Fu 1088 / 福1088 (Shanghai)

Fu 1088 is not your typical Shanghainese restaurant in the metropolitan of Shanghai, it is located in a refurbished 1930's mansion / villa in the middle of town. The atmosphere was excellent with crackling staircases, wooden decor and beautifully tilted bathrooms. Guests can enjoy a peaceful meal in the individual private dining rooms located through the 3 floors restaurant. Oh wait, almost forgot the mention that there is a RMB 300 per person minimum charge at this atypical Shanghainese restaurant.

Jesse Restaurant 吉士酒家 (Shanghai)

Yet another famous local joint for its traditional Shanghainese dishes. When it comes to fame, the amount of tourists somehow gives you a big picture of its popularity to a certain extend. At this place, I can hear more Cantonese and English then Mandarin being exchanged. So what exactly is Shanghainese cuisine? A very good question because it is a product / combination of several nearby regional (coastal) cuisines and it gradually transformed into its own category over the years. This is one of the key reasons I enjoy Shanghainese cuisine, for its diversity as well as its ability to appreciate different regional cuisines to distinct itself through continuous refinement. (There is a so-called New Jesse vs this "old" Jesse and I have been informed that they are different establishment?)

Ding Tai Fung 鼎泰豐 @ Shanghai

So far I have been to 3 countries that have Ding Tai Fung, namely, Hong Kong, Taiwan and Shanghai. Frankly speaking, they all tasted about the same except for Taiwan's one which is still my favorite among the 3 for its overall services. We tried to order similar items so to compare but the result was pretty much as expected, at least for my taste bud: Rather unexciting.

La Creperie @ Shanghai

If you find the name La Creperie familiar, it is because there is one in Hong Kong as well located in the Wan Chai district as well. The Shanghai outlet is actually the first outlet of the franchise and I was here to give it a try before I go for the Hong Kong one.

World Expo 2010 @ Shanghai

I dislike queuing up;

I dislike queuing up for more than 30 minutes;

I dislike queuing up for more than 30 minutes under the sun;

I dislike queuing up for more than 30 minutes under the sun with people pushing from behind every 10 seconds;

I dislike queuing up for more than 30 minutes under the sun with people pushing from behind every 10 seconds without the slightest respect to the idea of queuing up.

The above pretty much summed up my experience at the World Expo 2010 at Shanghai.

Franck

This French restaurant located in Shanghai's French Concession area has built up its name as one of the best in town and I paid a lunch visit during my short stay in town. It is located inside Ferguson Lane, a charming red-bricked, hospital-turned trendy establishment full of history and of course different upscale cafes, art galleries and restaurants. I thought I was in Europe as soon as I stepped through the gate. It was a bit surreal when there was such a big contrast in terms of atmosphere compared with the streets outside full of rusted bicycles and individuals street vendors selling home grown fruits. Anyhow, I am here to talk about food, my opinion on the huge income disparity issues will be discussed here later.

Nanxiang Steamed Bun 南翔饅頭店

I am really not a fan of queueing, really hated it. When you see my in a line waiting, most likely it involves food! It was no difference this time. We lined up for over 40 minutes for its famous Xiao Long Bao (XLB) or what also known as Xiao Long Mantou 小籠饅頭 (mini buns). I think they are called mini buns / mantou for a reason because the XLBs being served have really thick dough / skin like tiny steamed mini buns.

Yang's Fry-Dumpling 小杨生煎馆

I am going to start off my Shanghai series with something simple yet extremely satisfying, Sheng jian bao (生煎包) or what many locals call it Shengjian mantou (生煎饅頭) from Yang's Fry-Dumpling 小杨生煎馆. It is basically a pan fried meat-filled bun. One of the key elements for a good Sheng jian bao is to have golden crisp bottom from the pan frying, at least to my understanding. The amount of meat juice inside the meat would make a big difference as well.