At San Gu, the frog is the prince

The long lines in front of the entrance of San Gu Bullfrog Restaurant (三顾牛蛙店) are a tribute to the popularity of its namesake and signature dish: bullfrog dry pot (干锅牛蛙). Walk inside and you'll see an army of the sizable ceramic bowls adorning nearly every table top, and for good reason. We've never had a frog leg dish where the meat was so flaky and delicate that it seemed to naturally slink off the bone when it landed on our plate. The taste of bullfrog meat is often likened to the workmanlike chicken, but at San Gu it also shares the flaky consistency of broiled sea bass, tender and moist to a wonderful degree. Surrounded by a hefty mix of semi-drenched potato chips, lotus root, peppercorns and garlic, you can dig your chopsticks in blindly and be sure to pull out something worth chewing on.

San Gu is a hybrid restaurant dishing up both capable Sichuanese and regional Zhejiang offerings. It's clear though what the celebrity of the menu is, and at a reasonable 69 RMB the frog is the most expensive dish and that makes San Gu a rewarding destination for the recession-minded.

San Gu NIu Wa (三顾牛蛙店) - No. 882 Zhaojizabang Lu, near Wanping Lu (肇嘉浜路883号近宛平路) Tel: 6469-4611 (reservations not accepted) Hours: 11am-2pm, 5-11pm

San Gu NIu Wa (三顾牛蛙店) - No. 3 Fenyang Lu, near Huaihai Lu (汾阳路3号教育宾馆1楼, 近淮海中路) Tel: 6466-6155 Hours: 11am-2pm, 5-11pm

Eric Hu is Shanghaiist's Food Editor. Email tips, recommendations, and news and gossip about Shanghai's food scene to food at shanghaiist.com.<