Hands up if you know who Jamie Barys is? She's the co-founder of the awesome Shanghai food tour company Untour Shanghai.
She and business partner Kyle Long are also launching Glutton Guide Shanghai, a food-focused e-guidebook series aiming to tackle the problem of helping tourists eat like locals.
Anyhow, Jamie knows her shit when it comes to the best street food in Shanghai, here are her top six most delicious picks:
1. A Niang Mian (阿娘面)
When hairy crab season rolls around, I head here and order their signature xiefen mian (below), with bright orange roe and sweet crab meat served with fresh noodles in a rich broth made of yellow croaker spine.
ABOVE: Xiefen tang mian (with soup). BELOW: Xiefen gan mian (no soup).
The rest of the year, the huangyu mian (yellow croaker noodles, below) is also a winner.
Price: RMB39 for crab noodles. RMB22 for yellow croaker noodles.
// 36 Sinan Lu, by Nanchang Lu 思南路36号，近南昌路.
2. A Da Congyoubing (阿大葱油饼)
This guy is my all-time favorite street food vendor and totally worth the wait, which sometimes reaches two hours at peak times. He makes everything by hand, and never cuts corners, elevating these crispy scallion oil pancakes to an edible art form. Best visited between meal times when the wait is shorter.
Price: RMB5/each.
// Lane 159, back door of No. 2 Maoming Lu, by Nanchang Lu茂名南路159弄2号后门,近南昌路.
3. Da Hu Chun (大壶春)
I love Yang’s Fried Dumplings as much as the next guy, but Da Hu Chun’s misshapen buns have a special place in my heart. They are fried seam face up so they can fit in even more juice – yes please!
Price: RMB6/each.
// 71 Yunnan Nan Lu, by Jinling Dong Lu 云南南路71号，近金陵东路.
4. Wei Xiang Zhai （味香斋）
Wei Xiang Zhai has been slinging sesame-peanut noodles for decades, ladling out hundreds of bowls a day from the first floor of an historic French Concession building. Most of the diners can be found slurping on the majiang mian with a side of beef curry broth soup.
Pay at the counter, elbow your way to a spot at a table (they’re all shared here) and place your receipt on a numbered clothespin to give to the wait staff. The authentic, ‘fight for your right to eat’ atmosphere is almost as much of a reason to make this a must-stop on any itinerary as the nirvana-level noodles. Order: sesame-peanut noodles (麻酱面 májiàng miàn), curry beef broth (牛肉汤 niúròu tāng).
Price: RMB15-30.
// 14 Yandang Lu, by Huaihai Lu. 雁荡路14号近淮海中路. Hours: 6.15am-9pm.
5. Jianbing
The street food I eat most often, jianbing has fueled me through more than eight years of empty refrigerator emergencies, hangovers and on-the-go lunch breaks. Unlike most vendors, the Wulumuqi Lu lady stays open until 2pm, cementing her place as my favorite jianbing seller in town.
Price: RMB4/each.
// 328 Wulumuqi Lu, by Fuxing Lu. 乌鲁木齐路328号，近复兴路.
6. Lao Shaoxing Doujiang (老绍兴豆浆店)
I love breakfast for dinner, and this late-night soy milk and Chinese cruller stand does just that. The made-to-order youtiao are perfect for dipping in the fresh soy milk, which comes either sweet or savory depending on what your night owl palate craves.
Price: RMB 2-5/each.
// 309 Zhaozhou Lu, by Jianguo Xin Lu肇周路309号，近建国新路口.
// The above is just a tiny selection of the street food treasure trove that is Glutton Guide Shanghai. Download the e-book for the full experience. For updates, see the Glutton Guides website here.
(All photos by Betty Richardson except Laoshaoxing Doujiang, via Dianping)
// For more Shanghai Eats, click here.
0 User Comments