Cheung Fun comes up as an absolute must-try.

I made it my mission to try this famous dish. Luckily, Dian Dou De has several branches, making it convenient to find one near your tourist spots. For my visit, I chose the Dian Dou De Huanlihui branch, conveniently located in Xintiandi.

Just a heads-up: the Dian Dou De Xintiandi Huanlihui branch is situated on Basement Level 1!

The Interior

The interior of Dian Dou De's Xintiandi Huanlihui branch is incredibly spacious, isn't it?! I'd heard that the Xintiandi location could have long waits, but thankfully, we arrived after the main lunch rush, so there was no queue, and plenty of empty tables were available.

However, seeing the waiting chairs and even drinks prepared for those in line near the entrance made it clear that waits can be common. So, if you're like me and prefer to avoid queues, I recommend visiting during off-peak hours, like after lunch.

Ordering Our Meal

Ordering was easy using the QR code on our table. We had already eaten quite a bit throughout the day before arriving at Dian Dou De, so we were pretty full. But, since everyone raves about the Red Rice Cheung Fun as a Shanghai must-eat, that was our main goal. To accompany it, we just ordered one Har Gow.

I originally wanted to order a cola and beer, but they weren't on the menu. I even asked a staff member, who confirmed they didn't have them. However, recent reviews suggest they might be offering them now! For reference, my visit was on 01/31/2026.

Also, since there were two of us, and we only ordered two items, two different staff members came by to double-check if that was really all we were ordering. It felt a little bit awkward, to be honest!

They also asked if we wanted tea. We weren't particularly keen, so we just had water.

Keep in mind that some branches might have a mandatory tea charge, so it's always a good idea to confirm for the specific location you plan to visit.

This is how our table was set.

Soon after, our food arrived! Given the staff's repeated questions about our order, and how sparse it looked, we did wonder if we should have ordered more. However, after eating, I realized that if your main goal is just the Red Rice Cheung Fun, then ordering less was probably the right call.

Red Rice Cheung Fun

Is this not *the* reason to visit Shanghai? I had incredibly high expectations! Despite being full, I was determined to try it, which is why I took a Didi taxi directly from Wukang Mansion to the Xintiandi branch. (The Xintiandi branch also seemed to have shorter wait times, which was a bonus.)

It looked so glossy and vibrant, promising that signature chewy and crispy texture just by looking at it.

They even provided two dipping sauces.

My honest review of the Red Rice Cheung Fun is that the first bite was truly surprising! I thought, 'Wow, what an incredible texture!' But by the second bite, while it was definitely tasty, I started to wonder if it was truly worthy of such immense praise. Honestly, if I had waited in a long line for it, I might have been a little disappointed. Personally, I found it a bit rich after a while.

However, this is just my individual taste! My travel companion absolutely loved it! She said it was definitely worth a trip to Dian Dou De just for this dish.

Even though I found it a bit rich, the unique chewy and crispy texture is certainly memorable. So, if you're visiting Shanghai, I still recommend stopping by Dian Dou De to try this distinctive dish.

Har Gow

To be frank, we only ordered this because we felt like we needed a second dish for two people, beyond just the Red Rice Cheung Fun. So, I went in with zero expectations for this item.

But wow... the shrimp in these were so plump and satisfyingly chewy! As a shrimp lover, I was incredibly pleased with the large, juicy shrimp. So, if you're looking for something else to order besides the Red Rice Cheung Fun, and you love shrimp, I highly recommend the Har Gow!

✔︎ Review of Dian Dou De Huanlihui Branch in Shanghai Xintiandi

I had heard so much about Dian Dou De's Red Rice Cheung Fun while planning my Shanghai trip that I deliberately squeezed it into my itinerary. To be completely honest, while I praised the Har Gow more in my descriptions, the Red Rice Cheung Fun is objectively tastier. The reason I rated the Har Gow so highly was because it exceeded my non-existent expectations, whereas the Red Rice Cheung Fun, despite being delicious, came with immense hype.

However, the Red Rice Cheung Fun is a unique dish that's hard to find elsewhere. While several pieces can be a bit rich, its chewy and crispy texture is truly fascinating and delicious. Therefore, I still recommend it as a place worth visiting, but I personally suggest going during off-peak hours when you can avoid any waiting.

Cielso

ⓒ2026.Cielso All rights reserved.