Shanghai's best hole-in-the-wall sushi restaurant
“I don’t even know who 'The Blues Brothers' are,” confesses Sheng Sushi manager, Elwood Zhang (张满超). “A lot of Americans come in and ask if we like that movie. I’ve never seen it.”
And it’s really no secret why. Elwood and his partner James, who often goes by Jake, are the names of the two main characters played by Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi. Not to mention the duo don bejeweled black fedoras, which seem like an updated, bedazzled Shanghai nod to the 1980s cult film and "Saturday Night Live" sketch.
Affordable sushi
Whether their names and uniforms are intentional or not, Shanghai's very own Elwood and James have amassed their own cult-like following among the city’s sushiphiles.
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“Of course we want to make a profit,” admits James, who is head of sales and coordinates delivery with his Western clientele. “But we’d rather make money by giving a lot of people something for cheap than selling something really expensive to a select few.”
“With prices so low, we’ve met so many different kinds of people throughout the year: students, tourists, local businessmen and the like. I really like that.”
Prices are indeed wallet friendly at Sheng Sushi. Creative rolls start at RMB 20 (for the requisite California Roll) and top out at RMB 38 for the Golden Dragon.
The best deal: Helena Roll
Miggie Qin (秦丽颖), a former staff member and current university freshman is still a regular at the joint.
Of course we want to make a profit. But we’d rather make money by giving a lot of people something for cheap than selling something really expensive to a select few.— James Jin, 30, partner and sales manager, Sheng Shousi
“I help translate on the weekends with the western orders,” the 19-year-old tells us while slurping on a RMB 20 bowl of springy udon noodles with a delicately poached egg.
“But since it’s summer, I’ve been here more often, helping beginners navigate the menu.”
She recommends the Jackson (RMB 25) and Helena Roll (RMB 28). The Jackson is a fairly standard, though delicious, spicy tuna roll, Pollock-splattered with a smoky spiced sauce.
The Helena, Miggie’s favorite, “is the most economical,” she tells us. “It has tuna, salmon and flame-grilled eel. Three fish in one roll for only RMB 28.”
You have to admire her way of thinking.
Other highlights
Other highlights on the menu include the Western Empire Roll (RMB 35), which James describes as “fruity and girlie.” Believing his sincerity when he tells us how much he likes his foreign friends and patrons, one just hopes that the roll’s name is not an intentional slap in the face.
Nigiri starts at RMB 12 for three pieces of salmon or tuna, and soups begin at RMB 20. Even when grabbing a couple of RMB 18 Asahis or a few glasses of RMB 25 Ozeki draft sake, diners will still walk out of here paying no more than RMB 80 a head -- and incredibly full.
If you’re not lucky enough to grab one of their coveted seven seats inside or two outdoors, they deliver and provide takeaway.
With plans to eventually open another location, nobody expects that these sushi brothers will be singing the blues anytime soon.
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