✈️ Shanghai 'Magic City' Food: The Hits, The Misses & The 'Seriously, WTF?!' (Eats & Drinks - Pt. 1)

[Pat Pagac]

I have just returned from a four-day, three-night trip to Shanghai, with my head filled to the brim with thoughts of the delicious food I had there! Here's my list of the top meals you should try if you're visiting Shanghai—also known as "Magic City." I have marked those that are absolutely indispensable () so that you don't miss them. Of course, I will point out the meals I did not enjoy, but I won't be criticizing them too harshly. Oh, and keep an eye out for my next article on recommended sights and attractions in Shanghai!

Highlights (My Top Picks)

• 1️⃣ Xiao Yang Shengjian
  • This is a Shanghai specialty, featuring a golden and crispy bottom, and juicy meat filling wrapped inside a pan-fried bun.
  • We ordered: Shrimp and Vegetable Pan-fried Trio (RMB 22.5, includes three different flavors); the 'Sichuan pepper' has a slight numbing spice flavor, while 'Chinese Winter Cabbage' is a fresh, fragrant vegetable. The signature original flavor with the Chinese winter cabbage filling is especially delicious!
  • We also got some bean curd skin pork dumplings (RMB 15), made by wrapping meat filling inside thin bean curd skin and served in a broth with gluten pieces. It was very savory.
  • Oil-processed tofu, beef slices, and rice vermicelli soup (RMB 14) is another soup dish I loved. It features fried tofu bubbles, beef slices, and rice vermicelli. The stock is great, so you must make sure to give it a taste!
• 2️⃣ Butterfly cookies at International Hotel
  • The desserts in this old hotel were renowned, and especially its buttery butterfly biscuits, a crispy biscuit with a rich buttery flavor.
  • Remember to buy the original large butterfly cookies (RMB 25)! When we went it was off-season and we didn’t have to wait in line. The crisp cookie crumbles are filled with sweet granules that give a unique texture. At a distance, one can smell the thick butter aroma.
• 【其他部分详见附录】

️ Misses...

• 1️⃣ The Black Pearl Diner Gouping Dinner at Solo Italian Restaurant (RMB 358 per lunch set meal)

  • Black Pearl is a Chinese gourmet food rating system akin to Michelin stars.
  • Appetizer: Tarte of beef tartare, black olives, avocado, and melon with Parma ham.
  • Main Course: Roasted chicken, cut of Chilean fine beef roast and steak.
  • Dessert: Ice cream cake.
  • Overall, the meal disappointed–it didn’t particularly satisfy appetite-wise, and wasn’t worth the price.

• 2️⃣ Lan Xin Restaurant

  • This is a well-known restaurant in Shanghai, famous for traditional local dishes.
  • Stewed liver with sauce (RMB 32) - WARNING: To me, this dish was sweet beyond what I can handle. This is something common to Shanghai cuisine but I cannot get used to it.
  • Fried pig spare ribs with pepper and salt (RMB 38) - This dish is fried, salted and peppered pork loin strips. It didn’t impress me, as the meat dried out and lacked juice content.
  • Dongcao stewed with rice wine (RMB 25) - This vegetable dish prepared with local greens cooked in rice wine proved unique, making it worth trying.

• 【其他部分详见附录】

[Antoinette Ferry]

Hey girls!! There's a food street on the way to the Bund! It's underground! You HAVE to try the lu fen!!! It's seriously amazing, I go there like every two weeks.

[Garrett VonRueden PhD]

Where on the pedestrian street is it?

[Ellis Sauer DVM]

I recommend Jiang Zhanggui's Old Shanghai Pork Rib Rice Cakes. They're way better than Xian De Lai's!

[Orville Conroy]

I'll definitely go next time!

[Ellis Sauer DVM]

The butterfly pastries at the International Hotel haven't been 25 for ages. Was this posted this year?

[Elaine Boyle PhD]

Yeah, I bought mine for 25.

[Dr. Ruben Larkin MD]

For pork rib rice cakes, I recommend the little stall at the corner of Shouning Road and Renmin Road. They're only open for lunch, there's always a line, and they're a hundred times better than Xian De Lai!

[Kristi Doyle]

Okay! I'll go next time.

[Kathryn Heller]

For Shen Da Cheng, you should get the fresh, individually sold ones on Nanjing Road, not the pre-packaged boxes. They taste completely different~

[Katrina Ziemann]

Exactly!! The boxed ones and the fresh ones are totally different~~ The fresh ones from Nanjing Road are delicious, and they have a really short shelf life too.

[Pamela Miller]

Do you need a reservation for Yu Xing Ji?

[Howard Legros]

Nope, you can just go directly.

[Dr. Wade Boyer]

I just wanted to know, do you need a COVID test to go to Shanghai now?

[Jose Beahan]

Why go to Shanghai to drink Heytea, hahaha? Heytea is from Guangdong!

[Roosevelt Reynolds]

Hahaha, just felt like having some.

[Sylvia Franecki]

Hi! Where are these butterfly pastries located? I've been looking for ages and can't find them. Please reply!! I'm still in Shanghai.

[Joseph Thompson]

Check my other post, I shared the location there.

[Lula Schmidt]

Checked out Lai Lai Xiao Long Bao today, it was really delicious!

[Jeremiah Stamm-Carroll]

Hehe, I can't stop thinking about it!