The delicacies of Shanghai are hidden in the shadows of wutong, the corners of arcades, and the smoke of old alleys. The food map of local people is never written in the card punching manual - it is the burnt fragrance from the soybean milk stand in line in the morning, the paper wrapped fried cake held by white-collar workers in suits and clothes, and the oil paper wrapped crabapple cake handed by Grandma. Follow this' City Roaming Guide on the Tongue 'and decode the soul of Shanghai's fireworks with your taste buds.
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1. The Bund Source: Early Morning Carbonwater Carnival
When the first ray of sunshine climbs over the century old building, the breakfast stall at the Bund Source has already wafted with the fragrance of flour. Here lies the most persistent breakfast ceremony of Shanghai people, which is the gentle password to start the day.
The dual personality of alley fried food
The pan fried dish of 'Da Hu Chun' is a golden and crispy tough guy style, with a thick base that is crispy. When bitten open, the meat juice wraps around the scallions and bursts in the mouth. Locals are accustomed to biting open the outer skin sideways, taking a sip of soup before eating the skin; Xiaoyang Sheng Jian "takes a delicate route, with thin skin wrapped around shrimp meat filling and a clear broth, suitable for children to try. Two shops face each other across the street, staging a "salty sweet dispute" in the pan fried world.
Carbon Water Trio Roaming
Starting from Dianchi Road, buy a "slapped Wonton" shepherd's purse meat Wonton. The seaweed shrimp skin soup is so fresh that it can taste like morning mist; Turn around and turn into the Middle Sichuan Road. The Cong you bing of the "Wuyuan Cake House" is sizzling in the iron pan. The aroma of lard and scallion flowers catches the passers-by and stops. Remember to bite it off while it is hot, and the crisp skin falls on the paper bag. Finally, go to the "Old Shanghai Breakfast Shop" at the end of the Bund Street, where salty soybean milk is served with fried Rice and vegetable roll, and deep-fried dough sticks sticks are broken into bowls to produce golden flowers.
Local people's private hiding time
6:30-8:00 in the morning is the best time to watch local uncles and aunties holding insulated buckets to buy pan fried food, grandmothers reminding them to "put more spoons of vinegar" in Shanghai dialect, and office workers in suits and leather shoes walking and eating while holding paper bags. This is the most authentic fireworks scene of the Bund Source.
2. Lujiazui: A Taste Dialogue between Clouds and Streets
Introduction: The cuisine of Lujiazui is a dual mirror of the city, with exquisite afternoon tea in a skyscraper on one side and street fireworks on the basement level of a shopping mall on the other. Time honored brands play the magic of youthfulness here.
The fashionable transformation of time-honored brands
The "Lao Xiang Zhai" in the Guojin Center puts moss pancake into a transparent gift box, and the combination of salty seaweed chips and crispy pancakes has become the new favorite of white-collar workers for afternoon tea; The "Shen Dacheng" of the Bund Financial Center launched the exclusive Jintuan style. The coconut silk coat was wrapped with Red bean soup and sesame seed, and the warm filling was like flowing moonlight when biting open. The "Ajisen Lamian Noodles" in the B1 of the World Financial Center will be whispered to you by locals: "Spicy beef rice with soft eggs is a life extending package for overtime dogs."
The hidden cafeteria behind the science museum
After taking the children through the Science and Technology Museum, walk for 10 minutes to the ground floor of Zhengda Square. The Ming Shifu of "Shanghai Xiaonanguo" is quickly folding 18 lines of Xiaolongbao. Steamed crab roe dumplings should be eaten while they are hot. First, gently lift the pleats and use a spoon to catch the soup, then dip it in some Zhenjiang vinegar. The sweet and sour delicious taste makes children squint their eyes. The "Pork Rib Rice Cake" at the neighboring "Da Shi Shi" food court is served with double sauce, with crispy pork ribs on the outside and tender inside. The rice cake is fried until it's sticky and chewy, making it suitable for the whole family to share.
Cloud based Afternoon Tea Guide
At 3:00 p.m., we boarded the 118 floor of Shanghai center. In the afternoon tea set of "Cloud Restaurant", there was a mini version of Shen Dacheng Qingtuan lying on the Dim sum rack in Makaron color. The wormwood fragrance mixed with the mist on the clouds, and we watched the traffic flow under our feet turn into toy cars through the french window. This was a romantic moment for Lujiazui.
3. Wukang Road: Sweet Teeth Roaming under wutong Trees
The afternoon on Wukang Road is a slow motion of time, with dappled sunlight seeping through the windows of the old western-style house, and the butter aroma of the bakery entwining the footsteps of passersby. Every dessert here hides the owner's careful thoughts.
The sweet collision of French and Shanghai styles
"Farine"'s praises should be the first one in the morning. The crisp skin falls all over the paper tray, and the honeycomb tissue inside sucks the aroma of butter. With a cup of hot chocolate, watch the wutong leaves cast tiny shadows on the edge of the coffee cup; Luneurs' caramel biscuit ice cream hides salted egg yolks, and locals are accustomed to buying a pair of balls and putting them in waffles. They take a few steps to take photos in front of the Wukang Building, and the melting speed of the ice cream just catches up with the changes in light and shadow.
The Literary Rebirth of Chinese Pastry
Brieek Coffee's osmanthus wine cake uses old Shanghai wine as the base, with fresh osmanthus petals mixed in the cream. When digging with a fork, layers of rice cake patterns can be seen; The salt bread of 'Cycle&Cycle' is a combination of Japanese dough and Shanghai flavors. The coarse salt grains on the surface create a salty and fresh sensation when chewed, making it perfect for sitting in the open air of Wukangting and watching passersby carrying flowers.
Hidden eating methods revealed
Locals will tell you that you can buy half of Farine's baguette, have the staff cut it into slices, and take it home to spread with peanut butter from Jing'an Bakery. This is the childhood flavor of Shanghai girls.
4. Jing'an Temple: Healing cuisine in the morning bell and evening drum
The fireworks of Jing'an Temple are hidden in the interweaving of incense and coffee. The vegetarian noodle shop in the morning, the local restaurant in the afternoon, and the seafood noodle shop in the late night are all considered "energy supply stations" in the hearts of the locals.
The Zen time of plain face in morning class
At 6:00 a.m., the Suzhai Hall in Jing'an Temple opened on time. Arhat's vegetarian noodles were topped with mushrooms, agaric, and bamboo shoots. The soup was clear and smelled of mushrooms. The locals would pack the soup with their own thermos cups and eat breakfast with the temple's morning bell. The sesame sauce mixed with noodles next door at "Yumian" is a midday obsession for white-collar workers. The noodles are cooked too hard, mixed with thick sesame sauce, and served with a piece of fried pork chops. When bitten, the breadcrumbs fall off, and a sense of satisfaction spreads from the stomach to the heart.
The warm lights of the late night cafeteria
At 2am, the "Hongfu Noodle House" was still lit. The green scallops, prawns and clams in the seafood noodles were piled up into a hill. The soup was so fresh that you could taste the taste of sea water. The taxi driver would always come to a bowl after running on the night road, saying, "The noodles here are hotter than those at home." And "Su Xiaoliu"'s shepherd's purse and horseshoe Xiaolongbao, with a fresh filling, was suitable for children to taste. Remember to dip in some vinegar, and listen to the grandmother say, "vinegar should be poured along the edge of the bowl, not to grab the fresh flavor."
The wonderful combination of coffee and incense
Get out of the exit 6 of Jing'an Temple subway station and turn into the alley on Yuyuan Road. The glass window of "% Arabica" reflects the golden ceiling of the temple. Buy a cup of Spanish latte, sit under the wutong tree, and watch the girls in Han suits walk by with scriptures. This is the unique mixed smoke of Jing'an Temple.
5. Yu Garden: Intangible Cultural Heritage Taste Theater in Ancient Alley
The food in Yu Garden is a live "Picture of the River during the Qingming Festival". Under the bronze signboard of the time-honored brand, the grandma's gesture of wrapping Zongzi, the teacher's oil temperature of frying Spring rolls, and the craftsman's action of pulling pear paste and sugar are all taste memories inherited for a century.
A feast of intangible cultural heritage on the tip of the tongue
The crab meat dumplings in Nanxiang Mantou Store have 18 folds. Before eating, local people should "open the window" - gently lift the folds with chopsticks, poke a small hole in the thin skin, cool the soup, and then inhale it. The fresh sweet crab flavor mixed with the meat juice spreads in the mouth; The eyebrows of 'Green Wave Corridor' are crispy and crescent shaped, filled with shrimp and diced bamboo shoots. When deep fried, the oil temperature is controlled at 180 degrees Celsius, and when it comes out of the pot, it is golden and crispy. You can hear a 'click' sound when you bite it open.
The Jianghu atmosphere of street snacks
In the old street of Yu Garden Garden, the "Xiandelai Ribs New Year Cake" must be doubledoused with sauce. The bright red sweet sauce is wrapped with crispy ribs on the outside and tender ribs on the inside. The new year cake is fried to gold on both sides and chewed waxy; In front of the manual booth of "Old Town God Temple Pear Paste Candy", the master is pulling sugar. The peppermint flavored pear paste sugar is in his mouth. When walking around the Jiuqu Bridge, you can hear the crisp sound of sugar lumps colliding with teeth. The Yu Garden at 7 am is the most quiet. Buy a fried Mantou from the "Old Shanghai Hotel", sit in the pavilion in the middle of the lake, watch the garden in the morning light, and listen to the voice of the pingtan artists tuning. This is the slow life of old Shanghai.
Hidden Eating Guide
Local people will choose "Herb Flavor" when they buy pear paste candies. They can taste the complex flavor of mint, licorice, and scallop when they put it in their mouth. They are tired of strolling and sitting on the bench in front of the ancient stage, watching the candies show amber color in the sun. This is a time filter belonging to Yu Garden.
6. Disney: Shanghai flavored Easter eggs in fairy tales
Disney's cuisine is not just hamburgers and fries, hidden menus known only to locals are hidden in various theme parks, adding a touch of Shanghai smoke to the fairy tale world.
Chinese fairy tale Dim sum adventure
The Sichuan style fried chicken paired with wine dumplings at the "Mickey's Good Friends Delicious Market" is a wonderful collision of spiciness and sweetness. The fried chicken has a crispy outer skin, and the meat juice inside is fragrant with Sichuan peppercorns. The sweet soup of wine dumplings is filled with goji berries, like Disney fireworks blooming on the taste buds; The Shanghai smoked fish pizza at "Barbossa Barbecue" uses crispy fish chunks instead of sausages, and the cheese is mixed with soy sauce fragrance. When bitten, the crispy fish skin contrasts with the soft pizza base. The staff will quietly say, "You can buy it at 3 pm during the float parade and also get a limited edition Mickey Mouse meal box
Seasonal limited taste surprise
Spring cherry blossom Mickey waffles are wrapped in strawberry jam, with cherry blossom shavings hidden inside the cake. Taking photos and posting them on social media will lead to viral links; The autumn pumpkin spice caramel popcorn bucket is a must-have for locals. The Mickey ears on the lid of the bucket can be removed as hairpins, and the popcorn is mixed with local brown sugar granules, sweet but not greasy. Order a Shanghai stir fried noodle dish at the Pinocchio Country Kitchen, put it in a Mickey shaped plate, and tell the child, 'This is Pinocchio's adventure lunch in Shanghai!'
Parent child food route
After playing "Seven Dwarfs Mine Car" in the morning, walk to "Paparino Ice Cream" on Mickey Avenue to buy a Mickey avatar ice cream. Vanilla flavored cream mixed with crispy rice, while strolling through the shops; In the afternoon, buy a spicy chicken wing at the snack booth at the exit of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" project, pair it with a glass of ice cola, sit on a pirate ship shaped bench to rest, and watch the sunset gilding the castle.
There is no standard answer to the food map in Shanghai. It is a handshake between the fireworks atmosphere in the alleys and the delicacy of the cloud restaurants, a symbiotic relationship between the persistence of old brands and the rebellion of new-style cuisine. When you hear greetings in the soybean milk stall in the morning, and see white collars in suits and shoes bow their heads and chatter in the small noodle shop late at night, you will understand the delicious password of this city - the so-called "local people know", which is just a love of life, hidden in every mouthful of warm food.
Next time you come to Shanghai, remember to come empty stomach and let your taste buds follow the heartbeat of the city, dancing a tango that belongs to fireworks.
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