New York Style Steak & Burger, Shanghai

Of all things, I had to crave for burgers in Shanghai. It was Sugared & Spiced's post on the best burger in Shanghai that lured me out of Hub's great grandfather's shikumen house (I've been using the wrong term--longtang, which realy means the small alleys in shikumen--for these ancient townhouse settlements) in 3 degrees weather to Tianzifang, a shikumen that has been renovated with quaint crafts and arts shops and restaurants, most of them western, where New York Style Steak & Burger (NYSSB) is located. If you face the entrance of Tianzifang, NYSSB is on your right, at the end of a short lane.




New York Style Steak & Burger in Shanghai--you'd think that you were in Manhattan. (photo grabbed from Sugared & Spiced)


 Manhattan clam chowder, RMB35/MYR17/USD5.80

I prefer New England clam chowder to Manhattan clam chowder but decided to try it anyway. The portion was stingy, enough for a couple of mouthfuls. It was good but for that price I could've eaten about 4 steamer baskets of xiaolong baos, juicy little Shanghai meat buns.


The Manhattan Monster, RMB65/MYR32/USD11.

The Manhattan Monster is a giant burger which is delightful to behold. However, other than the wow factor, I really don't understand tall giant burgers. Do they really taste better than regular burgers? Is tallness desirable even for burgers? And how do you eat these monsters?


The Manhattan Monster:  fried onion rings, fried egg, 'firehouse chili', lettuce, tomato, cheddar cheese, beef patty and loads of tomato sauce, mustard sauce and mayo .

I cut the burger into half and we tried to eat the burger the usual way but ended up taking it apart. The bottom bun was flattened by the weight and was soggy from the grease, mayo and other sauces. While the beef patty was quite flavorful, I didn't like the taste of chili (as in con carne) in my burger. Both Hub and I agreed that we'd rather eat a simple Burger King burger than one with complicated flavors. The thick fat fries that came with the burger were done very nicely though.

Hub got up to pay since we weren't getting any service and the lady behind the counter didn't lift her head up even though we scraped our chairs when we stood up. Again, wordlessly, the bill was paid and we gladly jumped out of the place. That place rates as the most unfriendly restaurant we've been to in SH, or anywhere else.

New York Style Steak & Burger
No 22,  Lane 155 Jiangou Lu, near Ruijin Er Lu 
Tel: 5465-1676