Ala Shang Hai - York

Had lunch. Ordered the xiao long bao which was really good. The Shanghai Noodles was tasty. Ordered both steam & fried buns which came with condensed milk for dipping- delish! The Dong Po pork was rather small tho very tender & tasty. Hot & Sour soup was a disappointment. Overall a good lunch

If you ever get to the Pacific Mall in Markham, Ontario, do yourself a favour and make sure you eat lunch, or dinner, there.Markham is just north of Toronto and you will never be closer to some excellent Chinese-food restaurants, so it's worth the time.Our foursome had just finished a session with Sinorama, which offers travel services to China from an office in Markham, and we decided to give one of the many Chinese-food restaurants at Pacific Mall a try.We chose Ala Shang Hai restaurant which is on the second floor at the mall and located at one end of a corridor. They had their menu posted outside on a wall and their premises appeared clean and airy.We were welcomed within seconds of walking inside from the front door, which was nice. We were shown a nearby table for four and given menus.As one server was explaining about the menu items, another server appeared with a pot of Chinese tea and little cups. We had a sipping-good time as we waited for our orders to arrive.I chose General Tao Chicken with rice and soup for $8.99. Others in our party opted for Chicken with soy sauce with rice and soup for $4.99 each. Those prices one can't beat!There was a choice of soup and one of our group paid extra for pork and vegetable wonton soup at $4.99 for a substantial bowlful. Additionally, we decided to try pan-fried pork dumplings, four for $4.95.The food arrived hot to the touch and the dishes with soy sauce reflected that. The dumplings were something we wanted to try and we called those “dessert”.The service was prompt and professional and we would return to Ala Shang Hai if we are in that vicinity at some future time.

We went to pacific mall to change the screen protector. Since it was around lunch time, we decided to explore the food court. When we saw this place, we figured to give it a try as we always like Shanghai cuisine. We ordered dumplings, green onion beef, 宫保虾仁（kongpao shrimp), rice cake noodle and green beans. They are all so delicious although quantity is a bit small. The source of green onion beef is thick and tasty. The shrimp has a nice spicy kick but not too spicy. Dumpling is juicy.Overall this place is in food court and looks like a fast food place. We all joke it has "Swiss chalet" vibe, but its food (and the size of the plate) is so fine dining. Ok, I admit I might be too hang up on quantity. We are a group of four and the dishes above totally fed us well and happy.Next time pay it a visit if you are around pacific mall.

I absolutely love the food at the original Ala Shang Hai location in Markham. The portions are generous and the prices are very reasonable.

This restaurant is peaceful in the afternoon, so there is no need to wait for a table.