Date of visit: 20-24 December 2014
The time has come to finally blog about the trip I made to Shanghai. Wasn't planning on blogging about it on this food blog but there's so much good stuff to share so I just had to! Makes it easier for me to share these recommendations with friends headed there too.
Food galore ahead! And also some general touristy things to do ;)
Please pardon how chopped up it sounds because I edited my original full-length post-trip summary for the sake of brevity! Hope this is still useful regardless.
Scam Ice Cream
I can't forget how scammed I felt every time I see this photo, especially since we got the larger size zomg. Was so excited to be eating this ice cream again after my first try of it in Korea but it was nothing like what I tried before! :( Wasted 20 yuan on this but it was a lesson well learnt haha we never went back for more and barely finished half before we threw the rest away. Never knew eating ice cream could be this torturous lol.
Sofitel Shanghai Hyland
On the way back I managed to take a photo of the hotel! Surprisingly modern-looking from the outside but was more homely than modern. Not that it was a bad thing! I like that the room had a lot of wood which made it feel oriental :) Was not a fan of the heater which was quite temperamental and I even remember kicking away the duvet a few times at night because of it haha. Other than that it was a very comfortable stay and the location was great yay!
Shanxi South Road
The shops along the side street near to the hotel where we stayed/the metro! This street was where we sought refuge from other not-so-appetising street stalls and Shanghainese restaurants near our hotel. Got our egg tart fix twice and also bought light and fluffy egg sponge cake!
Japanese meat skewers :)
Super crowded on a Saturday night
Tako Pachi!
Shanghainese cold meats
Got ourselves some meat skewers! Not sure why I looked so happy here haha, maybe it's because I knew we wouldn't go hungry with all this street food nearby hehh.
Mr & Mrs Bund
中山东一路18号6楼, 近南京东路
We had our belated 2nd Year Anniversary dinner at this restaurant which a lot of my friends and the boy's colleague raved about. I really loved this meal, and it was the perfect start to our trip :) We totally over-ordered but I suppose that happens when you're travelling, you don't know when you'll be back again, and there are too many things friends recommended us to try :p
Plenty of bread and butter, something we love!! Bonus when the bread is warm :) The crisps were good with the frothy and light spread too but they kept breaking apart quickly oops.
Lovely Christmas lights hanging from the high ceilings :)
A couple that sat by the window and had an awesome view of the Bund. There's something romantic about overlooking a city's skyline like that, through the very tall windows of a conserved building.
The cocktails we ordered :) I think he ordered the Mr Bund drink (some kind of refreshing cucumber taste?) and I can't remember mine :(
Foie Gras Light Crumble
Light duck foie gras mousse, raisin hazelnut crumble
120 RMB
This was foie gras pate that had nuts and granola sprinkled on top. It was SUPER addictive :) I really loved the crunchiness and earthy flavour of the nuts and raisins and it's even better with the thick slice of crusty and soft bread.
"Meunière Truffle Bread" PP
Toasted bread, light meunière, truffle
120 RMB
This dish isn't too photogenic and my photo doesn't show much so I'll post a screenshot of the photo in the menu too. Doesn't look impressive but I remember loving this!! The bread was soaked with this really fragrant broth, had a hint of truffle from the slices lying atop it and the base was still crispy! Love the range of flavours and textures and how light this dish was overall :) Zomg need to go back to Shanghai o_o
Jumbo Shrimp "In Citrus Jar" PP
Steamed with citrus, lemongrass and vanilla
180 RMB
This dish was really refreshing but I was slightly underwhelmed because the prawn wasn't as infused with flavour as I'd imagined and they took away the jar of awesome sauce which they could have poured onto our prawn :( All wasted leh! Loved the flavours and concept, but a bit too pricey considering it didn't really require that much kungfu and we had to share one prawn.
Our super good waiter who explained and served every dish cheerfully :) Couldn't really understand some of what he said but that is no matter to me! Attitude is what counts :) One thing I love about the place was how friendly all the staff were and how they made sure you felt as comfortable as possible.
We were halfway through our meal when they turned off all the lights then music and singing came on, so we were wondering if it was part of their entertainment for the diners or if there was some power trip. It turned out to be part of someone's proposal hehe, what a lovely thing to witness. I can see why the man chose this restaurant to pop the question! Come to think of it, the restaurant name is quite apt too hehe!
"Long Short Rib Teriyaki" PP
Roasted whole rib, teriyaki and orange reduction
420 RMB
This was AMAZING. I loved how tender the meat was, and the thick, slightly charred glaze was a great match. Not too overpowering, just enough depth of flavour, and citrus with meat hardly goes wrong :) By this point of the meal I had eaten too much bread at the start and was starting to feel full. I was quite sad that I couldn't finish my last small piece :(
Arugula Mushroom Truffle
Arugula salad, soy dressing, truffle & Paris mushrooms, parmesan
100 RMB
This dish wasn't special to me and if there's anything I would skip the next time to prevent over-ordering, it would be this. Still a good salad though and I liked that it was slightly fusion with the soy dressing and parmesan shavings :)
Mash Tradition
70 RMB
Almost as good as the Joel Robuchon one hehe. Polished this one off as well!
"Lemon and Lemon Tart" PP
Candied whole lemon, lemon sorbet and curd, vanilla chantilly, sablé
100 RMB (add 50 RMB if ordered with sets)
This one is definitely a life/gamechanger! I love it so much and I can still remember the sourness of the candied lemon hitting me like a train – super shiok hehe. Love the stick of shortbread that came with it and the ice cream encased within, which left a sweet note at the end. What a perfect combination! *Off to dream of myself eating more of this*
Mango Liquorice Sablé
Mango, passionfruit, liquorice and dill, sablé
80 RMB (add 50 RMB for sets)
SO GOOD. The mango chunks were the perfect size and really sweet, while the passionfruit curd provided a nice contrast. Once again, there was buttery biscuit that came with it which made for a great base :)
The couple seated behind me ordered this dessert (one of their more popular ones, looks like the Strawberry Triffle) and whenever they served it they would dim the lights. The guy looks so happy! Maybe they give the sparkler candle for birthdays :)
I really loved the dinner we had at MMBund. I can see why our friends raved about it and I've been recommending it to anyone who tells me they are headed to Shanghai. The atmosphere and good food made this the best place to kick off our trip proper! Grateful to the boy for bringing me here and very generously letting us try so many dishes :) Thankfully we took a stroll back to the hotel, so that helped with digestion hehh. Can't wait to go back the next time I'm in the city!
上海小吃
We had our first proper lunch here, in a small place near our hotel and along the same street as all the awesome goodies hehe. We were so shocked by the lack of service and how everyone was watching the food leaving the kitchen like vultures. At least the lady manning the cashier wasn't too rude or impatient with the boy. Poor boy might have sworn off Shanghai if she was lol. Someone dripped some of his 小笼包 juices onto my chair towards the end of our meal -_- The boy was quite pissed on my behalf and I still remember the angry Korean protective look he had, awww :)
Pretty decent 扬州炒饭! A bit wetter than I'm used to but I still liked it because it had enough egg coating the rice grains :) Yummy, I love fried rice.
First serving of 生煎包 we had in Shanghai! Not too bad, but definitely can't hold a candle to Yang's Dumplings (which I must eat more of the next time I'm back in the city!! Must be my first stop lol) :))
小笼包 which was pretty shiok for that price. I like how they serve it in these really authentic bamboo baskets that you just know have been used many times over. Oh dear writing this at midnight is making my stomach growl so much o_o
Taiwanese Fried Chicken
Lunch wasn't enough and we left quickly because of how chaotic it was inside. Headed to the neighbouring fried chicken shop for some of our favourite food!! Just realised we LOVE fried chicken a little too much haha.
Would have wanted to try almost everything!
AHHH I can still remember the taste of the spices and how it was nicely piping hot! Super shiok on a winter's day :)
豫园
We walked for quite a distance despite taking the metro before we finally reached this place o_o It wasn't that fantastic but it was still worth a visit :) Quite a few cute souvenir shops too.
My favourite thing to eat – red bean snack! Anything red bean is always a good idea hehe, it's not difficult to make me happy.
Not sure why we were SO tired from walking around, but we walked into this building that had a kopitiam to get some respite from the crowd and walking.
Pizza Hut Feast
We were really tired and decided to retire to our hotel room for the day. We didn't even have energy to really care about dinner so that meant we had takeaway from nearby! And of course we somehow ended up ordering Pizza Hut :)) Grabbed some HK milk tea and egg tarts/cakes too hehe. Funnily enough, I think it was one of the best meals we had in Shanghai. Glad we got to have our pizza feast + drama-watching that we love to do.
Hawaiian Cheese and Pesto Chicken with cheese-stuffed crust from the nearby Pizza Hut!!! – surprisingly super satisfying (coincidental alliteration :p) and I AM HUNGRY AGAIN. Writing this post is torture at this hour o_o I want to reach into this picture and grab a few slices now. Can I please go back to Shanghai and have Pizza Hut again? Hahaha I must be mad.
The street of Shanghainese delights
(according to the guide book my parents lent us o_o)
Everything looked slightly too authentic/'organic' that we didn't dare try. Couldn't bring myself to try their signature cold meats that were left out for display either. So that meant we just walked around aimlessly and disappointedly until I saw THIS SHOP. It was like finding a pool of water in a desert because we were so hungry by then (after all that walking)!!
Sweet Potato Shop <3
This shop is my kind of heaven. Maybe I ate a lot of sweet potatoes when I was still a kid back in China or something, but somehow they really warm the cockles of my heart like no other street snack can :') It's just in my DNA to love this thing!!
Ahhhh look at that fluffy and piping hot goodness :')
Old Duck Noodles
The strange duck noodles that I couldn't finish because the meat was too gamey for me. But overall still quite tasty broth and noodles :)
And of course, more of this!
We then crossed some interesting massive overhead bridge and took the metro to...
Shanghai Museum
Haha I only took this photo there and almost forgot that we went to the museum because I have no photos of the place... fail tourist and ultimate piggy -_- I remember taking a seat to rest after walking around a few halls. We were so tired that both of us dozed off while watching this video on jade in a dark room. We laughed at ourselves for being such terrible uncultured tourists who were old and weak hahaha. Took this photo while we were taking yet another seat at the end of our tour :p
French Concession
Finally at a more touristy part of Shanghai, with more palatable/attractive food choices yay!
I love this place, I wish we had come here earlier actually. The architecture all around is charming – it's modern yet transports you back in time :)
Couldn't find Old Jesse here (I think this branch closed down) so we just settled for some Thai food which was recommended in the guide.
Simply Thai
We got the set lunches and they were surprisingly spicy! Didn't expect to be downing the Thai Iced Milk Tea so much to douse the flames haha.
Then we continued on...
This is their version of public/council housing. It got some award for being a model estate. Love the way the light falls in this photo.
It was quite a neat and quaint rectangle-shaped estate.
Sinan Walkway and Mansions
Looks like it would be a nice place to chill in Spring/Autumn!
This looks like a nice place to dine with the romantic surroundings :)
:)
This Vespa fit right in
Grandparents picking up their little ones from kindergarten
Favourite artistic shot of the trip! Love how I managed to capture the old man on his bike and that he's slightly blurry to show movement :) Looks like it could be a scene from a drama hehe.
Beautiful glow from the early Winter sunset
Old Jesse
We started off the day hunting down this very elusive restaurant. The boy forgot to bring the guide book/address and was beating himself up over it, aiyo :( We didn't know exactly where it was and just blindly walked along Shanghai's infamously long streets (by now we knew we were in for a long walk lol) to try and find it. I quite enjoyed the experience of not really knowing where we were going and just taking in the surroundings though (despite my whining haha).
We were really blessed because reviews that the boy had read said that it's normally really crowded during lunch time and difficult to get a table. Reservations were recommended. We got our table the moment we reached even though we didn't make a reservation, and the food came quickly too, yay! :)
Mixed mushroom with beancurd skin
Typical Shanghainese cold dish that we really enjoyed. I remember thinking – finally, some legit and delicious Shanghainese food!! This was one restaurant hunt that was more than worth it :)
Potato salad
We were quite amused when we thought we ordered mango salad (that was what they translated the dish's Chinese name into) only to have this potato salad served to us instead. Then I realised the Chinese name was potato salad -_- It turned out to be a blessing though, we both LOVED this dish. Super addictive and light for something that was mainly potato. It had these tasty mini peas inside that added texture as well, I'm not sure what veg that is. YUMMM, polished this off.
Granny braised pork in brown sauce
ZOMG this one was the star. When it was served I just knew it was going to be epic. And who cared if there was a lot of oil. Or that there was so much fats in that. NOBODY. Happily chomped down a lot with white rice. Also noted the very pleased look on the boy's face and the fact that he happily scooped lots of sauce into his remaining rice and wolfed that down as well hahaha. If I ever return to Shanghai and leave without eating this, I might regret it for months/years. Or at least until I return again to atone for my mistake lol.
Red bean pancake
One of the best pancakes I've had, and I've had a lot in my lifetime thus far since my family eats at Chinese restaurants quite a bit. It had the perfect blend of crispy and chewy :)) And of course legit red bean paste that doesn't taste processed meant this dessert had my heart. Queen of Red Bean Goodies approves :') I need to eat this again!!
Taking my food blogging hobby very seriously :p I even wrote down both Chinese and English names and the prices hehe.
The very unassuming exterior that we could have easily missed. That marked the end of a very filling and value-for-money meal!! Then we took the metro to...
田子坊 (Tian Zi Fang)
We didn't know where exactly the entrance was and ended up taking a detour again lol. Now I know why this trip made us so tired and feel like an elderly aching couple everyday!!
Came across this shop with really pretty children's clothes and cheongsams. Told myself I need to come back and get some for my future children (if I have girls).
Alleyways :)
More trinket shops
Some had really pretty merchandise! Reminded me of Taiwan's shopping alleyways in outskirt towns as well.
Something for the boy to ogle at too!!
They would have made really pretty display pieces for a home :)
This shop sold beverages from milk bottles and I just had to take a picture. Saw a guy drinking from it and was quite amused hehe.
Inner cheena came out to play! Saw a tea shop and had to go in. Was originally just going in to admire the delicate and beautiful tea sets and take some photos but they told me no photography allowed :( The lady did offer to prepare some tea for us though!
I ended up buying the 龙珠茉莉 and 人生乌龙 flavours, the girl was definitely very persuasive! I especially like brewing the former at home, it's so soothing and smooth :) Drank quite a bit of it during my Easter break home when I wanted a break from all that essay-writing!
More Taiwanese snacks!
We got a bit of everything :) I think my favourite is the soft and fluffy huge donut-like cake. It was so fun to snack on and I loved how light it was. Originally wanted to head to the nearby bird's nest place but decided we didn't have time before the sunset so we quickly made our way to...
Shanghai World Financial Tower
My first time in the CBD area this whole trip!
Very sleek and tall commercial buildings, quite a contrast from where we just came from.
Love that the setting sun gave the photos a certain moody glow
Like in this photo :)
Finally made our way up!! I was quite upset that I didn't bring my student card with me this trip and didn't manage to use the 30% student discount :(
But it's ok, I don't actually mind paying the full price for this experience! This reminded me of The View at the Shard :)
Another building conquered... by the super fast lifts!! Hehe you can see the time we made it on the tickets.
When we first went all the way up
As dusk slowly fell
Just look at that romantic colour gradient :')) Didn't turn out as nicely in photos but watching the sky change in colour and dusk slowly fall on the city as the buildings lit up was quite a sight to behold in person. That's the magic of the human eye I suppose :)
Shanghai you are so lovely...
(although I can't say the same about your veggie-laden river but thankfully that can't be seen from 474m high up :p)
Loved the night colours as well
Overall I loved the experience and I was quite reluctant to leave but our stomachs were calling out to us hehh.
Pretty city lights with Christmas decorations
Yang's Dumplings
WE FINALLY FOUND IT!! Thickened up my skin and asked someone where the shop was, then realised it was slightly off the road that was in the address! At least we finally got to try this haha.
The boy didn't order the set (1 bowl of noodles with 4 SJBs) at first and the counter lady was like YOU SURE AH, don't want the set ah?? He said yea, a serving of 4 sheng jian baos and 2 bowls of noodles only. After we each tried one prawn and one pork one... we knew we had found THE BEST and we couldn't just leave without having more. He had to eat his words and went back to the counter to order one more serving of SJBs, and the lady totally went 'TOLD YOU SO, xiao di' at him hahahaha poor boy!! Love how confident she was of their food lol.
It was quite crowded and there were always people waiting in the collection queue.
ZOMG I AM SO HUNGRY NOW. I should never blog about my trips at 1am.
The noodles had a very chewy texture that I wasn't used to. It was like my teeth couldn't seem to bite through them! Choked on the chili oil because of that and proceeded to eat smaller spoonfuls with caution so I wouldn't suffer o_o Once I got used to it I really liked it though!! Super shiok spiciness and the peanuts were a very good addition to the pork cubes somehow :) The boy liked the combination of flavours too!
*cries* These were some very plump and crunchy prawns! Surprisingly generous with the fillings – WINNER.
*criesssssss* I'm imagining that crispy base... and the broth nestled within... and that generous serving of meat... Happiness in a pau :')))
燕庭 (Yan Ting)
The day of our departure arrived :'( We made our way to this place which my friend said many locals had recommended to her. I'm glad we squeezed out time to come here.
Live parrots right by the entrance
Very cosy interior with plush chairs perfect for lounging/nua-ing :)
Menu
68/88 RMB
The lunch set was actually only available from 12 noon but they let us order from it anyway :) I think we arrived pretty early, maybe 11am, since we had to leave by about 12 noon!
The boy ordered the matcha milk one and I got the Chinese pear dessert. The set came with a choice of tea too.
SUPER GOOD :)) I happily devoured the whole pear. It's my favourite kind (actually I love all pears in general la haha), and even better when it's cooked like that!! Really pleased that I ordered this, and I think it was nicer than the fusion matcha milk one the boy had. This is more traditionally Chinese so it complemented the bird's nest perfectly.
Having this made me miss my grandma's AMAZING bird's nest soup and I'm glad I at least got to have this since I can't have hers anymore!
Perfectly al dente beef penne. Really loved the way they seasoned this with dill. Very yummy! And yet again super hungry just looking at this lol.
The boy's black soya sauce minced pork rice which was delicious as well :)
Ended off with a custard dessert and fruits. A very value-for-money and complete meal – we left feeling very pleased to have made the journey back to this area.
Pretty outdoor seating
The Bund
Strolled to the Bund one final time and this time there were a lot of tourists because it was Christmas Eve! Nice to have mingled in this festive mood before our departure.
You can see the overloaded barges in this shot hahaha they're practically disappearing into the water already o_o Also, how pretty is this skyline :') Can never get sick of this.
Oh Shanghai I miss you so :')
BATMOBILE, WOMAN VERSION!!
So much swag leh maybe I should buy this and ride it around if I'm 40 and single.
I'm so glad that this trip came to fruition in the end, and even more thankful for all the special memories we made that would not have been possible if everything went according to plan. It's really in the unexpected that you make the best memories, something that our trips have proven time and again. I would not have wanted it any other way, or to do all this with any other person. Shanghai grew on us slowly but surely, and I look forward to the next time I return. I've been very blessed indeed, to have this travel opportunity with such fun company :)
The end :)
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