Located at the intersection of Commonwealth and Harvard Avenues just a block out of Brookline and into Allston, Shanghai Gate was easy to get to. It was several steps away from a T stop on the “B” line.

The restaurant was crowded. Although we didn’t have a reservation, the four of us were somehow seated immediately. As we weaved through to our table at the back of the room, one of us couldn’t help but observe that we were the only 3.5 non-Chinese people in the whole restaurant. It was reassuring.

The menu was not too lengthy, but all that I, a seasoned Chinese food diner, found missing was lo mein. After a short debate, our group ended up ordering scallion pancakes, pork dumplings, white rice, pan-fried noodles with chicken, Kung Pao beef, sesame chicken and a tofu dish. We decided to eat family-style, where we all shared every dish.

The service was quick, but everything was brought out at different times. Our appetizers weren’t brought out first.

David, one of our party and someone I consider an extremely experienced Chinese food diner, said that the food was authentic.

Personally, I don’t know if the food was authentic or not, but it tasted great. The chicken wasn’t too saturated with sauce, too crispy or too drenched. The dumplings were very good as well, both crispy and steamed. I’m not a fan of very spicy food, but the people I was with said that the spicy dishes were also up to par.

Although the service was quick, they let us sit at our table for as long as we wanted to once we were done eating. The check, although not super cheap, was not so expensive.

All in all, I would highly recommend Shanghai Gate. If you are looking for a good, not too expensive, sit-down Chinese restaurant, this is your spot.

Shanghai Gate is located at 204 Harvard Ave in Allston. Their phone number is 617-566-7344.

Matthew Goroff can be contacted at [email protected].