Chinese restaurant Shanghai Gourmet opens in Levittown

Shanghai Gourmet has opened in what had been Hunan Dynasty in Levittown.

If you’re looking for authenticity, seek out dishes listed under the chef’s specials, primarily the soup dumplings — xiao long bao — as well as house-made wontons for soup. Stuffed with glutinous rice, pork and mushrooms, shaomai dumplings are also a satisfying order.

Otherwise, the menu is a hybrid of sushi and Chinese-American standards from egg rolls to egg fu young. You’ll also find a short list of Sichuan classics such as ma po tofu and hot and sour fish soup. This version of the soup is missing pickled greens, though with dried chilis, it’s plenty spicy.

The dining room remains charmingly retro, with a coi tank next to the entrance and tables adorned with bowls of fried noodles duck sauce. The staff is warm and attentive, with an enthusiastic host greeting customers and servers shepherding diners through the menu.

In the event you’re missing Hunan Dynasty, the sister location in East Meadow that debuted in 2014 remains open at 2292 Hempstead Tpke.

Shanghai Gourmet, 2993 Hempstead Tpke., (516) 731-0381.