The Chinese mainland’s most cosmopolitan city is a foodie paradise, whether you’re looking for get-your-hands-dirty street treats or dinner prepared by a three-Michelin-star chef.
Shanghai is also the best city to experience the nuances of regional Chinese cuisine by sampling everything from the spicy flavors in Sichuanese dishes to the lighter fare from Guangdong province.
With a pleasing mix of traditional and modern, you can enjoy Shanghai street food and handcrafted cocktails in the same evening. Here’s our guide for exploring the city’s best bites.
SEE ALSO: 19 photos from my stay at the hottest new hotel in China's tech capital
Dumplings
The dumpling is the king of Shanghai street food, which comes in multiple delicious forms. Xiao long bao, dumplings with a piping-hot liquid center, are one of the most common, along withsheng jian bao, pork dumplings that are fried on the bottom. You’ll also find guo tie, Chinese pot stickers, as well as the steamed dumplings served at dim sum restaurants. There are countless, lengthy debates about where to find the best dumplings in Shanghai, but Yang’s Fried Dumpling (2/F, 269 Wujiang Lu) is widely considered to have the best sheng jian bao in town, while Jia Jia Tang Bao is one of Shanghai’s best spots for xiao long bao. Crystal Jade (2/F Xintiandi South Block, 123 Xingye Rd.) and Fu Lin Xuan (Super Brand Mall, 168 Lujiazui Xi Lu) are two good options for dim sum.
Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor’s Shanghai Travel Guide
East-meets-west breakfast
Breakfast in Shanghai can take two forms, depending on if you’re looking for an authentic, locals’ street breakfast or a decadent brunch buffet at one of the city’s top restaurants. For the former, scallion pancakes are the perfect way to start your day, fried to crispy, chewy perfection by street vendors. Look for the stalls with long lines in the morning. Sesame pastries, sweet and savory steamed buns, Chinese-style savory crepes, and fried dough sticks are other breakfast staples, all of which can be found in many parts of the city, though Xiangyang Nan Lu is known for its breakfast offerings. When its comes to extravagant brunches, Shanghai goes all out, from champagne brunches at Jing’An at The PuLi Hotel and Yi Cafe, to more laid-back late-morning grub at The Grumpy Pig and Mr. Pancake House (877 Wuding Lu).
Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor’s Shanghai Travel Guide
Noodles
Fried, drowned in soup, hand-sliced, topped with everything from scallion oil to eel: there are a lot of ways to enjoy noodles in Shanghai. Shanghai’s halal restaurants are known for their handmade, Lanzhou–style noodles, hand-pulled to delicate perfection and submerged in a light soup, or hand-sliced for a slightly chewier texture and served with meat. You can find these shops all over the city, though Fangbang Lu is a good place to start. Shanghai fried noodles are another street food signature, served with a hearty mix of vegetables and meat, found at any street food vendor at any hour of the day. Also look for scallion oil noodles, a popular item at Shanghai’s more upscale eateries, for a perfect blend of salty and sweet.
Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor’s Shanghai Travel Guide
See the rest of the story at Business Insider