The Tacos, Platters and Sliders That Fuelled Us This Month

As another month comes, we wave goodbye to a July full of eating, drinking and just being very merry in Shanghai. With a focus on fresh and seasonal ingredients for the summer, we've been eating pretty well. Another mix of new menus, alongside tried-and-true favorites make up this food-fuelled round-up and we're already looking forward to what Shanghai has to offer in August!

The Cannery’s Lobster Uni Tacos

Address: Room 106, Bldg 1, 1107 Yuyuan Lu

Tel: [phone]

Hours: Monday to Thursday, 5:30pm-1am; Friday, 5:30pm-2am; Saturday to Sunday 11:30am-1am

The Cannery always crushes it when it comes to quality seafood in Shanghai, but we were blown away by the new addition of their Lobster Uni Tacos (RMB 128). Filled with buttery avocado mousse, luscious chunks of lobster, spicy chili miso, and served inside crispy wonton taco shells, these Japanese-Mexican fusion tacos are topped with a big, fat dollop of the freshest umami uni (sea urchin) for a wickedly good bite.  

The Cannery also has a number of salads available for those watching their waistlines. My favorite among chef Sean’s new creations is the Shaved Veg (RMB 78), a bright and colorful salad topped with pea shoots, asparagus, cabbage, and radish drizzled with a creamy mustard vinaigrette. The addition of sweet grilled peaches takes me back to summers spent grilling by the lake with family and friends. It’s light and refreshing, nostalgic, and a great way to keep it healthy without sacrificing flavor.

I can’t say enough about the Wood Plank Salmon Fillet (RMB 398 for a quarter, RMB 788 for half, and RMB 1388 for full), a dish that involves a unique preparation that can only be found at The Cannery. Inspired by traditional wood fire methods of cooking used along the West Coast of North America, the restaurant added in their own indoor fire pit, one of the coolest things we’ve ever seen in a restaurant ever!

The salmon fillets are nailed to a wooden plank (both the nails and planks are made by the in-house handyman), placed around the fire, and slowly cooked through indirect heat and smoke to get that caramelized char on the outside with the help of regular butter and oil basting. The outside is herbed and crusted, while the inside just flakes apart beautifully. Served with baby potatoes, a bacon and parmesan kale Caesar salad, sour cream horseradish, dill butter, and herbed pesto, this dish knocks you out of Shanghai and back into childhood memories of sitting around a campfire.

Whatever you do, don’t skip the US Prime Cowboy-Style T-Bone (RMB 888). It’s a beast of a cut of meat that is perfect for sharing with at least 2-4 other people and rubbed down with a west coast blend coffee rub, giving a ridiculously crunchy char to the outside, that is so tender and beautifully pink on the inside. It brought tears to my eyes.

Deli Boys Mixed Platters

Address: Lane 710 Dingxi Lu (in the Hongshen Building)

Tel: [phone]

Hours: Daily, 8am-11pm

Fresh out of the oven, Deli Boys have launched new mixed platters for you and your friends to dive into! Starting with their Mixed Meat Plate (RMB 128), you'll be treated to a combination of marinated beef, grilled chicken, sausage and a selection of hot sides and salad to accompany.

You can choose from their Chicken "Cordon Bleu" (RMB 78) that comes with breaded chicken breast delightfully stuffed with ham and cheese, the flaky and flavorful Grilled Danish Salmon Fillet (RMB 98) , or the Mixed Meat Plate (RMB 128) that comes with marinated beef, grilled chicken and sausage. All of these main courses come with a selection of hot sides and salad, so you'll certainly be leaving full!

If you've got a craving for all-day breakfast goods, then you've got a whole selection to choose from here too. You can choose from country-style buttermilk waffles with maple syrup and a mixed berry compote (RMB 47) and French Toast (RMB 55) that comes with two breakfast sausages to Eggs with Mushroom and Cheese (RMB 52) or Steak and Eggs (RMB 68) that comes with thick homestyle toasts and medallions of slow-roasted black pepper.

Goodfellas’ Bavette Bianci E Bianco con Prosciutto Di Parma

Address: 7 Yan’An Dong Lu

Tel: [phone]

Hours: Monday-Friday 5:30pm-11:30pm, Saturday-Sunday 11:30am-2:30pm, 5:30pm-11:30pm

If you like Alfredo even a little, then the Bianci E Bianco (RMB 150) is worth coming to Goodfellas for. It’s textbook-perfect in every way and then taken a full step up with meaty pieces of white asparagus and salty Parma ham. The noodles are the definition of al dente with a good chew to them, and they're smothered in a rich, creamy white sauce with the exact balance of heavy cream so you know it’s a treat without feeling gross afterwards. Goodfellas’ chef really nails it with this dish: a creamy, satisfying bite that’s still light enough for summer.

Liquid Laundry’s Mini Reuben Sliders

Address: 2/F, 1028 Huaihai Zhong Lu, near Donghu Lu

Tel: [phone]

Hours: Sunday-Thursday 11am-12am, Friday-Saturday 11am-2am

Bringing me back to my Jewish roots, I'm always a sucker for a good Reuben. Instead of a Spidey sense, I’m rocking that New York Jewish Deli sense that helps me find corned beef, matzo balls, black and white cookies, and knishes that are within a 10-kilometer radius of my body. If there’s anything even remotely related to that on a menu, I’m bound to order it. The Reuben Sliders (RMB 88) made me feel like I was sitting at 2nd Avenue Deli on the Upper East Side instead of Liquid Laundry in Shanghai. Loaded with house-smoked pastrami, crunchy sauerkraut slaw, spicy mustard, and smothered in Russian dressing, this is a sandwich to make my ancestors proud.

Blackbird’s Beef Sirloin

Address: Building 8, Columbia Circle, 1262 Yan’an Xi Lu

Tel: [phone]

Hours: Sunday-Thursday 11am-1am, Friday-Saturday 11am-2am

Although Blackbird’s major focus is on cocktails and bar bites, the mains are filling and flavorful and the Beef Sirloin (RMB 235) is worth bringing your appetite for. Tender and succulent with a rich demi-glace, baby radishes, mushrooms, and popping sea grapes for a texture contrast, this is not just your standard steak. Served with the creamiest smoked potato espuma wrapped in Guizhou ham, this dish is the definition of comfort food and exactly what you need to soak up those sneakily-strong cocktails.

Seventh Son’s Fried Radish Cakes in XO Sauce

Address: Room E2-E3, 2/F, Jing’an Kerry Center, 1515 Nanjing Xi Lu

Tel: [phone]

Hours: Monday-Friday 11:30am-2:30pm, 5pm-10pm, Saturday-Sunday 11am-3pm, 5pm-10pm

There is always a special place in my heart for dim sum; something that I grew up eating despite living in the Midwest of the USA before I even knew the difference between various Chinese cuisines. Seventh Son’s Fried Radish Cakes in XO Sauce (RMB 51) are easily the best radish cakes I’ve ever had. Perfectly crispy on the outside while light and fluffy on the inside, these salty and savory cubes come with a hint of garlic seafood, which helps every bite go down easier than the last.

Mercado 505’s Full Lunch Salad

Address: 505 Wulumuqi Bei Lu

Tel: [phone]

Hours: Monday-Saturday 12pm-1am

Kitchen Hours: Monday-Saturday 12pm-2:30pm, 6pm-10pm

A salad is rarely the most exciting option on a menu, and to be perfectly honest, given how good the food is at Mercado 505, it’s no surprise that the salad isn’t the star of the show. However, the Full Lunch Salad (RMB 78) really does deserve a special shout-out. 

Composed of a refreshing mix of greens, bitter radicchio, and crisp frisée, this salad is lightly dressed with a tangy vinaigrette so you don’t have to feel too guilty eating it. A generous portion of oil-preserved bluefin tuna is placed on top along with a hard-boiled egg, ripe summer tomatoes, crumbled parmesan, sweet raisins, and crunchy pepitas and pine nuts. Most people spend about the same on a forgettable lunch salad at Wagas or Element Fresh...and to that, we say: hell no! Come to Mercado 505 instead for a filling, healthy, and much more delicious option.