Restaurant in Shanghai, China
Michelin-recognised Shanghainese without the price shock.
Yong Xing earns back-to-back Michelin Plate recognition (2024 and 2025) for Shanghainese cooking at Shanghai's most accessible price tier. The lane-set address in the former Zhabei area keeps things neighbourhood-facing and unfussy. Book easily, spend little, and eat well — this is where a returning Shanghai visitor builds the affordable anchor of a smart eating itinerary.
At the ¥ price tier, Yong Xing is one of the more compelling reasons to eat Shanghainese food without spending serious money in Shanghai. Two consecutive Michelin Plate recognitions (2024 and 2025) confirm this is not a casual find — the Plate designation signals food quality worth a detour, even if it stops short of starred territory. If you have been once and are wondering whether to return, the answer is yes, particularly if you are exploring the breadth of what traditional Shanghainese cooking can deliver at an accessible price point.
Yong Xing sits on Fuxing Middle Road in what was historically the Zhabei district, tucked inside a lane compound at No. 1, Alley 626. The address itself tells you something about the format: this is not a showcase restaurant designed for a grand arrival. The physical setting is intimate and neighbourhood-facing, the kind of space where the room does not compete with the food for your attention. For a solo diner or a pair, that spatial modesty works in your favour , there is no pressure to fill a large table and no ambient noise from a room trying to perform. For larger groups, confirm capacity before you book, as the layout may not accommodate parties of four or more comfortably depending on configuration.
Shanghainese cuisine at this price tier typically anchors around braised and red-cooked preparations, cold appetisers, and seasonal vegetables. Yong Xing's Michelin Plate recognition across two years suggests consistency in execution rather than a single standout dish, which is what you want from a restaurant you are considering as a regular. As a returning visitor, push past the obvious and ask what is in season now , autumn and winter in Shanghai favour richer braised dishes and hairy crab preparations (when in season, typically October through December), while spring menus lean toward fresh greens and lighter sauced proteins.
On the drinks side, traditional Shanghainese restaurants at this price point do not typically build deep wine programs, and Yong Xing's ¥ positioning makes a sophisticated wine list unlikely. The more practical pairing here is baijiu or local beer, which align with the cooking style and the price tier. If wine matters to you for this meal, you will find better options at Fu 1088 or Fu 1015, both of which operate at higher price tiers where cellar investment makes more sense. For Yong Xing, match the drink to the occasion: keep it simple and let the food lead.
Booking difficulty is rated Easy, which is consistent with the neighbourhood positioning and price tier. You are unlikely to need to plan weeks ahead, though peak dining times on weekends may warrant a call in advance. No website or phone number is listed in current records, so your leading approach is to visit directly or use a local booking platform. The address , 闸北区复兴中路626弄1号 , places you between Maoming Road and Ruijin Road, which is a well-connected part of the former French Concession and Zhabei border area, reachable by metro without difficulty. Allow time to find the lane entrance, as alley-set venues in Shanghai can require a moment of navigation.
Yong Xing is the right call if you want Michelin-recognised Shanghainese cooking without committing to a ¥¥¥ or ¥¥¥¥ spend. It suits solo diners, pairs, and anyone building a Shanghai eating itinerary that needs a reliable, affordable anchor alongside splurge meals elsewhere. It is less suited to groups wanting a banquet format or to occasions where the room itself needs to impress. If you are a returning visitor to Shanghai and want to eat well on a budget while staying in the Shanghainese tradition, Yong Xing earns a place on your shortlist alongside Lao Zheng Xing and Cheng Long Hang (Huangpu).
If Shanghainese cooking is your focus and you are travelling beyond Shanghai, the tradition has strong representation elsewhere. Yè Shanghai (Tsim Sha Tsui) in Hong Kong brings a polished version of the cuisine to a glossier setting. Shanghai Cuisine in Beijing offers a northern-city take on the same tradition. For broader Chinese fine dining context while travelling the region, consider Xin Rong Ji (Xinyuan South Road) in Beijing, Xin Rong Ji in Chengdu, Ru Yuan in Hangzhou, Chef Tam's Seasons in Macau, Imperial Treasure Fine Chinese Cuisine in Guangzhou, and Dai Yuet Heen in Nanjing.
For more options in Shanghai specifically, see our full Shanghai restaurants guide, our full Shanghai hotels guide, our full Shanghai bars guide, our full Shanghai wineries guide, and our full Shanghai experiences guide.
Dress casually. At the ¥ price tier in a lane-set neighbourhood venue, there is no dress code to think about. Smart casual is fine; you do not need to dress for a formal meal. Save your smarter outfit for a splurge at Fu 1088 or Fu 1039, where the room and price point expect more.
Focus on the Shanghainese classics: braised and red-cooked dishes, cold starters, and whatever vegetables are in season. If you are visiting between October and December, ask specifically about seasonal preparations. Two consecutive Michelin Plate awards suggest the kitchen executes its core menu with consistency, so ordering broadly from the menu rather than hunting for a single signature dish is the right approach. The kitchen will tell you what is fresh.
Yes, Yong Xing is well suited to solo dining. The neighbourhood format, modest spatial scale, and easy booking process make it a low-friction choice for a solo meal. At ¥ per head, the spend is comfortable without a companion to share dishes , though Shanghainese food is generally better shared, so ordering two or three dishes is still reasonable on your own. For solo dining in a more formal Shanghainese setting, Lao Zheng Xing is the main alternative to consider.
For Shanghainese food at a similar or slightly higher price tier, Lao Zheng Xing is the most direct peer , a long-established name in the city's traditional Shanghainese canon. Cheng Long Hang (Huangpu) is worth considering if you want a slightly more polished room. If budget is not a constraint, Fu 1015 and Fu 1088 offer Shanghainese cooking at a higher price tier with more elaborate settings. See our full Shanghai restaurants guide for a broader view of the city's options.
No phone number or website is available in current records, so contacting the restaurant ahead of your visit to discuss dietary requirements requires going through a local booking platform or visiting in person. Traditional Shanghainese kitchens typically use soy, pork-derived ingredients, and shellfish across much of the menu, so if you have strict dietary restrictions, clarifying in advance is necessary rather than optional. For guaranteed vegetarian options in Shanghai, Fu He Hui is the specialist choice at the leading of the market.
| Venue | Cuisine | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yong Xing | Shanghainese | Michelin Plate (2025); Michelin Plate (2024) | Easy | — |
| Fu He Hui | Vegetarian | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Ming Court | Cantonese | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
| Royal China Club | Chinese, Cantonese | Unknown | — | |
| Scarpetta | Italian | Unknown | — | |
| Yè Shanghai | Shanghainese | Unknown | — |
Comparing your options in Shanghai for this tier.
Casual dress is appropriate at this price tier. Yong Xing holds a Michelin Plate rather than a star, sits in a lane compound in Zhabei, and prices at ¥, so there is no expectation of formal attire. Clean, comfortable clothes are fine.
Shanghainese cooking at the ¥ tier typically anchors around red-cooked and braised preparations, cold appetisers, and seasonal vegetables. These are the formats the cuisine is built on, and at this price point they represent the strongest value case for booking Yong Xing over a pricier Shanghainese option.
Yes. Booking difficulty is rated Easy, the price tier is ¥, and the lane-compound setting suits drop-in solo visits. You are unlikely to need a reservation weeks in advance, which makes it a practical option if you are eating alone and want Michelin-recognised Shanghainese food without coordinating a group.
If you want to spend more for a broader Shanghainese experience, Yè Shanghai has locations across the region including Hong Kong and offers a higher-price-tier interpretation of the same cuisine tradition. Within Shanghai at the budget end, Yong Xing's two consecutive Michelin Plates (2024, 2025) make it harder to beat for value-conscious Shanghainese cooking specifically.
No specific dietary accommodation policy is available in the venue data. At a neighbourhood-level ¥ Shanghainese restaurant, communication about restrictions is safest handled in advance and in Mandarin, given the local positioning of the address on Fuxing Middle Road.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
