RESTAURANT REVIEW : Dragon Villages: Thereby Hangs a Tale

Shanghai is called China’s most European city. And for good reason. In the first half of this century the city was dominated by French, German and other European merchant communities. They left an indelible mark--one which might have been greater had they not treated the native Chinese population with an indifference that bordered on contempt.

Those days are long gone, but a subtle presence remains in modern Shanghai. The city’s famous Bund, a waterfront thoroughfare lined with European style buildings, is a constant reminder of a colonial past. And even today many Shanghainese still cast a curious eye on Western culture. Colonialism dies hard.

Despite all this, the city’s cuisine has remained steadfastly uncorrupted through the centuries. Shanghainese food is a wonderful mix of China’s many cooking styles. It is dominated by cold dishes, steamed buns and seafood specialties. Now, thanks to a burgeoning Chinese population in Southern California, this cuisine is increasingly showing up in these parts.

One of the best new Shanghainese restaurants is Dragon Villages, which was recently opened by Shanghai-born John Lieu in the San Gabriel Valley. Lieu’s main energies are directed toward the textile industry, but some years back he ventured into the restaurant business. It was no surprise to those who understand Shanghai that his first restaurant, the Westside’s successful Il Forno, was Italian; Lieu adores European culture and cuisine.

“I make regular visits to Paris and Milan because of my work,” he says, “and I have learned to appreciate European food as few Chinese do.” Now he wants the rest of us to begin to appreciate Shanghainese cuisine.

Dragon Villages is a simple, handsome restaurant. Lieu has even hung one of his own paintings, a canal scene of Souchow, the Venice of China, on a wall as you enter. He wears so many hats that it wouldn’t surprise me to find out he stuffs bao in his spare time. And what bao they are.

Shanghai steam dumplings, 10 to an order, come nestled in a bamboo steamer and are arguably the area’s finest. They burst with freshness; hot, sensuously flavored juices run down the sides as you bite into them. What’s more they aren’t even the stars of the show.

That honor goes to tsai ro bao, literally vegetable meat buns. The dough is slightly thicker than those of the steam dumplings, but equally soft and yielding. The filling is one of the best I’ve ever tasted, an elegant mixture of minced pork, glass noodle, celery, roughly chopped garlic, carrot, and Chinese cabbage. It’s a patrician treat at a plebeian price.

A good Shanghainese restaurant must have plenty of first-rate cold dishes; Dragon Villages certainly measures up. Wine marinated chicken is moist and delightfully flavored with a sherry-like rice wine. Ching chiang cured pork is cubed and pointedly European, looking like Saxon head cheese, and tasting like Norman charcuterie . Five flavors spiced beef is splendid.

Another Shanghainese specialty is the clay pot casserole filled with rich, hearty ingredients and mingled flavors. Braised minced meat ball casserole, aka “lion’s head” is one of the best--fine, fatty pork balls in a brown sauce with Napa cabbage and shiitake mushrooms. Stewed bean curd casserole is nearly as good; here the bean curd soaks up much of the accompanying sauce, while crunchy meats and vegetables add textural interest.

Seafoods play a large part on any Shanghainese table, because Shanghai is a waterfront city. There aren’t too many choices at Dragon Villages but everything they do serve is wonderful. Shrimp egg with sea cucumber is a rare and inspired combination. The sea cucumber is as tender as I’ve ever tasted. Sauteed shrimp are simple and pleasing, cooked in huge splashes of rice wine and garlic. An off-menu eel is available, browned in hot oil, then smothered in chive. And of course there are whole fish, whatever the chef happens to have, done in the Shanghainese way (with that ever-present brown sauce.) I had a crispy skinned rock cod flecked with red pepper and onion.

Lieu has no desire to make his native cuisine more European, but he does intend to develop a top flight wine list. That is unusual in an authentic Chinese restaurant, but then Lieu is an unusual man. The fact that the beer and wine license is pending is proof that Lieu can live in three worlds at the same time. Any restaurant this good in France or China would probably have gotten a beer and wine license the first week.

Recommended dishes: Shanghai steam dumplings $3.25, pine needle dumplings $3.25, ching chaing cured pork $5.50, wine marinated chicken $5.50, braised minced meat ball casserole $11, shrimp egg with sea cucumber $14.

Dragon Villages, 301 W. Valley Blvd., San Gabriel. (818) 284-4769. Open daily, 11:30 a.m.-3 a.m. No alcohol. Parking in lot. Visa and MasterCard accepted. Dinner for two, $15-25.