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Discover Local Eats in Old Shanghai Before It's Too Late

2018-03-20 Sophie Steiner ShanghaiWOWeng

In Shanghai, a place where people are just as busy as the city itself, local hole-in-the-walls often go unnoticed. Foreigners rush past the no-name food spots on their way to the newly opened Western concept restaurants where menus fall within their comfort zones. With the constant influx of the hottest new restaurants, mom-and-pop shops are easily forgotten. Whether it’s the intimidation caused by an all Chinese menu or food-safety fears, a lot of Westerners are hesitant to venture off and explore the local eats that form the foundation of Shanghainese culture. 



The streets surrounding the Laoximen train station have been hailed as some of Shanghai’s best snack streets, yet most of the once famed night food stalls have already been closed down by the government. 



Many of the brick-and-mortar shops still remain, awaiting an unknown fate of potential demolition, yet still happily dishing up comfort food to the daily crowds. 



As the Spring weather makes its way to Shanghai, this is the perfect time to put those excuses, “I don’t know where to go” or “I can’t order without a picture menu” excuses away, and instead lace up your exploration boots and get ready for a local-eats food adventure. 



LIN LONG FANG 

Address: 10 West Jianguo Lu

Order: Pork and Egg Yolk Xiaolongbao (蛋黄鲜肉小笼包)


Warm yourself up by starting at the corner of Zhaozhou Lu and Jianguo Lu at the Shanghai institution, Lin Long Fang (麟笼坊). Owned by the same Jia family, most foreigners have heard of the more popular Jia Jia Tang Bao (on Huanghe Road). Lin Long Fang is a similar concept, yet draws in a more local crowd with its arguably tastier xiaolongbao. It’s an experience not to be missed.



The Pork and Egg Yolk Xiaolongbao (RMB 24 for 12) are a must try. Imagine if an Egg McMuffin and a Chinese dumpling had a steamy night under the sheets, this xiaolongbao would be the glorious baby they produce. The combination of fatty pork and creamy egg yolk balanced with Shanghainese vinegar and spicy chili makes it impossible to only order 1 basket. If you’re ready to splurge, Lin Long Fang also sells Crab Meat and Crab Roe Xiaolongbao (RMB 99) that are stuffed to the gills with luscious, tender meat and rich, sultry roe. 


Pork and Egg Yolk Xiaolongbao


Pork and Egg Yolk Xiaolongbao


Now that you’ve had your xiaolongbao fix, it’s time for the second best Chinese-style dumpling, guotie. These potstickers are becoming harder and harder to find in Shanghai, but the mother-and-son duo behind Hong Yu Fang (宏玉坊) are determined to keep the art of potsticker making alive. 



HONG YU FANG

Address: 395 Zhaozhou Lu

Order: Pork Potstickers (锅贴)


If it’s textbook perfect potstickers (8 RMB for 4) you seek, look no further than these; with their crispy fried bottom, pillowy top, and pork-forward soupy inside, they are an awesome alternative to xiaolongbao. Go early because they close daily at 1:30pm. 


Pork Guotie


Er Guang Hun Dun (耳光馄吨) is another Shanghai staple that has numerous locations around the city, yet their spot on Huangjiaque Lu can’t be beat. Every expat has had their fair share of late-night wontons, but the Pork and Shepherd’s Purse Wontons (RMB 20 for 8) smothered in a generous serving of rich sesame paste sauce are on a whole different level. The cleanliness of the kitchen and the uniformity of these picture-perfect wontons entice foreigners and locals alike. Make sure to order them “ganban” or dry (without soup) to enjoy that luscious sauce. 


Photo Credit: Dianping user


ER GUANG HUN DUN

Address: 109 Huangjiaque Lu

Order: Pork and Shepherd’s Purse Wontons (芥菜肉混沌) and Fried Pork Cutlet (猪排)


The fried pork cutlet (RMB 16) is another big winner when it comes to taste, and a bite of the crispy outside gives you that perfect crunch without being overly greasy.


Fried Pork Cutlet, Photo Credit: Bon App user


Continuing our way around the neighborhood, we come to Guangdong Fresh-Boiled Congee (广东生滚粥), a restaurant that is the dictionary definition of a “hole-in-the-wall.” 



GUANDONG FRESH-BOILED CONGEE 

Address: 312 Dongtai Lu

Order: Boat Congee (艇仔粥)


Most foreigners, myself included (until recently), balk at the idea of congee. However, the congee at this local spot couldn’t be further from the watery rice style gruel that I used to associate with the word “congee”. Here, the congee is rich, thick, and flavorful; a rice porridge made with savory chicken stock, perfectly cooked octopus, dried shrimp, and garnished with crunchy peanuts, cilantro, and a fried dough stick (youtiao.)


Boat Congee

 

If you want to go for the 特色 (specialty dish), order option #4 on the menu, which comes with tender mackerel fish (RMB 22.) Prices for other bowls of congee range from RMB 18-28 and include anything from classics like shrimp, fish, beef, and pork to the more exotic options like geoduck. 



Around the corner is our next stop, a no-name shop that looks like every other pulled noodle joint in the city, but at Henan La Mian (河南拉面), the stir-fried knife-cut noodles may be the best noodles you’ll ever eat in Shanghai. 



HENAN LA MIAN 

Address: 114 Zhaozhou Lu

Order: Fried Knife-cut Noodles (炒刀削面)


These fatty, chewy noodles are cut straight from a ball of dough directly into a pot of boiling water. They are then immediately thrown in a sizzling wok where they get the best sticky char on the outside to compliment the springy, glutinous inside. At only RMB 18 for 2 liang (两) of noodles (1 liang is equal to 50 grams) and RMB 19 for 3, I suggest putting up the RMB 1 more for the additional helping of knife cut deliciousness.


Fried Knife-Cut Noodles


Up the street, you’ll find Yi Gui He (逸桂禾), owned by a friendly Shanghainese man serving up delicious noodles and other Shanghai classic dishes. 



YI GUI HE 

Address: 290 Ji’an Lu

Order: Old Shanghai Traditional Yangchun Noodles (老上海傳統陽春面), Sesame Paste Noodles (麻酱面), and Tofu Skin Stuffed Pork (translated as Yellow Sauce Specialty Dish) (特色黄酱)


The owner uses distinctly thin noodles, almost like an al dente wheat version of vermicelli, in all of his dishes, including his most famous dish, Old Shanghai Traditional Yangchun Noodles (RMB 17). The light broth has notes of spring onions and pork bones and pairs perfectly with a splash of Shanghainese dark vinegar and a dab of chili paste. 


Old Shanghai Traditional Yangchun Noodles



The sesame paste noodles (RMB 17) rival those of the famous Wei Xiang Zhai, yet they are distinct in their stronger peanut flavor and underlying chili oil spice. 


Sesame Paste Noodles


Finally, we recommend the strangely-named Yellow Sauce Specialty Dish (9 RMB each), which is tofu skin wrapped pork in a sweet and savory sauce. Eat all three dishes together or on their own; either way, you’ll leave with a happy belly. 


Yellow Sauce Specialty Dish


The best spot for wontons served in soup is easily Sheng Xing Dian Xin Dian (盛兴点心店). This shop is busy from the moment it opens at 6:30am until they sell their last wontons at 5pm (although they usually sell out a bit early.) 



SHENG XING DIAN XIN DIAN 

Address: 528 Shunchang Lu

Order: Order Vegetable Pork Big Wontons (菜肉大馄饨) and Black Sesame Tangyuan (芝麻汤圆)


A small, to-the-point menu is our favorite, and they only serve three things at this local eatery: big wontons, small wontons, and black sesame tangyuan (glutinous rice balls stuffed with sweet black sesame paste). It’s best to order the Vegetable Pork Big Wontons (RMB 11 for 10) and a few Black Sesame Tangyan (RMB 3 each) and enjoy them together for the optimum mix of sweet and salty for a warming Chinese feast. 


Vegetable Pork Big Wontons


Black Sesame Tangyuan


For the last stop on our Laoximen area food tour, you have to wait until 9:30pm for this back alley lane house “shop” to open up. You could easily live a block away from Changjiao Tang Mian (长脚汤面) and never know it was there, but that just adds to the mystery and appeal. 



CHANGJIAO TANG MIAN

Address: Walk down Alley 166 (1-14) off of Zhaozhou Lu near Jinan Lu

Order: Changjiao Tang Mian (长脚汤面)


The Shanghainese couple that runs the shop serve up one thing and one thing only: a spicy udon-like noodle soup loaded with melt-in-your-mouth braised pork, bok choy, and homemade, hand-pulled thick noodles (RMB 30). Your only options are how spicy you want it, and the answer is spicy. Be prepared for the hottest thing you’ll ever consume in your life, in terms of both temperature and spice level, but in a lip-tingling good way. 


Long Foot Soup Noodles


This power couple has their soup making skills down to a fine science, and there are lines of 30+ people waiting for these delicious noodles on any given night, no matter the weather.. 



With old neighborhoods disappearing to make room for even more skyscrapers, many local food spots are becoming a thing of the past. And, with how quickly Shanghai is changing, the time to experience that old Shanghai culture and taste the food that makes this city what it is today is now. 



Cover photo source: Flickr user ninja.n


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