French snails from Red House and potato salad from Deda are both infused with local Shanghai flavors. [Photo/China Daily]

Shanghai native Zhou Yongle may not agree. He opened his restaurant Tian'e Shen Ge (literally, Swan Shanghai Chamber) in 2008 because he couldn't find his favorite childhood dishes anywhere in the city. His restaurant is named in homage to Tian'e Ge, a rival of Red House in the 1940s and 1950s that was frequented by the city's yuppies. It closed down in the 1990s.

The scion of a wealthy family, Zhou remembers dressing up and going for a feast at Tian'e Ge every weekend. "They were the happiest memories of my childhood," he said.

After spending several decades living and working in the United States, he returned to Shanghai in 1998. The idea of starting a restaurant arose from his cravings for certain pork dishes he was unable to find.

"I had had enough Western cuisine but the Shanghai style was ultimately the one I missed the most," he said.

Now diners of his generation fill his small restaurant, which can accommodate nearly 50 people, almost every day. Many bring their children, meaning that hai pai should continue to have a future in the city.