DODU: French Rotisserie Chicken in Shanghai

Note: DODU has closed. For more restaurants in Shanghai, click here.

For some, the Sunday roast is hallowed ritual. So when a dedicated rotisserie opens up, nostalgia kicks into overdrive. Enter DODU, a French restaurant in Shanghai serving up rotisserie chicken and other roasted goodness.

DODU is my go-to for rotisserie chicken, which I usually get via delivery. (Though, I sometimes make an exception for Brasa, which is a much cheaper option, but way more greasy.)

What I like most about DODU—besides the fact that these are larger than normal, very plump birds—is that they care about the welfare of the chickens they use.

DODU’s Low Carbon Footprint

They’re striving for a transparent supply chain, care about the treatment of animals, and sustainability. To do this, they work directly with a farm in Chongming where chickens are raised, fed naturally, and delivered fresh to the venue daily.

Chickens roasted and not sold are made into other tasty products like Rillettes, sandwiches, or soups. For packaging, they use paper bags and cutlery made from cornstarch, and they don’t do straws.

Rotisserie chicken, and other roasted goodnies

For me, it remains a favorite, mostly because of the size; responsible sourcing of the chicken and, most importantly, the crusty, charred bits of skin.

Sure, with whole roasted chickens you’re bound to get a semi-dry breast at times. If there’s any flaw, it is that the flavor doesn’t permeate through some parts due to its size. But that’s an easy fix. I set aside this portion for a hearty sandwich the next day.

Pricing for the chicken:

1/4 Chicken is ¥64
Set with 1 side and 1 sauce is ¥78

1/2 is ¥118
Set with 2+2 is ¥15

Whole (1.5kg) is ¥218
Set with 4+4 is ¥292

Another favorite is the Crackling Pork Roll (¥88/200g, ¥288/800g). Pork belly brined for 24 hours, dry rubbed with herbs and spices, rolled with mustard and mustard greens, then slow-roasted for two hours to a crispy, juicy finish. It’s fantastic.

Or you can opt for the set (¥448/1.5kg), which comes with salads, sides, and sauces. Pre-order required.

Additional sides start from ¥28, including potatoes cooked in chicken dripping (the fat and juices from roasted chicken), green beans, ratatouille, etc.

The Rillettes (¥48), a jar of pâté with coarse salt and cornichons with toast, is also recommended. Served with pickles.

For lunch, they do reasonably priced sandwiches like the Banh Mi de Saigon (¥48), shredded chicken, greens and their Saigon sauce in a baguette.

Most of DODU’s customers are doing takeaway or delivery on ele.me or via their WeChat account.

Dining in is also an option. It’s casual with bar seating on the ground floor and more tables upstairs. The cozy terrace opens when the weather’s nice.