Shanghai's 100 Best Dishes

If you want to experience life as a true Shanghainese, you've come to the right place. Listed below are the top 100 dishes that you have to try while you are here.

DUMPLINGS

XIAO LONG BAO

小笼馒头

Xiao Long Bao were the very first traditional Shanghai snack. Now they've spread across China and are available with a multitude of fillings.

SHENG JIAN MANTOU

生煎馒头

Fried dumplings were originally created years ago as a dessert because pastry chefs needed a way to cook dough without an oven. Nowadays they tend to be savoury as opposed to sweet.

SMALL WONTONS

小混沌

Wontons usually have super thin, almost translucent skin which is filled with meat and then placed in a soup.

LARGE WONTONS 

大混沌

Large wontons are very similar to small wontons, but as you may have guessed from the name, just bigger. Wontons are a signature Shanghai dish, with the most popular filling being shepherd's purse.

GUOTIE

锅贴

The surface of Guo Tie dumplings are covered with water and then rolled into the filling. Unlike other Shanghai dumplings, you don't need to add soy sauce.

BEEF JIAN BAO

牛肉煎包

The beef in Jian Baos is almost always halal nowadays. And the bun is baked through so that all sides are nice and crispy.

NUOMI DUMPLINGS

糯米烧麦

These dumplings are one of Shanghai's most popular breakfast dishes. There are a variety of fillings available, usually salty pork or mushrooms.

SHANGHAI PASTRIES

LARGE FLATBREAD

大饼

This is another of Shanghai's most popular breakfast dishes. The outer pastry is fairly brittle and crispy, whilst the filling tends to be more substantial. You can have either savoury or sweet versions.

QIANG PASTRY 

羌饼

There are two different types of Qiang pastries. One is made with a lot of oil to create a soft, yet fragrant flavour, whilst the other is made with very little oil. They're usually sprinkled with sesame seeds. Unfortunately Qiang pastry is now quite hard to find, as it's been replaced by the similar Harbin pastry.

DEEP-FRIED DOUGH CAKE WITH ONIONS

葱油饼

Making these dough cakes is a very complicated process. Again they're becoming more and more difficult to find in Shanghai.

BAO JIAO BU

包脚布

This wrap is made by mixing egg and flour into a batter, spreading the mix onto a hot plate, adding the ingredients of your choice and frying to perfection.

TIGER PAW

老虎脚爪

The tiger paw isn't actually a real tiger's paw. It's a ball of dough rolled into a shape vaguely resembling a tiger's paw, and then placed in the oven.

MA BING

麻饼

Ma Bing is steamed bread sprinkled with sesame seeds and fried. It's crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. Normally they don't have any filling, but occasionally you can find them with red bean paste.

CRISPY PASTRIES

XIE KE HUANG

蟹壳黄

Xie Ke Huang is baked in a layer of sesame paste. There are a variety of both salty and sweet fillings available, including meat, seafood and red bean paste.

HUANG QIAO SHAO BING

黄桥烧饼

These pastries are mostly made of flour, lard, peanut oil and sesame seeds. There are often savoury and sweet fillings available, but be warned! These are often filled with pork floss.

RADISH PASTRIES

萝卜丝酥饼

You may have tried the Cantonese radish pastry, but the Shanghai version is very different - deep fried in oil and filled with ham, MSG, sugar and salt.

JUJUBE PASTE PASTRY

枣泥酥饼

The jujube paste pastry is a very popular snack in Shanghai, thanks to its small size and sweet filling.

MEAT-FILLED MOON CAKE

鲜肉月饼

Moon cakes filled with meat are an absolute must-try! The stuffing consists entirely of fresh meat, most often pork, with a little bit of sauce.

RICE CAKES

RICE CAKE 

米饭饼

To make rice cakes, rice flour is mixed with slightly fermented rice milk to form a paste, and then fried for around 10 minutes until golden.

NOODLES

YANG CHUN MIAN 

阳春面

Yang Chun Mian are Shanghai's most famous and most popular noodles. There are no added toppings or flavours, just a lot of soup to fill you up.

XUE CAI ROU NOODLES

雪菜肉丝面

These noodles are made in the exact same way as Yang Chun Mian, only with little bits of veg and meat added.

DA PAI MIAN

 大排面

Da Pai Mian noodles are yet another dish characteristic of Shanghai. They are made using a large knife to chop a chunk of meat into thin slices, and then the noodles are neatly arranged into rows.

STEWED MEAT NOODLES

焖肉面

These noodles are often available in different types of soup. As the name would suggest, they consist of stewed meat with noodles and soup.

EEL NOODLES

鳝丝面

Eel noodles usually contain oil, bamboo, water and sugar, plus some seasoning. Eels are at their best in June and July, so now's the best time to try!

SPICY MEAT NOODLES

辣肉面

Spicy meat noodles are usually made with diced meat and spice added on top. The spice is often homemade, so may differ from place to place.

BA BAO NOODLES

八宝辣酱面

These noodles are fried in chilli sauce, before adding eight different ingredients. These ingredients could be anything from shrimps to duck gizzards, to mushrooms.

ONION NOODLES

葱油开洋面

Unlike the southern version of onion noodles, which is made with fresh, green onions, this Shanghai dish is cooked in such a way that the onion flavour remains, but there are no greens to be seen.

BAO YU NOODLES

爆鱼面

These noodles are often confused with Shanghai's smoked fish noodles. However, Bao Yu noodles are more crispy and tender.

INTESTINE NOODLES

大肠面

Yep, the main ingredient of these noodles are intestines braised in soy sauce.

COLD TOSSED NOODLES

冷面

This dish is an absolute favourite in summer. It's made of cold noodles in a thick peanut sauce, to which you can add vinegar and chilli oil to your taste.

MAN TOU - STEAMED BREAD BUN

MEAT BAOZI

鲜肉大包

The meat in these baozis is usually pork, and they also often contain soy sauce or some sort of soup for added flavour. 

VEGETABLE BAOZI

菜包子

This was a traditional breakfast dish back in Old Shanghai. A little meat is often added, so they may not always be suitable for vegetarians.

SWEETENED BEAN PASTE BAOZI

豆沙包

The bean paste in these baozis is most commonly red bean paste. This one's more suitable as a dessert.

MARINATED PORK BAOZI

叉烧包

These are very typical of Shanghai, as they manage to be both sweet and savoury at the same time.

DAO QIE MAN TOU

刀切馒头

This is a small portion of bread, sprinkled with either white sugar or salty pickles depending on your preference.

CONG YOU HUA JUAN

葱油花卷

A popular dish all over China, Cong You Hua Juan has recently come to Shanghai.

DEEP-FRIED DISHES

YOU TIAO

油条

You Tiao is an authentic Shanghai breakfast dish. The best way to eat them is to dip them in sauce or sugar.

MILLET RICE CAKE

粢饭糕

Millet rice cakes are fried until golden on the outside, while the inside is soft and delicious. This is another popular breakfast dish with sweet milk.

YOU DUNZI

油墩子

You Dunzi are a popular afternoon snack amongst the older generation. They are made with lots of batter and a little green onion added for flavour.

SPRING ROLLS

春卷

Shanghai's spring rolls usually contain bean sprouts, pork, and mushrooms. They're best eaten dipped in spicy sauce or vinegar.

MA QIU

麻球

This is one of Shanghai's most famous snacks. It's made with rice and sugar, and often has red bean in the middle. Then sesame seeds are spread all over the crispy outer shell.

MA YOU SAZI

麻油撒子

This is another favourite of Shanghai's older generation. The dough is pulled into very thin strips and deep-fried in sesame oil to give it some crunch.

CURRY DUMPLINGS

咖喱饺

This is a unique combination of Chinese and Western flavours. They're usually filled with minced pork and curry powder before frying.

NUO MI SWEET DUMPLINGS

糯米糖饺

These dumplings are made with glutinous rice and then covered in a sugary frosting. Nowadays they're becoming more and more difficult to get hold of.

BEAN PRODUCTS

TIANJIANG HE DANJIANG

甜酱和淡酱

This sauce is made by brewing soy milk and sugar. It's best eaten with donuts or sweet bread.

XIANJIANG

咸酱

Xian Jiang is made by brewing soy milk, before adding a variety of ingredients such as shrimp, green onion, seaweed, soy sauce and chilli. It's suitable for a light breakfast.

BEAN CURD

豆腐花

Bean curd is very similar to tofu, but there's less added dough.

STINKY TOFU

臭豆腐

You'll smell this one before you see it for sure. Despite the foul smell, everyone who tries it is pleasantly surprised.

DRIED TOFU

兰花豆腐干

Dried tofu is fried until golden in a dry pan, before adding a variety of seasonings. It's commonly eaten with spiced boiled eggs.

NIAN GAO - NEW YEAR CAKE MADE OF GLUTINOUS RICE FLOUR

STIR-FIRED NIAN GAO

炒年糕

The Shanghainese like to eat this one with a selection of vegetables. 

SOUP NIANGAO

汤年糕

Whereas the younger generation prefer the stir-fried nian gao, the soup version is popular amongst the elderly population. It's often eaten with pork and bean sprouts.

RIBS NIANGAO

排骨年糕

This Nian Gao has been around for the past 50 years. It's cooked in a broth with ribs to give it a slightly sweet and spicy flavour.

SHANGHAI DISHES

MEAT BRAISED IN SOY SAUCE

红烧肉

This is the embodiment of authentic Shanghai cuisine. It's usually a mouth-watering red colour and covered in sauce but not greasy.

DA PAI MEAT

红烧大排

You won't find this dish anywhere else in China. Whether you have it with rice or by itself as a snack, it tastes divine!

SWEET AND SOUR MEAT

糖醋小排

This is another favourite both amongst the Shanghainese and westerners. Vegetables are often added, and it can be eaten hot or cold.

YOU BAOXIA 

油爆虾

This dish is usually made with small to medium sized shrimp. They're stir-fried in rapeseed oil until crisp and crunchy on the outside, but soft and tender on the inside.

SMOKED FISH

熏鱼

Contrary to what you might expect, this smoked fish is not actually smoked, but seasoned and marinated in such a way to give it the same effect.

ROAST BRAN

四喜烤麸

The bran is first covered with water, then deep-fried, and then roasted with a variety of seasonings. It can be eaten hot or cold.

YANDUXIAN 

腌笃鲜

Yan Du Xian is made with pickled bamboo shoots preserved in salt. 

RICE

EIGHT-TREASURE RICE PUDDING

八宝饭

On the rare occasion that Shanghainese people will have dessert, this is often the one they go for! It's steamed glutinous rice with bean paste, lotus seeds, preserved fruits, and various other additions.

LARD AND VEG WITH RICE

猪油菜饭

This is Shanghai's version of paella. It's one of Old Shanghai's most famous dishes!

PAO FAN

泡饭

Pao Fan is one of Shanghai's oldest and most cherished dishes. Many believe a bowl of Pao Fan is the best way to start your day!

GAI JIAO FAN

盖浇饭

This is a traditional lunch or snack dish. The most popular toppings include fish-flavoured pork, meatballs or cabbage.

FRIED RICE

炒饭

There's nothing that a bowl of the infamous egg fried rice cannot resolve. No explanation needed, it's a world renowned dish.

GRUL

BLOOD GLUTINOUS RICE GRUEL

血糯米粥

So called because it's brewed in a different way to ordinary gruel, giving it its trademark blood-red colour.

OSMANTHUS AND RED BEAN GRUEL

桂花赤豆粥

This is another popular sweet snack, often with a little brown sugar added for extra sweetness.

EIGHT TREASURE GRUEL

八宝粥

The eight treasures you'll find in this gruel could include glutinous rice, longan, red bean, lotus seeds, red dates and sugar, to name just a few. 

CHICKEN GRUEL

鸡粥

Chicken gruel is made with white rice and the juices from a chicken. It's often seasoned with soy sauce, salt, onion, or ginger. 

SOUP

DANDANG HE SHUANGDANG

单档和双档

Another popular Shanghai dish, this one often contains baozi in the soup.

TOFU AND NOODLES

油豆腐粉丝汤

This soup is unique to Shanghai. It's a very fragrant dish making it popular amongst locals.

BONE SOUP

骨头汤

Bone soup is made with meat on the bone, chopped green onion and other things added to the soup.

CHICKEN AND DUCK BLOOD SOUP

鸡鸭血汤

Created in the early 20th century by a man named Xu Fuquan, this soup has been popular for over 100 years, so it's worth trying.

CURRY BEEF SOUP

咖喱牛肉汤

Curry beef soup also contains dumplings, and often has parsley or other seasonings added for extra flavour.

VEAL SOUP

小牛汤

Veal soup is made with noodles cooked in sesame sauce.

BORSCHT

罗宋汤

Borscht is a traditional beetroot soup originating from Russia. After a large number of Belarusian's came to Shanghai, it was adapted to suit Chinese tastes.

WESTERN-STYLE PASTRIES

CHESTNUT CAKE

栗子蛋糕

This cake came about in the 80s and 90s, made with lots of sugar and butter. It's one of Shanghai's most popular cakes.  

WHIPPED CREAM IN A CUP

掼奶油

Shanghai is one of the few cities in China where people like to eat dairy products. This is literally just dairy in a cup, great for when you're craving something sweet.

FRESH CREAM CAKE

鲜奶小方

The best things in life are often the simplest. And this is a simple cake with cream and a cherry on top.

HA DOU

哈斗

Ha Dou is the Shanghai version of mini puff pastries. They're covered in whipped cream and filled with chocolate and sugar.

CREAM CONE

奶油蛋筒

Cream cones are apparently very popular amongst Shanghai girls. It's a simple ice cream cone, but instead of being filled with ice cream, it's just cream.

BUTTERFLY SHORTCAKE

蝴蝶酥

This is the Chinese adaptation of the French mille-feuilles. It's a pastry baked with lots of butter and fashioned into the shape of a butterfly.

ALMOND TRAY BAKE

杏仁排

Almond tray bakes are made with butter, vanilla, sugar, eggs and almond flour. To sweeten it up even more, caramel sauce and almonds are sprinkled on top.

NAPOLEON

拿破仑

Napoleon is very famous in Shanghai. It's a multi-tiered cake with cream between the layers. It tastes great paired with a coffee.

PEACH SHORTCAKE

桃酥饼

Peach shortcake is basically a large cookie, and an absolutely delicious snack.

BIE SI JI

别司忌

You won't find this snack anywhere else in the world. The only thing that comes close is the British biscuit.

ICE CREAM

冰糕

As well as the regular ice cream you can get in Family Mart, you can also find ice cream with added whipped cream and walnuts. It's definitely one to get if you're heading to the beach.

DOUGH BALLS

GREEN DOUGH BALLS

青团

These green dough balls are traditionally eaten around the time of the Tomb Sweeping Festival. They're filled with red bean paste, so despite their strange appearance, are surprisingly sweet.

GOLDEN DOUGH BALLS

金团

Golden dough balls are steamed glutinous rice dumplings filled with either red bean paste or sesame seed paste. 

SHUANG NIANG TUAN

双酿团

Shuang Nian Tuan contain double the filling of a regular dough ball. Again the filling is usually red bean paste or sesame seed paste, as is typical of Shanghai.

SESAME SEED PASTE DOUGH BALLS

芝麻汤团

These dough balls are a very popular snack in Shanghai. Be warned as the black paste will ooze out the second you take a bite, so they could get messy if you're not prepared!

MEAT DOUGH BALLS IN SOUP

鲜肉汤团

These dough balls actually come from Ningbo, just outside Shanghai. Unlike all the other dough balls, these ones are savoury and filled with delicious fresh meat.

FERMENTED GLUTINOUS RICE DUMPLINGS

酒酿圆子

These dumplings really have stood the test of time, as they date all the way back to the Qing Dynasty. This savoury option has a variety of seasonings available.

CAKES

DING SHENG GAO

定胜糕 

Ding Sheng Gao originated in Hangzhou. It's made with rice flour and red yeast powder to turn it a pretty shade of pink.

TIAO TOU GAO

条头糕

This was one of Shanghai's first cakes to contain red bean. It's made of glutinous rice wrapped in a thin dough, with sweet-scented osmanthus or coconut sprinkled on the outside.

ZHONG YANG GAO 

重阳糕

Zhong Yang Gao is made with 400g of sugar, so it's extremely sweet. The filling consists of flavours including red bean, walnut, and mango.

OSMANTHUS CAKE 

桂花拉糕

Sugar is first melted in hot water before being poured into a greased tray to cool. Once cool, it's sprinkled with sugar and osmanthus and cut into diamond-shaped pieces.

GREEN BEAN CAKE

绿豆糕

The green bean cake came about in the Qing Dynasty. It's made with flour, sugar, and oil and then filled with bean paste.

RED BEAN CAKE 

赤豆糕

As you know red bean is one of Shanghai's most popular flavours. In addition to plain red bean, you can also get rose and osmanthus-flavoured red bean cakes.

TANGERINE CAKE

橘红糕

Tangerine cakes are made with all the usual cake ingredients, but with tangerine peel added. 

YUN PIAN GAO 

云片糕

Making Yun Pian Gao is a very meticulous process, taking a total of 6 months to complete. 

CHINESE FLOWERING CRABAPPLE CAKE 

海棠糕 

The bright red colour is what will initially attract you to this cake, and the sweet flavour will keep you coming back for more.

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