A++ Taste, Affordable Chinese Food @ Little Shanghai, Lisbon

You know those restaurants that keep coming out with one smashing dish after another, where you know you should be taking pictures, but just can't bother to take any because you can't wait to dip into the meal, where you want everything on the menu and can actually have it because it doesn't break the bank?

Those restaurants where you just wish you had more stomach capacity to continue devouring dish after dish? Yeah that's Little Shanghai.

It may not look like much from the outside, but do not be deceived - this restaurant is an absolute gem in Lisbon. And one that's hit a spot like no other for me quite yet.

Growing up in Toronto, I was pretty darn spoiled on good Chinese food. It can be hard to find really fresh, delicious food that's also healthy, but finding a restaurant that's very traditional and not overly sugary and catering its' menu to Western tastebuds isn't the most difficult thing to do.

Not quite so in Portugal, at least based on my experience. That being said, Little Shanghai hit this sorely missed spot for me - while simultaneously also exceeding my expectations, as insofar as quality goes.

We. Bought. So. Many. Items. On. The. Menu.

From the perfect egg fried rice and beef with oyster sauce, tenderized to oblivion and tasty as high heaven...

To the most perfectly delectable dumplings galore...

To oh so savoury, crunchy, and delicious egg rolls...

To some of my favourite - yet way less frequent to come by options -

Zongzi (Chinese sticky rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaf) that I could write home about, and really made me miss the Galleria in Toronto where I used to religiously buy these delicious things...

As well as a Bao that's probably one of the best I've ever eaten - not too much breading, plenty of filler, perfect texture - and that's pretty hard to nail taste-wise based on Bao's I've had in the past...

To reiterate, yes, we ordered a lot. Because it was so gosh darn affordable.

But of course, we weren't done, as when we were finished, we just had to order an encore of the Zongzi & Bao, since they're so hard to find anywhere else...

Were we #ded by the end of it? Heck yes.

Would we do it again? Absolutely!

And this time I want to bring along my brother and his husband, because the more dishes I can hit on this menu to share, the happier I will be.