My wife and I tried the AYCE option which is $23.78 on a weekday and $28.78 on a weekend. They also have a membership discount which changes it to $19.99 and $25.78. The restaurant is very spacious and clean. I like their wide selection of dishes and I thought the AYCE was a good deal. I was a fan of most of their protein dishes. They rotate some of their dishes as well. Definitely coming back here to try other stuff they serve. read more

Shanghai Cuisine - Shanghainese Near Me - San Diego, California

I just tried Shanghai All You Can Eat, and I really liked the way they do their buffet. Instead of everyone serving themselves from large trays, each item is already portioned into small bowls. It keeps everything fresh, clean, and makes it feel like the food was just prepared. The food was incredibly fresh, and every dish tasted like it had just come out of the kitchen. I was very impressed with the flavor of everything I tried. What really stood out, though, was the customer service. My daughter was just over the age cutoff for the kids' price, but after noticing that she barely ate anything, the waiter kindly gave us a discount anyway. That level of honesty and customer care is hard to find these days, and it definitely left a great impression on us. We'll definitely be coming back on the weekends to try the additional items they include with the buffet. Great food, excellent service, and a business that genuinely cares about its customers. Highly recommended! read more

Shanghai Cuisine - Shanghainese Near Me - San Diego, California

I wish I had taken photos of the food. We came here after our Aunt's funeral as a famiily-- I didn't necessarily have low hopes, but I wasn't expecting much. But this was sooooooooo goood. Every dish they had out that I took was great. Their shrimp was fantastic, their fried chicken wings? Amazing. The lion head meatball was perfect. Zero complaints!!!! read more

My family and I had dinner here a few weeks ago. We came kinda late, so there wasn't a lot of variety or only a few servings of each dish. They had an à la carte menu as well as an all you can eat option for $28.78. My daughter and I only wanted the noodles from the à la carte menu, but they required the entire party to all do the AYCE, no mix and match. It makes sense, as I can see people "sharing." All of the à la carte noodles were included in the AYCE, so on top of grabbing a few of the AYCE dishes, I also ordered a beef noodle soup. My daughter had the Szechuan Dan Dan noodles. We liked the noodles better than the AYCE dishes. The small dishes that were part of tue AYCE were rather salty and greasy. I only liked the fresh soy milk, porridge, and salted egg lava steamed buns. To get the most out of the AYCE feature, I would recommend coming earlier. We were there at 7:45pm on a Sunday. read more

See all

I went here during the weekday for dinner so it wasn't too busy but it also wasn't empty. The all seemed pretty new and clean! Which may be the best time to go! Enough people to have a constant refresh of hot food but not fighting for any particular item. But this is probably my favorite chinese buffet in town! All the food is restaurant quality and there are alot of variety. The only comment would be that they were pretty slow on taking our finished bowls and it piled up. Definitely will come back and highly recommend. Especially for the price. read more

See all

Saw this place in IG and gave it a try. It was not bad simply just different the portions are just enough to try and see if you like it and not a lot of things get left because the portions size it's enough to try it. Some of the food was really tasty and yummy, others weren't but definitely tried them. Service is quick to get you a table and this place is self serve which I like but I can't say the same when asking for the bill that took a while and it's crazy how trusting they're with the clients because when I was waiting for the bill not going to lie took about 10 min and there was no servers around. I liked how the place is minimalistic decorated and modern looking. read more

See all

My boys took me here for Mother's Day dinner as I mentioned I was craving dim sum and this place was inexpensive compared to other all you can eat restaurants. We were seated immediately (no wait) even though it was Mother's Day. The restaurant is fairly large (there are 2 seating areas to dine in). Most things are self serve - even the carafes of water. The reason I give this establishment 3 stars and not 5 stars is the variety and quality of dim sum. Some of the dumplings were a little hard-skinned (likely from being under the heat lamps) and many of the dim sum dishes I was craving was not available (no chicken feet, tripe, etc.) read more

See all

I honestly did not have very high expectations for this restaurant, but I was completely blown away and surprised by how much I enjoyed dining here. I came by with my mom and husband on a Sunday evening, and it wasn't too busy. I really enjoyed the cafeteria-style of this buffet and the sheer variety of food that they offered. Every time I went to the food bar, there were new and different options to pick from. Mostly everything we ate was pretty good and felt like food from a restaurant rather than a buffet. Favorites for me were the suan cai yu (Chinese sauerkraut fish soup), fried shrimp, and cold tofu pudding. I appreciate that they offered complimentary hot and cold soy milk. The food bar does not have any labels, so this dining experience could be challenging for someone who cannot easily recognize Chinese dishes (but the lady working the station is happy to answer any questions and explain dishes as needed). The dim sum was just ok, so I would not feel the need to return only when this is offered. Don't make the same mistake we did and be sure to save room for the dishes that you order off the menu. They are decently sized and shareable, so keep that in mind. We got the Dan Dan noodles and the beef noodle soup, but honestly we were way too full to enjoy either dish. The Dan Dan noodles were a bit too thick and sesame-y for my liking, but the beef noodle soup had an excellent broth. The membership seems like quite a deal, and we are considering getting it even though we live in OC. I believe without the membership, weekend buffet pricing was roughly $29. Service is friendly and attentive. There is outdoor seating, which is always a plus for me because I can bring my dog. This place is so unique and fun; I am definitely looking forward to coming back! read more

See all

Well. Few complaints but it works. I think it was like $18.99 and I got to try 3 different dish, rice and a soup. Got that red been sesami ball as a complementary. Overall, quality was decent. And it's rare for me to be able to experience 3 different dishes under 20 bucks. So there you go. Complaint. The pork skin on pork belly dish was quite dry. It made me wonder how long the foods been sitting under that warming lamp. read more

I saw an Instagram ad for their AYCE lunch and dinner specials. Lunch was $19.99 as advertised. However, unlike the video there were no dumplings, steamed buns, egg rolls or noodle dishes. There were a few shrimp dishes, meat and veggies, soups and stews, meatballs and wings but you have to check often or they will be gone. If you ask the server, they will let you know. I asked for egg rolls but they said there were none. I went Friday at the lunch hour. It was busy but we were able to get a table. Everything was serve in small bowls buffet style which I liked. However, none of the dishes were labeled so you had to guess the protein on some. We were disappointed that we didn't see any items in video that made us want to come here. Service was good. Friendly, willing to assist and bussing tables quickly. read more

Shanghai Cuisine - Shanghainese Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

For what it is, this place was pretty good. Nothing was out of this world but everything was better than okay. They have a good variety and the dishes rotate throughout, so when you go back for more it will be multiple different dishes. The service was good. There isn't much service to be had but the water bottles were kept full at the table. I do wish the water was cold though. If we had questions about dishes the lady behind the service counter answered them. If we got something and we weren't sure what it was our server was available to ask and answer. As for the ambiance, the music is obnoxious and really loud, so that was a little annoying, but overall it's worth checking out. read more

Shanghai Cuisine - If you see something you like, get it. It might not be there on your next trip. - Shanghainese Near Me - San Diego, California

AYCE Chinese food in tapas size dishes. You grab a tray and fill it up with small bowls from the hot bar and can get up and return for more. Not quite your typical American Chinese food; it's more traditional Chinese dishes from all over China, each presented very simply. The execution of each dish is okay; none of the flavors really wowed me, and fried breading was often thick and soggy, but I think this place's strength lies in the variety it can offer for the price. Best dishes imo: meatball, honey walnut shrimp, kung pao chicken, fried shrimp, braised pork belly, sliced liver, garlic green beans, fried chicken wings It's worth trying if you want to eat a wide variety of Chinese dishes, and it's AYCE for a reasonable price. I went during a $20 promotion. I got there at 4:40 right after open and they had only a few dishes prepared. I would aim to go no earlier than 5 next time. read more

Shanghai Cuisine - Shanghainese Near Me - San Diego, California

We came on a Saturday night for their all you can eat. You can help yourself to their long array of small dishes laid out on their food bar which they restock quickly. They had a variety of options ranging from cold dishes, soups, meats, and seafood. Some of my favorites were the honey walnut shrimp, fish dish, chicken wings, pork dish, and sesame balls. Their small portions make it easy to try many of their items. They also have an area if you want to host a gathering and order a la carte from their menu. The place is decent size. Quite busy at the time we came. Servers helped clear the table often. Overall it was a good experience. read more

See all

Don't come. Terrible service. Give preferential treatment to Chinese speaking customers. Strange taste food with no labels for AYCE. read more

Shanghai Cuisine - Shanghainese Near Me - San Diego, California

Heard these guys have an all you can eat dumpling option. So I had to try it. It was all you can eat on the weekdays but there wasn't a dumpling in sight ! They do have AYCU dumplings but only on the weekends. I wasn't crazy about all the options they offered. Possibly because I wasn't familiarity what they had. My favorites were the chicken wings, honey walnut shrimp and the sesame balls. All the staff were so nice and helpful. Price was reasonable. read more

See all

This corner suite in the Sorrento Mesa Business Center has seen multiple Asian eateries rotate through the space over the past several years. The current management pivoted from a mainly northern style of Chinese cuisine to an AYCE model (including dim sum) on the weekends and a cafeteria style lunch combo on the weekdays. Shanghai Cuisine is now the name with the same owners as the previous restaurant. Because of its proximity to Qualcomm HQ, there are a lot of walk-in customers on workdays. We arrived before noon on a Thursday and found the parking lot to be mostly filled already. The line was short when we entered. By the time we sat down and began eating, the queue had extended to the entrance. The lunch combo meals came as two choices... $14.99 for two dishes, one soup, and one rice; or $16.99 for three dishes, one soup, and one rice. All of the food was prepared in ramekins that were placed in a display area. You grabbed a tray and then picked which items you wanted to include in your order. It was like going through a cafeteria line and then paying the cashier at the end. My biggest issue was the lack of labeling. Some dishes were recognizable, but others were not. It was difficult to distinguish what meats, if any, were included, or if the preparation was spicy or not. And what about potential allergens like nuts? Those ingredients were never clearly identified. I also found a lack of flexibility in the pricing. What if a customer wanted to purchase more dishes a la carte? Could they be sold individually for another $4 to $5 each? My friend didn't like the hot and sour soup. Was there an alternative like getting another rice in place of the soup? We each chose three different items in our respective combo and then shared the contents. I would have liked to identify each one, however that wasn't possible. The best was a whitefish served with onions in a mild sauce. One of our choices was sneaky hot and spicy that my palate didn't handle well. I can't comment on the weekend/weeknight AYCE because we haven't tried it. I suspect there are similar issues from the weekday lunch that carry over to Saturday/Sunday. I like the concept they have at Shanghai Cuisine, but the execution needs improvement in multiple areas which is why I gave less than three stars for our recent meal. read more

See all

Went here for the AYCE Chinese Dim Sum, which they only have on weekends! The wait time was really short and the layout for getting food was easy to understand! As a dim sum fan, I was impressed with the wide selection ranging from their sesame balls to their siu mai and chicken feet. Of their regular menu options, the braised pork was my favorite which had a savory and rich taste. Overall, I would come back here again because of the affordable prices for dim sum! read more

Shanghai Cuisine - Shanghainese Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

I saw multiple reels on Instagram about the buffet concept of this restaurant and it got me so curious that I made my bestie took me here for my first meal when I spent the weekend at San Diego. Our table of 3 got seated right away on Saturday morning, they were busy but not too crowded, people in and out pretty often. I like the decoration and their general vibe, the dining area is clean and well lit. The buffet line up is quite short, beside hot food they also have a small open refrigerator for cold dishes and drinks, they also offer made-to-order noodles and rice dishes on a separate menu, you can order with the staff. Majority of the buffet food is in a small metal bowl, they have about 20-25 different dishes and it rotate from time to time during my visit. So for me, their price tag was not bad at $30/person, I can try multiple items and I likes to have a variety of foods on my table, but my bestie thinks she would rather to go to other restaurant where she can order $30 worth of her favorite items lol. Likes a lot of the review said, they have absolutely no label for their food so it definitely tricky if you are not familiar with Chinese cuisine but I was able to guess 80% of the dishes correctly, except for the white bao bun, no idea what is the filling inside until you break it open lol. 3 of us tried almost everything at the hot food line, for Dimsum I like their Siumai the most, Hagao and XLB skin was quite dry, chicken feet was meh... I also enjoyed the black pepper short rib, chicken wings (need some kind of dipping sauce btw), and braised pork belly. For dessert, the salted egg yolk bun was pretty good and I really like their fresh soymilk at the refrigerator, but beside those, everything was just okay to try it out. We were able to do about 2.5-3 rounds of food before we ended our meal. I was tempting to order either a noodle soup or rice plate on their separate menu but didn't, I really think they should add some pictures to the separate menu to help customers envision how the item might looks like before ordering. Service was quick and friendly, probably the friendliest team of staff at a casual Chinese restaurant that I ever been to in my life lol. Overall, it was an okay experience, I'm glad I checked it out and cross it off my list but there still a lot of room for improvement for sure, will I comeback in the future, probably not but I think it's pretty cool to check it out. read more

See all

Always good with friendly service. It's one of those places where you kind of have to know what the food is as there's no signage telling you what it is. The braised meatball is always good here, as is the rice wine with sesame ball dessert thing. read more

See all

During weekends and evenings this place is a cafeteria style AYCE type of place. During weekday lunch you can choose 2 or 3 dishes for $15 or $17 plus rice and soup. It's still cafeteria style so you choose your dishes on the line. I chose mapo tofu, kau yuk (braised pork belly) and what I believe was kung pao chicken. It was hard to tell what was what because nothing was labeled, there was no signs. The mapo tofu had no meat, it was basically just spicy tofu. The tofu was soft and the sauce was made with Sichuan peppercorns as it was both citrusy and a bit mouth numbing. I wished it had some kind of meat. The Kau yuk was ok I wish it was hotter temperature wise since pork belly has a lot of fat. The flavor was ok but what you could expect from a cafeteria style place. The chicken was the best item I guess because chicken holds up better. I think it was kung pao chicken, there were chillies, but no peanuts and it wasn't very spicy. I also tried my friends fish which was quite tender and good as well. Those are the 2 dishes I'd recommend. The soup was hot and sour soup which I don't like. Again nothing was labeled and there was no other choice. Could I have chosen 2 rices? What if I wanted an extra dish? There wasn't a price listed. I guess they don't want people getting 4 dishes, a rice and soup and sharing between 2 people. The place was busy with businesspeople from the surrounding area for their lunch. There is a parking lot, but it's quite narrow so backing out can be difficult if there's another car coming. Weekday AYCE dinner starts at 4:30. While AYCE dim sum is weekends only (all day) The food is decent. My biggest problem is that nothing is labeled. I feel that there is also a big miss in sales. They could charge $3 for a cup with a self serve soda machine or a refrigerator of bottled drinks by the check out counter. They could also have a tray return area which would cut down the workers having to clear the tables. read more

See all

I actually rate this place 5/5. I'm just purposefully writing 3/5 to gate keep this place. The value for AYCE at dinner time on weekdays is worth. So worth I became an annual member. Wish they had ice cream or mochi or some cool jelly but a great place to have variety. read more

Shanghai Cuisine - Shanghainese Near Me - San Diego, California

If a restaurant was the definition of okay, it would be Shanghai Cuisine. I woke up craving dim sum, specifically chicken feet, and thought it would be nice to finally try Shanghai Cuisine. It's located in Sorrento Valley in a large plaza with plenty of parking. They list their opening time as 10:30 AM on both their door and social media. We arrived at 10:25 AM and were told by a server to wait in the outdoor seating area to the left until they were ready. Ten minutes passed. Then more people started lining up at the front door. No one else was told to wait in the side seating area like we were. Suddenly it was 11:00 AM, and they began seating parties from the front of the line. The same server who told us to wait where we were, glanced at us and continued seating others first. Maybe I was just hangry, but that did not feel like hospitality. We ended up waiting behind about seven larger parties and were finally seated around 11:10 AM. If you advertise that you open at 10:30, guests should not be seated forty minutes later... To make things more uncomfortable, there was a live bird flying around inside the restaurant. It honestly looked like it had been there longer than we had. When I mentioned it to the server, he laughed and said the bird was just "a resident of the restaurant". That was not reassuring. It also raised questions about cleanliness. The restroom did not help. It felt dusty and neglected, almost like a storage space. There was no fresh toilet paper roll in the dispenser, just a loose roll sitting on top of the toilet. There was even an industrial vacuum sitting in the corner. The dining area itself had nice themed decor, so the lack of upkeep in the restroom was surprising. Now for the food. The concept is AYCE dim sum for a little over $28. You can order from the kitchen and also grab rotating items from a cafeteria style counter. The issue is that nothing is labeled, so you are guessing what dishes are. Out of more than twenty options, only a handful stood out. My top dishes were the braised pork foot, pork belly with jalapeños, garlic green beans, sesame balls, and XLB. Everything else ranged from just okay to overly salty. The chicken feet I came for did not come out until close to 11:45 AM due to their rotation system. After my first round, I found myself circling back to the counter multiple times with nothing new available. Some dishes were just not executed well. The honey walnut shrimp was overly acidic and tart. Honey walnut shrimp should be creamy and sweet, not sour. It left a bad taste in my mouth and honestly ruined my appetite for a bit. The marinated short ribs were tough and difficult to eat. The flavor was there, but the connective tissue had not been properly rendered. The chicken feet were extremely mediocre and lacked that traditional spice infused depth. The concept is smart, but there are a lot of issues that need to be fixed. I appreciate variety, but quality over quantity always wins. For $28, you are honestly better off going to a traditional dim sum restaurant and ordering your favorites. I cannot say I would recommend this spot or return. If there were more dim sum options nearby, I'm not sure they would hold up. read more

See all

The food is delicious!!! You wouldn't expect that out of an AYCE restaurant. I love that the food is served in small bowls so you're not just piling on a variety of food that don't go well together and have the taste all mixed up. Perhaps this is the secret to why the food tastes so great! The service is also good. They give you a carafe of water so you, hopefully, don't run out of water while you're dining. It's a small establishment but I really liked it. read more

3.5 I had lots of hope for this place and it was very salty or very sweet, so you are constantly drinking a lot of water and they don't give a bowl of rice. You can order anything from the menu which is great and it's included in the all you can eat price--- just a dinner on the weekends. For me it was just way too pricey for what you get now at $29 pp. I will say that kids under 10 are nine dollars and that seems worth it, but overall, I would say that the food quality comparative to the price did not seem like it was worth it. Now you can't find very many places that are all you can eat Chinese food so that is the unique thing about this place in San Diego. Highlights were the noodles and soup---anything you can order and also the rice and pork. I would add any of the chicken or fried dishes like the mayonnaise shrimp are a highlight. Cucumber dish was awesome because it was crunchy and refreshing from all the salty food. Low lights were the dim sum and that is kind of sad because I wanted to try an all-you-can-eat dim sum place. It was just too chewy, too much dough, and the flavor was not as great. I will say they did have the XLB and that was good. read more

See all

The variety of food for an all you can eat buffet was excellent especially if you like traditional Shanghai niece items. Service was friendly. The dim sum dumpling items are only available on the weekends and it's a great value, especially since you can order noodles off of the menu as part of the buffet. We were too full to order anything off the menu. This is an authentic Chinese buffet, not an Americanized Chinese buffet... So there's no labels on the items just bring an Asian friend or learn some Chinese. I prefer authentic Chinese buffet versus Americanized ones so you make your choice. . I went on a Saturday at 5 PM and it was not crowded and the ambience was busy but not hectic. read more

See all

Went with some Mahjong friends to have dome dim sum here. We opted for the all you can eat option. My biggest complaint with this establishment is the food was not labeled on the line. Sometimes I had no idea on what I was putting on my tray. When I did ask the staff about the food they didn't even know. For instance there were 3 choices for buns. They pointed out what they were and I wanted a meat bun and not the radish bun. When I went to my table and checked the bun they said was meat, it was radish. The food was average other than that. read more

Shanghai Cuisine - Various Dishes - Shanghainese Near Me - San Diego, California

They have an All you can eat Buffet on the weekend. The bufet is like a cross between a Dim Sum and a Chinese Buffet. We enjoyed all the food selections! read more

See all

Really good value AYCE chinese food buffet! Came in on a Thursday night around 6 pm and the place was packed, but as soon as we were noticed a staff member came up to us and explained how the buffet worked (grab a tray, grab anything you want, pay at the end, soda and drinks are extra). The staff were clearly hustling, coming by frequently to clear our empty plates and I could see the kitchen staff working quickly to refill the buffets as soon as possible. Each of the dishes came in these cute little metal bowls and were laid out in a long buffet table. There were no labels so you did have to look a little close to see what it was. The dishes ranged from soups to different protein dishes like beef stew, pork belly, walnut shrimp, and more. There were also a few veggie dishes, and my favorite was the green beans. I was astonished at the quality of each of the dishes, and I think it's because of how the buffet was designed. I saw the kitchen making each dish in small batches and serving them in single serving size bowls. This made it so each dish came out fresh and could be made with quality instead of quantity. This did however mean that once one dish was all gone, it might be a while before it came back. We went back to the buffet a few times and noticed the options slightly changed and some things that we wanted seconds of were no longer available. The place is pretty new from what I can tell, so I imagine things will change over time, including the pretty decent value price. Right now it's 23.78 for weekdays AYCE and around $29 for weekend AYCE which includes dimsum. I'd go sooner rather than later since it seems like words getting out about the place, and there was a line waiting while we were eating. A suggestion I have for the place would be definitely to label what each item is, and it looks like they're working on it. Luckily none of my party had food allergies, but I could imagine this being a problem for the many people who do. I'd also suggest some dessert options! Some chinese donuts or sesame balls or ice cream would go really well with the rest of the buffet. read more

See all

Given all the reviews on IG, my friends went there thinking it was a AYCE dimsum place. It's only on the weekends. The price wasn't bad for 2-3 items, food was mid, and not hot...meh. read more

In the same plaza as my favorite chirashi bowl place (Hanaya Sushi), there are also other eateries in the area but it's located in the area with the many Sorrento Businesses, across the street from Qualcomm. It's an AYCE Chinese place. Interesting new concept I haven't seen in San Diego - cafeteria style mini dishes. Looks like they have lunch combo's on the weekdays now and after 4:30pm on weekdays it's AYCE. Saturday & Sundays is AYCE all day, with dim sum too! Food is decent an it's pretty affordable for AYCE. The only small dish items I liked were probably only the honey walnut shrimp, chicken feet, porridge, salted egg buns and soy milk. Everything else was mediocre. There are hot and cold dishes to choose from. White or purple rice. A carafe of water so you don't have to keep getting up for more. Free soy milk (hot or cold). And a 10% Cash discount! I personally did think the weekend options were more varied. Oh and did I mention, when doing the AYCE, there are also noodle/dumpling dishes you can order from the menu. Service was ok. Not extremely attentive but they were also not trying to ignore us. There are 2 seating areas, so the place can fill up and the service can become a lot slower/harder to wave someone down. Food is not labeled and dishes are rotated in/our, so take your best guess. read more

This is a great lunch place if you are in a time crunch. For weekday lunch it's NOT AYCE. You have 2 options which are: A. 2 dishes + 1 soup + 1 rice for $14.99 B. 3 dishes +1 soup + 1 rice for $16.99 This place reminds me of Tigawok except the portions are more generous. The only downside is there's no name plates or inf on the dishes. You just need to look and see type of thing. You can always ask and they are more than happy to answer. Definitely take a quick walk down the line to see all the options before you actually line up to pick the dishes. The dishes are kind of warm and not hot though. Usually it's 1 kind of soup. For the today it was spicy + sour soup. As for the rice you have the option of purple rice (healthier) or white rice. Restaurant is remodeled recently and looks super modern. read more

Shanghai Cuisine - Modern decor + clean! - Shanghainese Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

Looks aesthetically pleasing. All staff members were nice and welcoming. However a lot of the dishes were luke warm and way too sweet. Both me and hubby had a bad stomach shortly after. Won't go again. read more

See all

Came here around 4:30 pm, right when their AYCE starts. I saw online that it was $20, but it's now $24. I was also expecting more dim sum options based on other reviews, but during my visit the menu was mostly pork and fish dishes. Portions are small since it's AYCE, but you definitely get full for the price. One thing that was frustrating is that there weren't any food labels, so it was hard to tell if a dish was spicy, had Sichuan flavoring, or was salty before trying it. Overall, the variety felt limited--many dishes seemed to include either pork or fish. There were some vegetable options, but they were a bit too salty for my taste. Would I come back? Maybe. I just wish they offered a wider selection like other AYCE spots. read more

See all

Hidden in Sorrento Valley, literally across the street from Qualcomm, is Shanghai Cuisine. It's made from 2 spaces, one is the main restaurant, and the other is overflow seating or a small party room. The AYCE is only available during the weekend. You can order entrees a la carte al week, dine in and carry out. We were there for the AYCE. You can grab a tray and grab food from the counter, or you can order some items from the menu and the server will bring it to you. The tables are spaced close together, and it's packed! We arrived at 12:30, and we waited outside until we were seated at 1:30. There are no benches or seating in front of the restaurant. Inside the restaurant is loud. Expect to hear a cacophony of the patrons eating and having boisterous conversation, the sound of food coming out from the kitchen, the sound of the tables being bussed quickly so the next party can sit, and the clatter of still wet dishes and utensils being set out for hungry patrons. There's so much movement in the restaurant as the servers bustle about taking orders, delivering food, seating patrons, bussing tables, etc. The food is good. When it comes to the counter, whatever is there is what is available. Some items on the menu can be ordered from your server. I really liked the honey walnut shrimp and meatball, but once they ran out, I either had to hope the kitchen will prepare more or try something new. My husband and daughter tried to go back on a Friday night forgetting that the AYCE is only on Saturday and Sunday. For me, I'm not a fan of crowded, loud places. If we can find a time when it's less chaotic, I would love to come in again. I also disliked having to wait for more clean plates, utensils, and cups. When they finally brought more out, everything, including the trays, were dripping wet because they didn't have the staffing to wipe them down. Accessibility notes: A wheelchair user or someone using a mobility aid can enter the front entrance, but I don't remember seeing handicap accessible parking or a ramp near the restaurant. I was using my cane and stepped up onto the curb. The handicap parking may have been on the opposite end of the shopping center. The inside of the dining area is tightly packed, and the counter where the food is put out is narrow. You have people who walk back to their tables behind you. This is also the same pathway to and from the restrooms. Restrooms are single stall, one for men and one for women, with enough room for a person who uses a mobility aid and needs a helper companion. This place is not far from home, but like I'd said previously, I don't like crowded, noisy places. I also felt the parking was tight. If we came back, it'd most likely be just for the AYCE. If I could give partial stars, I'd give 4.5. read more

See all

It was chill. Unique ayce. Individually portioned chinese food. It's not bad, not the best. Just got bored and didn't know what to eat pretty quickly. read more

See all

It feels a bit expensive for a weekend dinner, but it's definitely worth it on weekdays, especially if you're dining alone. You get a wide variety of dishes in smaller portions, so you can enjoy different foods all in one meal. I keep coming back again and again! read more

Since this was really a "serve yourself" buffet, I won't dive too deep into the service itself, since there really wasn't any except for water, but the staff was dealing with a massive influx of customers and handling it all very well. The food was really great, especially for the all you can eat price, and it was neat to get to try lots of different cuisines on a rotation. I do wish that there would be some items that always remained stocked, like the honey walnut shrimp or some of the soups, but it still was a cool experience to have different options every time I went up for more food. I ate dinner here, but I do want to also try the Dim sum at some point, as I feel it would change the experience overall, but really great bang for your buck and lots of options to choose from. Come hungry! read more

Shanghai Cuisine - Shanghainese Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

Very affordable new restaurant that serves authentic Shanghai dishes. I believe it's still somewhat of a soft opening and they're planning to raise the prices. It's located in a small strip plaza so there was ample of parking. I think they are still going through a name change process? The left side of the restaurant indicates MadaSao but there is a new name in the front, Shanghai Cuisine. Their IG handle is Shanghai_cuisine. Just a little heads up in case some of you are confused. It's an ayce style but with many different classic Shanghai dishes. This spot is great for those who want a small bite of everything and not commit to a whole entree. There wasn't an explanation from the staff when we came in except the question if we're doing all you can eat or à la carte. We opted for all you can eat and it was $19.99 as of 12/18/25. Once we were seated, you go up to each station and retrieve what you want. Food labels/instructions were nowhere to be found but we did see some clamps with silicone tips. We realized these were used to help retrieve the hot food served in metal dishes without burning yourself. Our favorite dishes were the lions head, shrimp with tofu, pickled mustard fish soup, mixed vegetables, and a spicy fish filet dish. Childhood nostalgia hit me as I tried the dishes, they were very comforting and reminded me of home. I was hoping to try out their soup dumplings and soft tofu pudding but I believe that's only available on the weekends so I'll be back ! Caution: Some soups were soo deceivingly spicy even when they did not look spicy at all. It would be helpful if they put out food labels and spice levels somewhere to reduce food waste. read more

See all

Good selection for this unique buffet experience. The serve small plates, small portion AYCE that you take and eat. Also you can order some items from their menu. Service is prompt, if something is out, they quickly take action to replenish. read more

Sleeper restaurant, current rating doesn't accurately reflect how legit the dishes are at this restaurant. The chefs are from Shanghai and Yangzhou, so the dishes are all very authentic and tasty, and it is a great place to try a variety of Chinese food. All are well known dishes in China! The price is super worth it on the weekdays too. Make sure to get the Lion's head meatball, fried rice, dessert tang yuan soup, eggplant, and cold dishes! (Same review as Madasao) read more

See all