Shanghai Jack's

A standout among Chinese restaurant choices

by Margaret LeRoux

Shanghai Jack's 45 Sterling Street West Boylston 835-3663 Hours Mon.-Thurs. 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Fri.-Sat. 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Sun. noon-10 p.m. Major credit cards Full bar Handicap accessible

I don't mean to complain about Chinese food in Worcester -- the vast quantities I've had over the years qualify me as a fan -- but there is, I think, a certain sameness, no matter what restaurant in the city you visit. If you were to do a blind-tasting of Peking ravioli from any of Worcester's better Chinese restaurants, for instance, you most likely wouldn't be able to taste a difference among them.

Which is why I was pleasantly surprised at the Peking ravioli ($4.25) I ate at Shanghai Jack's in West Boylston. Though the fried dumpling itself could have been a trifle warmer, the pork sausage stuffing had a certain spiciness I haven't found in this appetizer. And the dipping sauce was loaded with ginger and garlic, which gave even more bite to this tasty appetizer.

Shanghai Jack's turned out to have a number of tasty surprises. The chef has a deft hand with seasoning, and the presentation of dishes is outstanding. It's been a couple of years since I've been there, though in the past I've admired the two-story restaurant's clean, modern decor. On this recent visit, with a couple of friends, we arrived midweek, only to find the pretty upstairs dining room dark; and only two tables were occupied in the smaller, downstairs eating area. By the end of our meal, however, a few more diners arrived, so the place didn't seem so lonely.

A large buffet table is the reception area's focal point. There's a bar to the right and several tables to the left of the bar. After noticing several patrons heading to the buffet, and after hearing favorable comments on its selection, I checked it out. The buffet offers lots of appetizers, including chicken wings, teriyaki beef, and egg rolls; the bright red sauce of sweet-and-sour chicken always turns me off, so that dish wasn't appealing, but there were several other meat and vegetable choices offered. A separate table held steam trays of fried rice and noodles. But I'd already read the menu and was intent on trying something there.

Shanghai Jack's offers the same items that you'll find on most Chinese menus, plus an assortment of platters each priced at $8.75 for finger-food fans. "Teriyaki tasters" includes beef teriyaki, chicken wings, and boneless ribs; "Beyond Rangoon" offers crab Rangoon, chicken fingers, and fried shrimp; and a "Finger-food sampler" has boneless ribs, chicken fingers, and chicken wings.

One in our party ordered hot-and-sour soup. ($1.95), proclaiming it the best version of this popular, Chinese broth she's eaten.

Shanghai Jack's menu is extensive, and, unlike most area Chinese restaurants, offers a good variety of dinner combination specials (available Sunday through Thursday), all priced under $10. From moo goo gai pan, ($7.25), spicy shrimp with garlic sauce, ($8.25) to orange flavored beef ($8.95), they all include pork-fried rice and an appetizer like chicken fingers, crab Rangoon, or an egg roll.

Seafood selections include a whole steamed fish or Hunan crispy fish at market prices, mussels with ginger-scallion sauce ($9.95), and flounder fillet with Chinese vegetables ($11.50). A whole Peking duck is a pricey $25.95; half is $15.95. The familiar General Gau's chicken is $9.50, so is Mongolian barbecued beef.

Vegetarians have lots of options: a mixture of vegetables, vegetarian delight ($6.25), bean curd with black mushrooms ($6.75), and Chinese eggplant with garlic sauce ($6.50) are but a few. There's also a dieter's menu, which includes low-fat spinach chicken ($8.25) and scallops with Chinese vegetables ($9.55).

We honed in on the house specials. In the past I've enjoyed the spicy flames of the Phoenix ($9.75), medallions of chicken with an assortment of vegetables; and then there's the charmingly named seven stars around the moon ($16.95), which features shrimp, lobster, scallops, beef, and chicken with vegetables arranged around crab Rangoon. Tonight I was tempted by a special: salt-and-pepper scallops ($11.95). One of my companions chose Szechuan spicy three delight ($10.25), a spiced mixture of thinly sliced beef and chicken with shrimp all sautéed with broccoli, mushrooms, and onions.

The other selected sesame chicken ($9.75), a generous helping of boneless, fried-chicken pieces coated with sesame seeds and served with broccoli in a not-too-spicy sauce flavored with sesame oil.

My scallops were delicious. Coated with chestnut flour, salt and pepper, and deep fried, they were melt-in-your-mouth tender. The pepper gave them just enough bite. The presentation of this dish -- as were the others -- was so pleasing. Served on stemmed platters, each was garnished with a beautiful flower, carved from daikon, resting on a nest of grated carrot.

We're all partial to lo mein and Shanghai Jack's house special ($6.95) is outstanding. Crammed with beef, pork, chicken, shrimp, and vegetables, these noodles have a smoky taste from the sesame oil.

Too full for dessert, we were content with fortune cookies and tea while we planned a return visit. Our bill, not including tip, was $53.55.