Hidden within the shops of Fairhope Village, Shanghai Cottage supplies Fairhope, Alabama, with a truly unique restaurant. Shanghai Cottage, one of many Asian restaurants owned by Xian Chu Ou, provides a unique combination of Japanese and Chinese dishes. This menu of Asian fusion dishes creates a restaurant truly like no other.

This Sunday, my mom and I were driving back from my volleyball tournament in Mobile and decided we wanted to sit down and eat somewhere. Both my mom and I were craving sushi, but our usual place was closed, so we decided to try something new. As we were researching where we would eat our dinner, we came across Shanghai Cottage and decided to eat there. When we walked in, we were greeted by a kind host who brought us to our seats and gave us our menus. The bustle and loud chatter of the restaurant created a homey and relaxing atmosphere.

We started with an appetizer of crab rangoon. These small delectibles have a crispy outside but a creamy inside of cream cheese. As we enjoyed our appetizer, our server made sure that our cups were filled to the brim and did so with a smile on his face. Even when one of the parties next to us was being rude, he handled the situation with good manners.

After thoroughly looking through the menu, I ordered a Christmas roll and egg foo young. Our server waited patiently as my mom and I made our final decisions, even while the restaurant was very busy. 

When my dish arrived about ten minutes later, my mouth was watering just looking at it. Tuna and avocado wrapped tightly in seaweed and rice, as well as noodles, onions, shrimp, beef and fried egg encased in a crispy outer layer. I couldn’t take my eyes off the dishes. Both dishes were delicious and more than enough food for one meal.

Both my mom and I thoroughly enjoyed our dishes. We were in no rush to go anywhere after we ate, but the service was fantastic. Even with the restaurant being super busy, it only took us about 20 minutes to be served.

As Shanghai Cottage is a privately owned restaurant, I would say its prices are reasonable. The dish of egg foo young costs $19 and comes with a huge portion of food as well as fried rice. The Christmas roll costs $8.50. After my meal, I was stuffed and had to get a to-go box probably because of my overestimation of how hungry I was, but even without the Christmas roll, I most definitely would have had to get a to-go box. The portion sizes differ depending on what meal you get, but if you are looking for a big or a small meal, you can find both at Shanghai Cottage. 

Overall, my mom and I really enjoyed eating at Shanghai Cottage. Our server was really nice and funny, as well as efficient. Also, the atmosphere was homey and inviting. This restaurant scores a 5/5 from my mom and me, and will most definitely be seeing more of us.