Ding Hao Shanghai

This relatively new Chinese restaurant in Mesa offers two separate menus, both offering an array of hard-to-find Shanghainese dishes. Specialties of the house include sheng jian bao, a magical pan-fried dumpling that will, according to legend, “make you forget about every other dumpling.” It features a delicate, doughy skin that holds pork filling and a mouthful of hot broth. This eatery’s version is pan-fried with a layer of caramelized sesame seeds on the crisp bottom and a layer of dough around pork filling. Other favorites include a cooked beef hot pot, a spicy cabbage terrine, and delicious, spongy tofu with peanuts.