Moose Pudong 鹿園 浦東店 (Shanghai, CHINA) ★★★★☆

We had an early start for a morning tour of Pudong (浦東). The Oriental Pearl Tower (東方明珠塔) was a great starting point, and I planned to take a walk down memory lane with a long overdue visit to the Grand Hyatt Shanghai hotel (上海金茂君悅大酒店). It opened back in 2000 (I think) and at one point, it was the world’s tallest hotel. I have dined there on a few occasions when it was still new, but I’d never had the chance to stay.

But the temperature turned out to be much warmer than expected. After a few quick photos of the Oriental Pearl Tower, we decided to retreat somewhere with air-conditioning.

Super Brand Mall (正大廣場) came to the rescue, and we enjoyed some game time at the arcade centre there as well.

Next up was lunch. Moose (鹿園), also better known as Luyuan, is a Michelin one-star restaurant located on the 9th floor of the L+Mall in Lujiazui (陸家嘴). It specializes in refined Huaiyang and Shanghainese cuisine.

The main branch of the restaurant is set in a refurbished century-old colonial mansion in Changning district, quite a stark contrast to this modern, luxury outlet in Pudong.

The modern, cozy décor strikes a balance between contemporary style and traditional Huaiyang elegance.

Before our dishes arrived, we were offered some local melon and a strawberry.

Braised bean curd with vegetables (鹵汁浸素燒鵝) (¥48) — We started off with a few starters including this vegetarian duck dish. The braised bean curd stuffed with mushrooms and vegetables was served cold, with a homemade sweet soy sauce. Refreshing and appetizing to kick off the meal.

Mushroom soup with tofu and pigeon egg (明月雪絨豆腐湯) (¥58) — One of the house specialties here. A refined Huaiyang-style soup that showcases the incredible knife skills, where tofu is shredded into snow-like threads to resemble a snowflake. There was a light but deep mushroom flavor in the background, for a balanced and soothing finish.

Shrimp and bamboo shoot mugwort mochi (蝦仁筍丁艾草團) (¥68) — A new item on the menu. While the filling of shrimp and bamboo shoots resembles that of a steamed shrimp dumpling, the wrapper is a mochi-style one made with mugwort. An interesting creation on paper, but the skin was a little too thick and sticky for my liking.

Squirrel-shaped mandarin fish (松鼠桂魚) (¥78) — One of the signature dishes here, which can be ordered as a one-person portion. That’s exactly what we did with the squirrel-shaped mandarin fish. Little nugget has always been a huge fan of this dish thanks to the thick, sticky sweet-and-sour sauce. Personally, I thought the texture of the fish was really succulent. 

Roast duck (燜爐烤鴨) (¥288) — A signature dish that, according to our server, requires at least 70 minutes of preparation time. Let’s see whether it really lives up to the long wait.

I thought it would take longer than 70 minutes. By the time our chef brought it out and once the craving for those crispy skins kicked in — we’d already finished the other dishes long, long ago.

Our server explained that we would be enjoying the skin first. 

The duck was roasted with fruit wood, so the crispy skin naturally developed a distinct aroma, along with a shiny, slightly oily texture.

A plate of condiments was already set on the table. It included the usual scallion, cucumber, sugar, and hoisin sauce but no thin strips of hawthorn jelly or melon.

We were told to dip the skin in sugar first. Crisp, delicate, and melting in the mouth — it really was excellent.

By the time we’d polished off fewer than a dozen pieces of crispy duck skin, another plate was already waiting on deck.

All of these came with a thin layer of fat and meat underneath.

The thin and delicate pancakes were served in a heated bamboo basket.

Little by little, I added the condiments to my pancake.

And rolled it into a tube-like roast duck wrap.

What stood out most about Moose’s roast duck was how soft and succulent the meat was. The fruit-wood aroma was clearly present and distinct, but not overpowering allowing the natural flavor of the duck to shine through. For me, it even tasted better than the one we had at Song Sichuan Cuisine (宋 · 川菜) in Guangzhou.

Second and third round coming…..

Boiled Duck frame with vegetable and fish ball soup (時蔬魚丸鴨架湯) (¥20 per head) —  The remaining bones were used for this duck soup with vegetables and fish balls. I expected it might be a little greasy, but it was the complete opposite. The broth was clean and sweet, with a lovely creamy texture. Love this!

The highlight was definitely the soft bones. A little crunchy but tender and satisfying.

The meal lasted a little over two hours, slightly longer than I expected. The pacing wasn't bad except for the roast duck, which understandably took more time to prepare.

All in all, what stood out most was the balance between refinement and comfort. The dishes reflected clear Huaiyang finesse with clean flavors, careful textures, and plenty of attention to detail — yet nothing overly fussy.

Food Rating: 7.1/10

Price: ¥¥¥

Address: Shop 908-909, Level 9 Lujiazui Center, Pudong District, Shanghai, China

上海市浦东新区浦东南路899号上海陆家嘴中心9层908-909号

Closest Metro Station: South Pudong Road (浦东南路)

Tel: +86 (021) 5877-5707

Opening Hours: 11:00am - 2:00pm, 5:00pm - 9:00pm daily

Map: https://j.map.baidu.com/17/oeiM