查看原文
其他

Cheap Eats: Old Shanghai Nostalgia in a Noodle Bowl

ShanghaiWOWeng 2018-11-30


Donglai Noodle Restaurant (东来面馆) has been around for more than 30 years in the Tilanqiao district of Hongkou and has continuously attracted a horde of loyal customers despite its unappealing rundown-looking neighborhood. The food here - particularly their spare ribs and rice cake - is absolutely delicious and certainly worth our writing about it.


A survivor full of memories



This local favorite has maintained a loyal clientele in its 30+ years of service not just because of the food they serve, but also because of what it represents. The surrounding area looks rather old and shabby, which actually adds a pleasant touch to the significance of this establishment. For many customers, Donglai Noodle Restaurant is a nostalgic trip down memory lane. 



The interior and decor are kept to a minimal with a few TV channel posters hanging on their walls where you will also find their food menu in Chinese accentuated by red and yellow colors. If there’s anything that you should order, their traditional spare ribs and rice cake dish (排骨年糕) is your number one priority and will only cost you RMB 18. Now that’s a bargain!



One of the most intriguing and original aspects of this restaurant is the way the owner settles the orders placed, using different colored tokens like playing cards or little buttons that she’s kept since her childhood to remember every dish ordered during service hours. It’s a very unique process that left us baffled and amazed!



As you would expect from any old Shanghainese restaurant in such a neighborhood, space is limited so everyone squeezes to claim a seat and share a meal with other customers which, of course, is never a problem here in China. Make sure to pause your music if you’re listening to your QQ playlist as the restaurant’s owner will shout out the name of your order when it’s ready. Be attentive and, most importantly, ready to indulge in delectable dishes.


Value for money



As mentioned, their spare ribs (paigu) and rice cake (niangao) (排骨年糕) are must-tries at the Donglai Noodle Restaurant. For only RMB 18 you will get two spare ribs and four rice cakes accompanied by a delicious sauce. The ribs are quite big and incredibly thick! The outer layer is always fried until it appears golden and transparent, while the meat inside comes out crispy and tender. A mouth-watering dish on its own!



The rice cakes are also tender and have been fried to a point of crisp for their outer layer. They’re quite long and come with a sweet sauce that will send you back in time to the old Shanghai days.



Noodles served with fried bean sauce (zhajiangmian, 炸酱面)



It would be a crime to come to a restaurant that bears “Noodle” in its name and not try their noodles, some of which are served with a tasty fried bean sauce and will only cost you RMB 9. Minced meat and oil-drenched onions bathe in the soup and mix perfectly with the noodles, thus creating an aroma and taste that will stick with you for a long while. Expect to find bits of meat floating around the bottom of your bowl after sipping the rest of your soup. Go ahead and scoop them out! Not doing so would be a shame.



Noodles served with chili sauce (lajiangmian, 辣酱面), duck leg (yatui, 鸭腿) and gluten ball (mianjin, 面筋)



With a wide range of toppings available for just RMB 2 per serving, there’s a lot to get excited about here at the Donglai Noodle Restaurant. For those lucky munchers out there who can eat without ever feeling full, this place might just be an interesting challenge to take on. Their noodle soup is very fresh and covered with a chili sauce on its surface.



The duck legs served are tender, crispy, and quite enormous. They also come with a sauce that is rich and truly succulent.


Finally, we found the gluten balls to be quite soft and exposing a few different scents from its soup base. The noodles are smooth with a gentle punch of spices to kick in the flavors and bring all the ingredients together in harmony.


Veggie noodles (sujiaomian素交面), large intestine (dachang, 大肠) and poached egg (hebaodan, 荷包蛋)



An eye-catching dish served at Donglai Noodle is their tangy red soup which bears a very authentic Shanghainese flavor. 


The noodles are not sticky and come with a fairly large selection of ingredients which include mushrooms, vegetables and large intestines. The latter are both tender and fragrant: the more you eat them, the more intense the flavor gets! Those intestines make for the perfect addition to a tasteful noodle dish. If you’re feeling a bit adventurous, I recommend adding a poached egg to intensify the experience.




All in all, Donglai Noodle Restaurant is an amazing find within the neglected area of Tilanqiao and should earn a spot at the top of your list of dining establishments to try. Beef up your knowledge of the local food scene and let yourself be transported into traditional Old Shanghai cuisine!


Donglai Noodle Restaurant (东来面馆)



Address: 151 Haimen Lu

Tel: 138 1660 1437

Hours: Monday to Sunday, 6am-2:30pm

Price: RMB 13



Related Articles




Cheap Eats: Noodle Shop by Day, Bar by Night



A Serious Documentary: Diving into More Than Eat

    您可能也对以下帖子感兴趣

    文章有问题?点此查看未经处理的缓存