No. 1 Panda House

Life isn’t fair.
Decided to give this place a try through a waiter’s recommendation for Shanghai/​Tianjin cuisine. Oh… love at first sight. Why didn’t I find you earlier? And why do you still have No. 1 Panda House as your sign when the name is now Shanghai House? Oh the mystery of the misnomer.
I’ve had a chance to sample their cuisine three times, and each time was an exquisite experience. Some particular samples that come to mind are the Yu-​Shiang Pork, eggplant w/​minced pork in hot pot, and their surface rib braised snake gourd. Oh, and their glutinous rice balls and osmanthus in fermented rice hits the spot just right after a heaping meal as dessert. The menu has some interesting translations (or lack thereof), but everything has been solid thus far.
So having said all this, unfortunately, this gem of a restaurant in Durham will sorely be missed, as ⁸⁄₃₁ will be their last day of business. The owner/​boss/​cook has decided to go back to the Motherland. Great group of friendly folk who truly earn their keep. Anyone can open a restaurant and tout their food; but to go beyond that and provide exceptional customer service deserves recognition. Perhaps the lack of is the reason they are closing.
I plan on going back at least one more time before the gates close. They will be sorely missed.

Sadly, this place is no longer authentic. Looks as though the Shangaiese owner/​manager has sold it off. Now, it’s generic «American-​Chinese».
Sadness reigns.

its tucked away in a strip next to the food lion but worth checking out.
i’ve been here twice, once for brunch, and recently for dinner. the food is pretty good here… the owner can do the food recommendations and she is pretty good at that too. feel free to chat with her about your likes and dislikes.
pretty good service. i went with a group of 6 and the owner even calculated the per person cost for us! i’ve actually never had that happen to me before.
for brunch, i would recommend the won tons.
for dinner i definitely the lion head casserole are really good. its huge meatballs with water chestnuts and its hard to get a soft juicy texture that they have done. very yummy.
also there is a signature fish dish that the owner can recommend that is excellent. its fish fillets with some wood ear mushrooms in a tasty sauce.