Eating in Shanghai

Famous Local Food


With a long history of more than 400 years, Shanghai Cuisine gains world fame. It is considered to be a choice blend of the most appealing aspects of other national styles of food. It not only adopts the best aspects of foreign cuisine, but also makes them its own as Ben Bang Cuisine, which literally means 'local' and makes great use of fresh fish. As one of the Eight Major Cuisines of China, Shanghai Cuisine has a great influence on people around the world. It is called Hu Cai in Chinese, and gains the most popular with the locals. Different from Canton cuisine which also makes use of fresh sea food, Shanghai dish has a strong flavor and the bright color of soya bean sauce.

Two of the most typical dishes among Shanghai Cuisine are Xiang You Shan Hu (The reason why it is so named is that it crackles when the hot oil is poured onto eel.) and Ba Bao La Jiang (Eight Auspicious Pepper Sauce). The Eight Auspicious Pepper Sauce is not a dressing but a dish consisting shrimp, peanuts, pork, bamboo shoot, chicken, tripe, and sauce. You can taste this at:
1. Shanghai Classical Hotel (No.242, Fuyou Road, Shanghai)
2. De Xing Guan (No.29 Dongmen Road)

Nanxiang Steamed Stuffed Buns
Nanxiang Steamed Stuffed Buns feature the typical Ben Bang flavor. This snack with nearly 100 years' history is famous for its thin wrap, heavy flavor, and tender meat. What's more, it varies with the season: bamboo shoot for spring, shrimp for summer, crab for autumn, etc. The translucent buns are as small as water chestnuts. Visitors can taste this snack at: No.238, Guyiyuan Road, Nanxiang Town, Jiading District.

Fried Stuffed Buns
What makes the Nanxiang Steamed Stuffed Buns so special is its typical Ben Bang flavor. With nearly 100 years’ history, this snack is famous for its thin wrap, heavy flavor, and tender meat. Besides, it uses different materials along with the season: bamboo shoot for spring, shrimp for summer, crab for autumn, and so on. The translucent buns are as small as water chestnuts. You can taste this snack at: No.238, Guyiyuan Road, Nanxiang Town, Jiading District.

Vegetable stuffed Buns
As the name suggests, Vegetable stuffed buns are without meat but the flavor is not influenced at all. For vegetarians, these buns with vegetables, mushroom, bamboo shoots, dried bean curd, etc are a good choice.
Where to taste:
Chunfeng Songyue Vegetable Dish Restaurant
Address: No.23, Bailing Road, Cheng Huang Miao 

Shanghai Xie Ke Huang Pan Cake
Shanghai Xie Ke Huang Pan Cake is name "Xie Ke Huang" because it looks like boiled crab shell. This pancake is crispy on the outside and delicious in the inside. The stuffing of the cake is including green onion, pork, and sugar and bean paste.
The recommended place to try this is: Wuyuan Bakery
No.1530, Beijing West Road, Jing'an District
No. 255, Yanping Road, Jing'an District

Recommended Restaurants


For your reference, the following are the restaurants rated most popular by the locals:
Indian Kitchen
Add: No. 572 Yongjia Lu, Shanghai, China
Tel: 86-21-64731517
The Grill
Add: Grand Hyatt, No. 88 Shiji Dadao, Pudong, China
Tel: 86-21-50491234
Ashanti Dome
Add: No. 16 Gao Lan Road (near the corner of Si Nan Road)Shanghai
Tel: 86-21-53066777
Giovanni's
Add: Sheraton Grand Tai Ping Yang, 27th floor, No. 5 Zunyi Nan Lu,
Tel: 86-21-62758888
1221
Add: No. 1221 Yanan West Road, Shanghai
Tel: 86-21-62136585
New Shanghai Restaurant
Add: No. 869Nanjing Western Road, Shanghai
Tel: 86-21-62729605
Hot Pot King
Add: 2F, No. 1066 Huaihai Zhong Road (above Planet Shanghai restaurant)
Tel: 86-21-64746545
Xi Jia Hua Yuan
Add: No. 1 Dongping Road
Tel: 86-21-62801593
Blue Sky Rotational
Add: No. 161 Changle Road
Tel: 86-21-64151188-84101
Juelin Vegetarian Restaurant
Add: No.250 East Jinling Road
Tel: 86-21-63260115
Gongdelin
Add: No. 445 Nanjing Xi Lu, Shanghai, China
Tel: 86-21-63270218
Vegetarian Life Style
Add: 1F.No.77 Songshan Rd
Wangbaohe Restaurant
Add: No. 603 Fuzhou Road
Tel: 86-21-63597665
Grape Restaurant
Add: No. 55 Xinle Lu, Shanghai, China
Tel: 86-21-54040486
Fong's Vietnamese Cuisine
Add: 2F, Lippo Plaza, No. 222 Huaihai Zhonglu, Shanghai, China
Tel: 86-21-63877228
Fragrant Camphor Garden
Add: 2A Hengshan Lu, Shanghai, China
Tel: 021/6433-4385
Gao Li Korean Restaurant
Add: No.1, 181 Wuyuan Lu, Shanghai, China
Tel: 86-21-64315236