Shanghai Travel Guide - Eating Out

To enjoy the local flavour the way the locals do, a trip to Old Chinese City is in order as it is here, in the narrow alleys, that street vendors sell a countless varieties of dishes including noodles, char siu pau (buns stuffed with pork), wonton soup and dumplings. Food is cheap but the dishes they are served in aren’t always hygienically prepared so be careful. The Yuyuan Bazaar is another area where street vendors sell tasty cheap meals. The Old Chinese City also has several nice restaurants which are air conditioned and clean and serve a variety of delicious regional cuisine. Try the Schezuan food for a more spicy taste and cuisine from Beijjing for something very mild.

Zhapu Lu Food street is filled with restaurants serving all sorts of delicious Chinese meals. Menus are in Chinese but the waiters will assist foreigners and recommend dishes, which is a safe way from staying away some of the more exotic Chinese dishes that include pigs intestines. The Bund area has several fashionable and trendy restaurants and although a little expensive, it is still cheaper than having a meal in the five star hotels in the city. Shashi Food Street is a popular street with both locals and visitors to grab a quick Chinese meal.

Chicken and duck blood soup is one of Shanghai’s favourite soup dishes. Its main ingredient is coagulated blood and broth. The Chinese believe that eating certain parts of animals will strengthen the corresponding part in humans. Nanxiang steamed pork dumplings is a traditional snack with the locals and is abundant in Shanghai. Minced pork and herbs are wrapped in thin dough and then steamed. The dumplings are delicious and a must-eat. The best dumplings can be found at Yuyuan Market.

Piagu Niangao is a dish from southern China and consists of strips of glutinous rice flour that are stir fried with herbs, pork ribs and other ingredients. It is a favourite with many of the locals and almost all restaurants serve this dish. Vegetarians will want to try the vegetarian stuffed bun which is available at Yuyuan Market. Pigeon egg dumpling gets its name from the shape and size of the dumpling, which is similar to that of a pigeon’s egg. The dumplings are made of glutinous-rice paste with a sugar and mint filling and are incredibly refreshing. New Year Cake with spare rib may sound very strange to a foreigner, but it is a tasty dish consisting of tender meat in a thick gravy that is eaten with a cake (similar to thick home made bread).