Fu 1039 福一O三九 (Shanghai, CHINA) ★★★★☆

Fu 1039 (福一O三九) is a renowned restaurant in Shanghai, celebrated for its authentic Shanghainese cuisine. The one-Michelin-starred restaurant is housed in a preserved 1920s, three-story historic villa, offering a nostalgic and intimate dining atmosphere that’s beloved by both locals and tourists.

Located on trendy Yuyuan Road (愚園道), Fu 1039 features classic Old Shanghai décor, with antique furniture and private rooms. It feels more like visiting a wealthy friend’s mansion more than anything else.

The dining room certainly doesn't look like part of a commercial dining space.

Unlike its more formal sister restaurants such as Fu 1015 and Fu 1088, Fu 1039 specializes in refined versions of local home-style dishes. It’s also best known for being more affordable while maintaining high standards.

While we were pondering whether to order some of their signature dishes like braised pork, drunken chicken, and stir-fried river shrimp, here comes some fruits to get our palate ready.

Tea smoked eggs topped with caviar (鱘龍魚子醬茶燻蛋) (¥18 each) — Nice, light smoky flavors matched with the runny egg yolk and the saltiness from the caviar. A fast start.

Wok-fried prawns coasted with salted egg yolk paste and almond (杏片金沙蝦球) (¥188) — The prawns had very lovely bouncy texture and absolutely great “wok hei”. The salted egg yolk paste was spot on. Too bad I didn’t have steamed rice to pair with it.

Braised hairy crab meat served with toast (清炒蟹粉配吐司) (¥368) — One of the many signature dishes here. The crab roe and hairy crab meat were wok-fried and served with toast.

Very delicious — whether you enjoy it with the toast or without.

I was trying to experiment by combining this with the prawns, and our server caught me in the act while I was taking a picture. He immediately came over with a nice chuckle and said, “Experiencing a new dish for us, huh?” That was a pretty funny moment. 😂😂

Wok-fried string beans with bamboo shoots and pickled vegetables (乾片鮮筍四季豆) (¥78) — One of my favorite vegetables somehow only available in Shanghainese cuisine. These came with a little extra heat.

Our dining experience was highlighted by the restaurant’s nostalgic “Old Shanghai” elegance and outstanding regional dishes, which are the two main draws here. We were just glad we finally found the time to cross it off my list.

Food Rating: 7/10

Price: ¥¥¥

Address: 1039 Yuyuan Road, Jiangsu Road Subdistrict, Changning District, Shanghai, China

上海市长宁区江苏路街道愚园路1039号(近江苏路)

Closest Metro Station: Jiangsu Road (江苏路)

Tel: +86 (021) 5237-1878

Opening Hours: 11:30am - 2:00pm, 5:30pm - 10:00pm daily

Map: https://j.map.baidu.com/0c/KqlM