Evergreen Shanghai

The second half of the name misleads because the menu sails far from Shanghai. But the “Evergreen” part is right on; the place is reliable and consistent. Dishes arrive speedily, and the flavors are as straightforward as the decor. Still, a mapo tofu stew deftly balances the tofu’s smoothness with a bite of chili oil and black pepper. The kitchen can be heavy-handed with oil, particularly in a gluten stir-fry that nonetheless retains the sweet crunch of its cucumberlike loofah (a.k.a. the bath sponge). Gingery Lion’s Head meatballs and a ginger-scallion sablefish will be better if you ask your waiter to curb the oil. Eight Jewel sticky rice, topped with roasted pumpkin seeds, is a nice cap to the meal.