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Shanghai Revisited

July 21st, 2010

My second sojourn to Shanghai was even better than the first as I felt more comfortable and brazen when I sauntered around. I visited more grocery stores and markets and had yet again some amazing meals -not all Chinese in origin.

Mr. and Mrs. Bund is a very hip French restaurant located on the Bund and has some of the best views of the newly reconstructed Bund and the Pudong district across the river. It also has some of the best bread I’ve ever eaten and the desserts were sublime.

Due to World Expo this area was packed with tourists at night but in the early hours of the morning it was filled with kite fliers and locals doing Tai Chi.

The grocery stores delighted me with interesting products: live turtles, banana and corn  puddings and "pocket bread".

I had more time to explore on my own and have learned that there are very few people who dine alone in Shanghai. Luckily there were only a few days that I was the lone person suffering the stares at the dinner table.

Dining out in Shanghai and its environs isn’t too daunting as long as there are the frequently found menu with pictures. In the case of the menu below, I knew NOT to order the duck.

But I did order the salad below which did not disappoint and I became obsessed with it and tried it in any restaurant where I found the picture on the menu .

I call it Chinese tabouli but it is officially known as Ma Lao Tou and features finely chopped fermented tofu, greens, almonds, pine nuts and a very lovely sesame oil. I am trying to recreate this so stay tuned for the recipe.

This slow cooked pork was divine and this chive omelette was also superb -I hope to receate that recipe as well.

Another favorite flavor adventure was at a restaurant in the Huangpu district off Yunnan road. The name was only in Chinese but I was told it translated into "Shanghai Noodle House".

We didn’t have noodles but I loved this fish cooked in oil and immersed in chilies.  Suprisingly, it was not too spicy but oh so flavorful and the texture of the fish was luxurious.

My all time favorite restaurant though is Lost Heaven featuring foods from the Yunnan region of China. Close to Burma and Tibet, the food here uses ingredients familiar to the region. Not only is the food fantastic but the decor is lovely.

If you ever find yourself in Shanghai, be sure to try the jasmine Pu-erh tea which is grown in Yunnan. It’s the best cup of tea I’ve ever had bar-none.

If you tire of Chinese food, fret not.  Shanghai, being the global cosmopolitan city it is has many cuisines to offer. I found Turkish, Russian, Thai but my favorite place for a salad was by far Element Fresh. Of course most of the American chains are there, even Hooters, but why go there unless you’re an expat.

I hope that it’s in the stars for me to return to China as there is simply too much to explore and taste.

Entry Filed under: Travel Food