The Snapshot

This is not the first (nor is it the second nor third) time Shanghai has seen the likes of modern Cantonese dining concept Madame Ching, backed by Chef Dali (aka Derek Wong). What started as a pop-up at the now shuttered Shanghai Love in 2022 gave way to Anarkia x Madame Ching in Joye&Sam (an upscale food court in a mall basement, that is also now closed), which then rolled into Yi Long x Madame Ching on Donghu Lu from 2023-2024 – a symbiotic two-restaurants-in-one concept with Cantonese flavors as the middle ground, balanced between traditional (Yi Long) and not-so-traditional (Madame Ching) menus. But that too came to an end in 2024.

READ MORE: Yi Long Unveils 'Secret' Madame Ching Modern Canto Menu

READ MORE: Joye&Sam: The Everything Everywhere All at Once Venue

Dali knew it was time for his first solo foray in the world of restaurateurs. And thus Madame Ching, in all her glory, has reopened as a stand-alone restaurant in the old Revolucion Cocktail space on Yanping Lu, a concept that has evolved and developed for over three years into what it is today.

Off the Hook Baked Halibut (RMB188) 

And does it live up to the reputation of the pioneer and disruptor of traditions Madame Ching – one of the fiercest (and most feared) pirates who commanded over 80,000 men and 1,800 vessels that ruled the South China Sea in the early 1800s?

Well, it is pretty badass.

Vietnam (RMB95) 

Following the same pirate theme, a hidden (in plain sight) “speakeasy” inside Madame Ching, The Treasury’s cocktail menu by Jackie Ho draws inspiration from the travels of said Cantonese pirate (the eponymous Madame Ching), who explored the sea from Macau to Malaysia collecting treasures, hence the bar’s name. In the same vein as the food, cocktails draw on flavors from Cantonese dim sum, Southeast Asian spices, and Minnan tastes so that every drink reflects a story. Expect flavors distilled from history and memories carried across the South China Sea.

The Food & Drinks

An Australian born to Hong Kong parents, Dali has deconstructed, dissected, and dismantled his way through conventional Cantonese cooking, bending the rules to rebuild recipes that combine a Cantonese flavor base with Western techniques and plating. 

Silly Goose Paella (RMB168)

"Think of it as a culinary playground where there are no rules except for amplifying the familiar tastes of Cantonese cuisines and turning them into unbridled morsels," mentions Dali. And as Shanghai's culinary scene continues to assert itself, it is precisely this kind of nuance, originality and innovation that is coming to define it.

Expect dishes like Cantonese roast goose baked paella, 30-hour slow cooked bone in short rib in charsiu sauce, wok fried broccolini with yuzu labneh foam and XO crumble, hargow shrimp katsu sandwich, and torched beef chuck Cantonese curry paccheri, served in a space for 50 patrons.

Think of the menu as contemporary Cantonese tapas. But not tapas in that it’s Spanish fusion, but rather small, finger-friendly bites made for sharing. A great option for the nightlife crowds that want light (but nice) bites before an all-night rager.

 Chef Dali

“Is that not dim sum in a roundabout way?” adds Dali, popping a salted egg yolk spiced fish skin crisp in his mouth.

We couldn’t agree more and fell head over heels for his riff on what Cantonese cooking can be, playfully served in Madame Ching-branded dim sum steamer baskets.

Black Gold Fried Cauliflower (RMB38)

Rough Seas Pani Puri (RMB38)

Begin this culinary voyage with tasty treasures like the Black Gold Fried Cauliflower (RMB38) – dredged and fried cauliflower florets best enjoyed slathered in salted egg yolk sauce – and Rough Seas Pani Puri (RMB38) – hollow pani puri shells filled with a zippy pomelo salsa that tempers fatty dehydrated halibut, dotted with sweet capsicum sauce.

Grind me Down (RMB38)

An order of Grind me Down (RMB38) – or edamame hummus – makes a showing on nearly every table, and for good reason. It’s a blend of zaolu-soaked (a fragrant, savory Chinese brine made from fermented rice wine lees dregs, mixed with Shaoxing wine, spices, and aromatics) edamame dusted in duka and smoked paprika. Paired with homemade tempeh crackers, it’s a salute to Dali's time spent traveling around South East Asia, where tempeh is a vital protein source.

Hard Pressed Mini Hargow Sandwiches (RMB68)

“Madame Ching’s cuisine is familiar yet new, comforting yet refreshing.” Case in point, the Hard Pressed Mini Hargow Sandwiches (RMB68) are built around the recognizable Cantonese flavor and texture of bouncy shrimp. Instead of a translucent, thin wrapper, the hargow is pressed into a patty and flash fried before being slathered with XO mayo. Nestled inside two toasted pieces of bread, the acidic crunch of pickled cabbage cuts through any grease, a nod to the Japanese katsu sandwich.

Sweet Nothings Sweet and Sour Pork (RMB68)

A nostalgic ode to crushing tanghulu (a Chinese street snack of skewered hawthorn, coated in a hard sugar glaze) in winter, the Sweet Nothings Sweet and Sour Pork (RMB68) showcases a trio of skewered pork pieces coated in that same glass-like saccharine coating, with a side-serve of hawthorn flakes, a cherished childhood candy.

Three’s a Crowd Crab Churros (RMB88)

Dali is all about playing with ingredients, pushing boundaries on (mis)conceptions of what a particular dish can be. Take the humble churro for instance, a beloved fried dough pastry coated in cinnamon and sugar. Dali flips the notion on its head that it can only be a sweet treat with the Three’s a Crowd Crab Churros (RMB88). This ingenious take on a crab cake sees the coating in the form of a savory churro piped with crab salad. The red crab meat is tossed in an umami-bomb of shrimp head XO aioli, finished with a dollop of Madame Ching Pirate Sauce aka sweet capsicum dip.

Silly Goose Paella (RMB168)

As for mains, expect to find elevated Cantonese roast goose – in shredded meat and crispy chip-like skin forms – when hoovering the Silly Goose Paella (RMB168). But the prize is the smoke-imbued fat-speckled goose liver sausage from Guangdong and lip-pucker-inducing pickled gooseberries.

Off the Hook Baked Halibut (RMB188) – Baked halibut, spicy shrimp beurre blanc, feta

Sticky Balls Bubble Waffle (RMB58)

There are those unfortunate times when dessert falls flat when weighed up against a meal. This is not the case at Madame Ching. Here, Dali delivers on texture and taste while still following the same Cantonese tapas ethos. The Sticky Balls Bubble Waffle (RMB58) is rooted in the idea of a Hong Kong-style bubble waffle, but made in a Takoyaki pan for a finger food “donut hole” aesthetic. The molten Ovaltine ganache center is further amplified by a thick dribble of condensed milk cream and a generous dusting of Ovaltine crumble.

Burnt to a Crisp Crème Brûlée (RMB58)

Similarly, the Burnt to a Crisp Crème Brûlée (RMB58) is a Hong Kong milk tea reimagined as a custard, a crunchy skirt of peanut caramel sheathing the top.

Macau (RMB95)

Strengthening the ties between the kitchen and the bar, the Macau (RMB95) spotlights homemade Macau peri-peri sauce shaken with earl grey-infused gin and sugarcane juice. This fragrant jolt of spice is tempered by the drink’s inherent sweetness, presented alongside Macanese almond cookies.

Vietnam (RMB95) – Disaronno velvet, rum, sugarcane juice, coconut cream, pandan foam

The Atmosphere

The space features billowy sails overhanging the rigging rope-wrapped and sea treasure-lined bar, a tasteful tip of the (tricorn pirate) hat to the pirate life of Madame Ching, without being too Disneyland.

The music program (and speaker quality) is noteworthy, as music is another passion for Dali. The curated playlist involves a fusion of Asian instruments against an electronic/ house backbone, resulting in ethereal, almost tribal-like beats that amplify the harmony between the food, space, lighting, and tunes. After 9:30, the music turns up, the lights drop down, and the Madame Ching transitions into her alter ego – Treasury Bar, a lounge where the pass becomes a turntable with live DJs playing every Friday and Saturday night.

A common misconception, the mosaic on the back wall – conceptualized and executed by Dali himself – is not Madame Ching. Like the dread Pirate Roberts, there are no records of what she actually looked like. Instead, it’s a personification of the Chinese Goddess of the Sea, Mazu, that all seafarers along China’s southern coast, including pirates like Madame Ching, would pray to for safe travel. Using leftover pieces of tiles and pottery from Jingdezhen, Dali painstakingly affixed this mosaic to the restaurant’s back wall, the first thing patrons see upon entering.  

Just as Mazu helped Madame Ching navigate treacherous waters and secure safe passage for her fleets, Madame Ching restaurant brings the history and folklore of the seas of South China to the table without the fear of having to walk the plank.

Madame Ching, 98 Yanping Lu, by Wuding Lu, 延平路98号, 近武定路