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Old-Style Shanghai Restaurant CheLi opens in the East Village
November 25, 2020, 12:30.42 am ET

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Wine Soaked Atlantic Blue Crab
Wine Soaked Atlantic Blue Crab

CheLi, which specializes in centuries old Shanghainese cooking, is now open on Saint Marks Place in the East Village. The Dashan Restaurant Group, the team behind Szechuan Mountain House, is reinventing these ancient cooking methods for modern times.

Longjing Shrimp
Longjing Shrimp

At the core is a wine-braising method being employed by Chef David Wang to create an assortment of pork and seafood dishes rarely found in New York City.

Oil Boil Striped Bass
Oil Boil Striped Bass

Diners will discover dishes like Wine-Soaked Atlantic Blue Crab, Qianlong’s Favorite Eel, Sea Urchin Egg Tofu Stew, Peach Resin Stew with Crab, Steamed Yellow Croaker in Wine Sauce, Smoked Fish with Osmanthus, Longjing (Green Tea) Shrimp, and White Marble Jade (Fish Meat Balls and Geechoi Stew).

Peach Resin Stew with Minced Crab Meat
Peach Resin Stew with Minced Crab Meat

Chef Wang, along with his wife Fang Fang, are also turning out delicate, sculptural desserts like Fried Sticky Rice Cakes with Peanut Brown Sugar, Sweet Osmanthus Rice Cake, Walnut Milk, Fried Sticky Rice Pancake with Peanuts and Brown Sugar and Meilin Congee.

Fried Sticky Rice Pancake with Peanut
Fried Sticky Rice Pancake with Peanut

Steamed Dungeness Crab
Steamed Dungeness Crab

Triple Soft
Triple Soft

The design of the restaurant is also meant to evoke a truly transportive experience. The space features a vintage floor plan representing an old Southeastern Chinese village along the Yangtze River. Simple, elegant decor consisting of polished wood and marble create nooks and alleys for customers to wander through with regional Chinese opera playing overhead. CheLi’s menu design is inspired by old Chinese census books, written with Shanghai style calligraphy on imported paper.


Photos: CheLi

CheLi is located at 19-23 Saint Marks Place, New York, NY

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