Probably one of the most universal culinary traditions, BBQ is easy to spot anywhere you go. This just makes sense considering our origins as cavemen grilling some meat on a roaring fire as the simplest method of preparing protein. We've covered Korean and American BBQ on One Bite Blog. The next logical step is to venture into Japanese Kushiyaki, featuring PingChengWu near ZhengDa Plaza. Before you go though, you might want to purchase some earmuffs (you'll see what I mean).
The restaurant interior is plastered with white and red lanterns, with traditional Japanese characters written on them. The lanterns come in all shapes and sizes, and their lights fuse together to create a bright setting.
Blackboards with menu items and vintage posters decorated the wood-panel walls. Some seats at the restaurant also allow you to experience traditional Japanese seating, squatting down on mats as you rest your feet underneath the table.
Rows of empty bottles of alcoholic Japanese drinks were placed on shelves for display purposes. With light reflecting off the semi-transparent glass surfaces of the bottles, they were a nice touch to the interior design.
Dishes:
Poached Egg Yolk in Tsuyu Sauce - 6 rmb
Fine, raw egg is not that appealing. Once you get used to it though, the silkiness of the egg whites combined with the pure richness of egg yolk hits you. The Tsuyu sauce that the poached egg is nestled in soaks through the egg to infuse it with an umami saltiness. If you're squeamish about raw eggs, it might not be the best. But, give it a try if you would like to go above and beyond your home-cooked (most likely overcooked), pan-fried eggs.
Warm Cabbage Salad - est. 35 rmb
While you won't be able to see this dish at a restaurant in Japan, most Japanese restaurants in Shanghai include the cabbage salad dish on their menu. It's most likely a fusion creation. However, it isn't the average warm pumpkin salad that you forcefully eat with steak (just to keep it healthy). Mixed in with bean sprouts, julienned carrots, and spring greens, it balances out the fattiness of succulent meat skewers perfectly.
Beef Tongue and Green Bean Skewers - 28 rmb (for 3 slices of tongue and one portion of green beans)
The beef tongue melts in your mouth and is coated in just the right amount of flavorful fat. Kissed with a hint of flame, PingChengWu's beef tongue skewers are a must-try. They aren't tough and don't give off any unpleasant aromas. Green Beans are well... green beans. But, they were seasoned meticulously with salt and pepper to ensure even spicing.
Shitake Mushroom and Chicken Gizzard Skewers - est. 30 rmb (for 3 pieces of mushroom and 3 pieces of gizzard).
The presentation of the skewers was glistening and very appealing as they arrived to the table. The almost spongy, squishy texture of mushrooms is heavenly when it comes together with the earthy flavor profile of shitake mushrooms. The chicken gizzard skewers were nothing too special, but not bad either.
Chicken wings Stuffed with Cod Row - est. 25 rmb
Chicken wings, grilled Japanese style, is up there as one of the best ways to prepare chicken. The charcoal grill renders out the excess fat, leaving a golden brown and crispy exterior. With skin as crunchy as a Lays potato chip, you would expect the inside to be dry. But as you bite into it, juices burst out. That isn't it - the second ingredient of cod row makes the chicken wing even more flavorful.
Ochazuke - 18 rmb
Ochazuke is a traditional Japanese staple, which involves pouring tea and broth over rice and topping it off with an extra ingredient. In this case, the extra ingredient is Salmon (but it can also be replaced with sour plum). When you're already full from skewers, and are avoiding something too heavy like Ramen or Hotpot, get the Ochazuke for a satisfying carbohydrate-finish to the meal. The warm tea-flavored broth with rice is just so comforting. I'd recommend mixing some of that wasabi into the broth to give it a mustard kick.
Overall Summary:
From a seemingly endless variety of Japanese skewers to delicious staples, the food at PingChengWu is great. Incorporating some fusion dishes, the restaurant's menu brings a diverse dining experience. One potential downside to the restaurant is just the pure noise of loud Japanese music playing in the background. Personally, it was a bit excessive. But middle-aged men with the nostalgia of old Japanese pop songs might find it to their liking? At least my dad did. If you're very noise-averse, then it might not be the best spot for you. Otherwise, PingChengWu is great for a relatively affordable family dinner at 92 rmb/person (on average).
Address: Shanghai, Pudong. ZhengDa Plaza 1st floor
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