Fans of Hong Kong style food are constantly lamenting the lack of restaurants that satisfy their cravings in Shanghai. Now they do not need to look any further than Louie Restaurant, a different kind of café restaurant that opened in mid-December in Xujiahui. In Hong Kong, the local cafes “cha can ting” are like canteens for ordinary folks that serve simple and classic dishes, such as congee, wontoon soups, chow mien and Hong Kong-style milk tea. The bar is raised for “cha can ting” is raised in Shanghai, which are typically fancier in terms of food & ambience – areas in which Louie delivers and excels.

Louie’s owners are husband and wife team Mr. & Mrs. Wong, who wanted to bring their life-long passion for food to Shanghai. In fact, you can say pursuing a culinary venture was in the blood, as Mrs. Wong grew up learning from a mother who taught Chinese cooking for many years and has also written many cookbooks. The menu primarily consists of Chinese dishes, but also offers Western-style dishes with an Eastern twist. Diners have the luxury of choosing from a wide variety of dishes, including Cantonese roasts, congee, curries and even pizza and spaghetti.

Louie offers a variety of soups, including “cappuccino” soups, which are essentially cream soups with foam on top, similar to their namesake. These include pumpkin soup and mushroom soup, both of which are creamy yet light, highlighting the essence and even texture of each vegetable. The egg beancurd on hot plate is a simple dish of tofu with minced pork in a sweet and sour sauce, with a hint of spice, a perfect dish for a night during this never-ending winter. Mr. Wong's favorite dish, African chicken, is a Macanese dish. The chicken is both juicy and tender, with a spicy sauce of tomato, garlic and chili very similar to salsa, over a bed of roasted potatoes. The pork cutlet, a typical Western dish, was perfectly crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, and is served in a Chinese fashion, with a sweet and sour dipping sauce. The vegetable curry with boiled egg has a strong curry flavor with a spicy kick and a variety of vegetables including cauliflower, potato, carrot and snap peas.

Whether you order dessert after a meal or as an afternoon snack, there is a wide assortment of Hong Kong-style desserts to choose from. The mango pudding with evaporated milk is enjoyable and not overly sweet with bits of mango in the firm pudding. The sago with grapefruit had sizable tapioca balls and was also sprinkled with mango. As for drinks, Louie offers a variety of tea- and fruit-based beverages, as well as a selection of beers and wines.

Louie is located on the second floor of Tengfei Plaza on the busy Tianyaoqiao Lu. The restaurant offers a sanctuary from busy Xujiahui with blonde wood and leather booths that beckon you to sink into them. Louie also has a space offset from the rest of the restaurant that seats around 40 people that is suitable for parties, with a long table surrounded by booths. The restaurant recently hosted a tasting party, showcasing the pasta dishes that will be added to the menu. These include wheat- and vegetable-based pasta dishes, including red carrot noodles with meat and cheese sauce and spinach noodles with basil chicken sauce. Next time you are craving Hong Kong-style delicacies, swing by Louie for its inviting ambience and menu of old standbys and innovative additions and you will not be disappointed.