Authentic Taste is the Greatest Surprise at Shanghai Surprise, Lucknow

You get to know the true taste of Chinese and Thai cuisine only upon coming to Shanghai Surprise – the authentic restaurant for Chinese and Thai delicacies situated in the heart of Lucknow. Barely a stone’s throw from Saharaganj Mall, Shanghai Surprise has authentic taste as the surprise element for food-buffs, as per Lovey Kumar, the promoter of the restaurant whose address 1-A, Sapru Marg is famous not only for original mouth-watering taste but also for the soothing ambience of its interiors.
Shanghai Surprise was the first restaurant to serve Chinese and Thai in a city otherwise famous for housing innumerable restaurants serving Mughlai and Indian cuisine. “Before Shanghai Surprise, the Lucknowites were not much aware about the true taste of Chinese and Thai food beyond Manchurian and Chowmein,” says Kumar adding further that “Mostly, of course, otherwise gourmets were always there, looking forward to an avenue which could satisfy their long-lasting desire for tasty food from across the Himalayas.”
With interiors that could match those of the best Chinese restaurants even in Delhi and other metros, this 80-cover restaurant would sooth your aching nerves even if you go there after a hectic shopping schedule at Saharaganj Mall or for a power-packed lunch amidst vigorous business meetings. Having red ceiling and walls glorified with paintings that give a truly Chinese ambience to the interiors, this restaurant is currently celebrating the Year of the Dog, informs Durga Singh, the manager. The Chinese New Year will begin somewhere in February when Shanghai Surprise will once again go for week-long festivities, as it did in February this year. The restaurant refurbishes its interiors every February after a period of festivities and celebrations. So if you have not visited Shanghai Surprise since February this year, be prepared for an altogether new ambience compared to what you saw last time. Roshan Lal, the Chef at Shanghai Surprise has gained experience in several Chinese and Thai restaurants in Delhi and elsewhere, before landing up in Lucknow to give a helping hand to Lovey Kumar in making this restaurant a one-stop destination for Chinese and Thai cuisine in Lucknow. Lal has even worked at Suko Thai – a restaurant owned by a cook from Thailand, where he mastered the art of cooking delicious, spicy Thai cuisine.
This is to be remembered that original Thai food is so spicy that it could put to shame the true spice-loving Indians. Through his several years of experience, Lal knows perfectly how to blend the right mixture of spices in his food so that the guests go back licking their fingers and wanting for more.
Lovey Kumar fondly mentions the case of a French lady who recently visited the restaurant. “The greatest compliment that I received that day,” says he, “was when this lady said that the Chinese taste that I savoured in an authentic Chinese restaurant back in Paris is exactly what you get here.”
The Salad Chicken Green Pepper Dry and Vegetable Ofan Noodles that the Chef decided out of his vast repertoire to serve us were simply superb. Vegetable Ofan Noodles had flat noodles that reminded you of Italian pasta whereas Chicken Green Pepper was spicy enough to titillate your taste buds into enjoying the food. Both the dishes were not only good to taste but also good to look and smell, thereby giving an impression that Shanghai Surprise is not just a treat for the tongue but a true treat for the give senses. There were famous Thai dishes like Keng Phat Kai and Keng Kiu Worn Kai besides a range of start-ups and a few great soups. The main course goes more with steamed rice, the cook informed us, adding further that some of the authentic dishes are cooked only in coconut milk.
“We still do not have a competitor,” says Lovey Kumar, adding that people come specially to complement me over taste. “Ours is the only restaurant in Lucknow that serves Beer, which goes extremely well with Chinese.” The restaurant is starting wine and Bacardi soon. Japanese cuisine too is being introduced later this year, which will surely add crabs and lobsters to the Surprise that Shanghai Surprise incessantly gives, every time you decide to visit this restaurant.