At Xiǎo Xián Shēng Jiān you can eat an excellent example of the excellent Shanghai specialty: fried dumplings (shēng jiān).
This restaurant is located on the border of the old town, 234 Dǒng Jiā Dù Lù, just to the west of Wàn Yù Jiē. If we call the food excellent, then we'll say the location is superb. It's peaceful in a very old Chinese way — the lack of cars leaves this narrow street to exist in a busy, but quiet, charm.
It's easiest to order in multiples of four shēng jiān by pointing and saying "qǐng gěi wǒ sì gè/bā gè", etc. (please give me four/eight, etc). The price is 2.5rmb for 4 (which is just about the same as anywhere else in Shanghai). Here they are very delicious, in fact some of the best we've tasted.
We tried some other items on the menu (pictures here) only to be mostly disappointed by the taste. For example they serve a simple beef noodle soup, but they couldn't live up to the ones we've tried here, or here. Open 6am-6pm.
Cross posted at likealocal.
Also on Shanghaiist
Eat Me: ([meat+soup]*fried)/dumpling = delicious



When I was living on Nanchang Lu there was this really great place that sold sheung jian. It is by far one of the best. I think its near the Rujin Intersection but I'm not sure.
the best sheng jian in Shanghai is at a place called Xiao Yang Sheng Jian. It's on WuJiang Lu.