Maiden Shanghai @ Five Palm Dubai

 We went to Maiden Shanghai, a much touted Chinese restaurant at the Five on the Palm in Dubai with much expectations. The Five is a busy location with a vibe that is difficult to define so getting through the busy entrance was a small achievement. The restaurant is over three floors with the first offering outdoor seating and the third with an outdoor terrace. We opted for the first floor though a narrow reception begged the question how would they handle a party of more than four arriving together? The welcome greeting was a bit cold and distant, though the girl who ushered us to the table was very helpful in finding a nice table. Our waitress Shama, was helpful and knew the menu well. 

The menu was a bit confusing and one needed the waitress to explain the offerings.The spring rolls were amazing, fresh and crunchy, though would like a little more sauce. The dim sum platter was mixed, with the mushroom, beef and shrimp dumplings being exceptional, the turnip dimpling was a flop and tasteless. 

The organic Kung pao chicken served with steamed rice was very good. Though one of us opted for the spiced up version only to find the spice was still mild. The sweet and sour crispy organic chicken was an experiment that seemed way off the mark. The chicken was minced into a ball and then fried, the result was the texture was if you were eating a sausage. Left you thinking that while crispy on the outside why mince the chicken and what else was in it?

On the drinks side each item was way over priced and AED 650 for a bottle of wine  most equivalent restaurants would offer for 300 made one wonder what the inflated price was for? The view from the terrace was not special to warrant a price hike on the drinks. For the one teetotaller the mocktail offerings were basically nothing  leaving me to just stick to water. 

The service was good, largely due to Shama with none of the supervisors or managers seen walking up to tables to ask if everything was okay. Adherence to mask wearing was prevalent but the absence of sanitisers on tables was obvious. Though there was a restriction of maximum six per table, one table near us had eight people and the fuss being made over them suggested a connected clientele.

Pros

• Quality of food good though needs improvement in some areas.
• Seating well spaced and private.

Cons

• Welcome was cold and impersonal.
• Food need improvement considering the price point it is offered at the quality was way below the price.
• Drinks over priced.
• Non alcoholic drinks menu weak.
• No sanitisers on tables.

Overall verdict: over priced restaurant with the food not near the price level they charge. Admittedly some items saved the grace but food was not consistent in quality. It would take some convincing to go back to the restaurant spending 400 per head (one person just a glass of water) unless prices came down or the quality caught up with the price.