[TRAVEL] 5D4N Shanghai Food Guide Part 2 - Top 10 Pastry, Coffee, Gelato & More!

Hello from Shanghai! ❤ 

Continuing from Part 1 of Shanghai Food Guide which earlier focuses on the local Shanghainese cuisine, this Part 2 of the Shanghai Food Guide shows you the more modern side of Shanghai including the ever blooming cafe scenes, coffee culture and bar! 

BAKERY /  PASTRY

1. 紐約貝果博物館 New York Bagelous Museum 

2. 百丘 Pain Chaud

3. Drunk Baker

COFFEE
4. 方塊咖啡 Coffee Cube x Merakicoffee 

5. 星巴克臻选•上海烘焙工坊 Shanghai Starbucks Roastery

6. Birdie Cup Coffee 

7. 52樓朵雲書院 Duoyun Books 

GELATO

8. Fontaine

9. 酷矿手作霜淇淋 Corner Cone Gelato

COCKTAIL

10. 1988 Bar

BAKERY /  PASTRY

1. 紐約貝果博物館 New York Bagelous Museum 

Location: 上海市 新天地馬當路245號 新天地時尚購物中心2期一層L111鋪位

 

If there is something that I wish could be available in Singapore, then it would be the New York Bagelous Museum! It is a Korean-style bagel café in Shanghai and the queue was really long during our weekday visit. 

❤ 香葱韭菜芝士贝果 Chives and Leeks Cheese Bagel (38元)

❤ 黑松露无花果火腿贝果 Black Truffle Fig-ham Bagel (48元)

We initially thought we went for the aesthetics, but ended up enjoying the bagels so much. I couldn't decide which was better, because both tasted equally great and flavourful with generous fillings in it. 

2. 百丘 Pain Chaud

Location: Multiple branches

❤ 开心果泡芙 Pistachio Choux @ 38元

❤ Croissant @ 16元

Pain Chaud is a French Artisan Bakery (上海法式手工面包店) which is the more popular option among the expats and tourists. We heard that the pistachio choux here is really good so we were here to try and true indeed, it did not disappoint. The choux was airy soft while the pistachio filling was so intense in flavour. Love it! 

3. Drunk Baker

Location: Multiple branches

❤ 墨西哥辣椒萨拉米贝果 Jalapeno Salami Bagel (16元)

❤ 抹茶手撕面包 Matcha Bread + 热巧克力 Hot chocolate (50元)

Drunk Baker looks like an unassuming, tiny neighborhood bakery but we realised there are so many Drunk Baker outlets in Shanghai city. Made with traditional French baking philosophy, the bagel and matcha bread were equally delicious and fueled our morning with positive vibes. An ideal spot to spend a quiet, relaxing morning.

COFFEE

4. 方塊咖啡 Coffee Cube x Merakicoffee

Location: 上海市 浦东新区陆家嘴街道银城中路242号

Coffee options are aplenty in Shanghai. We love this one located in the city centre, with breezy outdoor seating amidst the shades of ginkgo leaves (銀杏樹群). Sipping on a cup of Starry Osmanthus Latte (繁星桂花拿铁 - 35元) is probably the best escape from the hustles and bustles of the city. 

5. 星巴克臻选•上海烘焙工坊 Shanghai Starbucks Roastery

Location: 上海市 静安區南京西路789號

But when it comes to coffee specialist, the Shanghai Starbucks Roastery is a must-visit as it is one of the largest Starbucks roasteries, spanning a whopping 30,000 sqft area. The one I have been in Tokyo's Meguro City is slightly bigger (32,000 sqft) but the offerings are slightly different here.

Apart from the roasting facility and hand-crafted coffee bars, it also serves nitro draft lattes and alcoholic drinks. 

❤ CHEMEX手冲烘焙工坊典藏拼配 - 45g for 500ml (86元)

❤ 拿铁冷 RSTY-烘焙工坊典藏拼配 -20g (46元)

Here we get to try the outlet-exclusive Starbucks Roastery-inspired Microblend, a small-lot, high-quality coffee unique to Shanghai City itself. It is blended and roasted onsite, and then hand-brewed in our preferred Chemex method. I enjoyed the complexity of caramel sweetness, citrusy and floral notes.

It is a perfect spot for coffee connoisseurs to immerse themselves

in the sights, sounds and aromas of coffee!

 

6. Birdie Cup Coffee

Location: 上海市 徐汇区武康路105号 (武康路店)

Along Wukang Road, we had a quick pit stop at this cute little coffee joint. The café scene here is very vibrant, but this cute birdie cup attracted me with the seasonal Osmanthus Longan Latte (初桂龙眼拿铁 - 26元) - something sweet and soothing to the mind and soul. A great pick-me-up of the day!

7. 52樓朵雲書院 Duoyun Books

Location: 上海市 浦东新区银城中路501号上海中心大厦52楼

❤ 那朵云 (酸奶芝士慕斯) Yogurt Cheese Mousse (52元)

❤ 燕麦拿铁 Oat Latte (48元)

Located on Level 52 of the Shanghai Tower, this café garnered the attention of the public because of its magnificent view of the whole Huangpu including the Oriental Pearl Tower. The queue was tremendously long, and there was a minimum spend of RMB 42 per pax.  

Honestly, the crowd was too much to handle, and the food / beverages were not great. Definitely not worth the hype and not recommended for the view as it was quite obstructed by the weather condition. 

GELATO

8. Fontaine

Location: 上海市 徐汇区武康路98号 (武康路店)

Found my new favourite gelato in town! It was a Yamazaki Whisky Gelato (山崎威士忌 - 49元) with a slight alcohol content of 2.3%. Made of Yamazaki whisky, vanilla and milk, the gelato actually felt refreshing, bright and aromatic on the palate, without being too potent on the alcohol flavour. 

9. Corner Cone Gelato 酷矿手作霜淇淋 

Location: 上海市 徐汇区 淮海中路1852号武康大楼底楼 (武康路店)

Stumbled upon another cute gelato shop in Wukang Road and thought the Tinkerbell Gelato (38元) was pretty cute! It was made of frozen yoghurt, so the flavour was acceptable for me. They have different designs / characters in different seasons, so keep an eye on the latest menu and enjoy the surprise.

COCKTAIL

10. 1989 Bar

 Location: 上海市 黄浦区福建中路193号11楼 (人民广场店)

 

❤ 王母划的银河 The Queen Mother Cuts the Galaxy (98元)

Alcohol 20% - 罗勒皮斯科，都灵印象味美思，君度橙皮油糖，柑橘，新鲜凤梨汁

❤ 亢奋 Euphoria (108元)

Alcohol 35% - 朗姆酒，菠萝，火龙肉桂威士忌，甜椒金色法兰姆，

芒果，新鲜青柠汁，橙味苦精

What completes our trip to Shanghai is a cocktail night at the bar. Not the best cocktail I ever tried, but it was the companion and conversation that mattered the most. I enjoyed my experience here thus far. 

Thank you Shanghai for the exciting foodie adventure! ❤

Overall, our 5D4N Shanghai food adventure has concluded with a very bright and happy note. The trip has been filled with beautiful sights, delicious food, and unforgettable memories. Looking forward to seeing the beauty of China again!

- FiSh | Shanghai | Spring 2024 -

[TRAVEL] 5D4N Shanghai Food Guide Part 1 - Top 15 Must-try Local Cuisine

Hello from Shanghai! ❤ 

The Shanghai trip has been filled with a lot of amazing gastronomical experiences which really blew my mind! Hence, sharing with you guys here some of my personal favourite Shanghainese local food, ranging from Michelin starred restaurants to the local street delicacies. Hope this guide is helpful for you!

SHANGHAINESE LOCAL FOOD

1. 萊萊小籠 Lai Lai Xiao Long  

2. 人和馆 (本幫菜) Ren He Guan

3. 上揚府 (淮揚菜) Shang Yang Fu  

4. 桂满陇 (杭帮菜) Gui Man Long

5. 新白鹿 (杭帮菜) Xin Bai Lu 

6. 鮮得來 Xian De Lai 

7. 蟹江南•蟹黄面 Xie Jiang Nan

8. 阿娘面馆 Ah Niang Mian Guan 

9. 美味嘉老上海双档 Mei Wei Jia Old Shanghai Shuang Dang

10. 沈大成 Shen Da Cheng 

SHANGHAINESE SNACK

11. 酥小蝶 & 老香斋 Shu Xiao Die & Lao Xiang Zhai

12. 小桃园 Xiao Tao Yuan

13. 小杨生煎 Yang's Dumpling

14. 哈茶福 Ha Cha Fu 

15. 半酌烧烤小酒馆 Ban Zhuó Shao Kao

1. 萊萊小籠 Lai Lai Xiao Long 

Location: Multiple branches

Xiao Long Bao is No. 1 must-have local delicacy in Shanghai but what makes it even more special here is the ultra thick and gooey crab roe filling in each of the delicately wrapped skin. 

 

For first timer, the 纯蟹粉小笼 Crab Roe Xiao Long Bao (86元 / 4只) is definitely a must order! 

Don't forget to add on the 姜丝醋 Shredded Ginger Vinegar condiment (1元) to elevate the taste too.

2. 人和馆 Ren He Guan

Location: Multiple branches

Ren He Guan is an excellent Michelin one-star Shanghainese restaurant with an average check of 250 yuan per person, serving authentic Shanghainese cuisine (known as 沪菜 / 本帮菜). We queued for more than 1.5 hours before we got a seat at this old Shanghai mansion-like restaurant. Dim yellow lights, nostalgic décor, 1930s memorabilia, golden oldies courtesy of singers in qipao... the ambiance was mind-blowingly beautiful.

❤ 米其林推荇 蟹粉捞饭 Michelin's recommendation - Crab Meat with Rice (199元 / 1-2人用);

❤ 青浦练塘茭白响油鳝丝 Stir fried shredded eel with wild rice stems in dark sauce;

❤ 舍得菜 Sautéed cabbage

The main highlight of the fish-centric menu is the unmissable crabmeat and roe on rice. So gooey, rich and bursts with seafood sweetness. Definitely the finest quality crab roe I had throughout the trip! 

On the other hand, the stir-fried shredded eel with wild rice stems was a lovely combination of contrasting textures. Plus, the eel lent an unique sweetness to the aquatic vegetables.

  

We also had the famous sautéed vegetable dish called "She De", which means "willing to give" in Chinese. It is said that it uses only the most precious, tender leaves at the heart of a cabbage to serve the customers, hence the restaurant is "willing" to remove the outer layers of leaves.

3. 上揚府•淮扬小品 Shang Yang Fu

Location: 上海市 南京东路步行街479号五楼 (南京东路店)

❤ 扬府松露红烧肉 (红烧肉三分肥七分瘦) (98元)

❤ 明珠雪绒豆腐 (80刀手工切丝的豆腐) (39元)

Huaiyang cuisine, a subgroup of Jiangsu cuisine, is one of the Four Great Traditions in Chinese cuisine. It focuses on meticulous knife skills that have been passed down over the past 1,500 years and elaborated presentations of dishes, and we were glad to be able to experience such an art in Shang Yang Fu. 

The Braised Pork Belly crowned with Truffle was the showstopper here, combining tender, melt-in-your-mouth pork belly with the earthy richness of truffles and a hint of sticky sweet sauce. How I'd wish the helping of sauce would be more generous as it went so well with the crisp base of rice. 

My personal favourite goes to the Silk Cut Tofu Soup, a mind blowing creation which turned a normal block of tofu into a blossoming flower by making 6,400 (80x80) cuts. And each chef takes 3-5 years to master this skill! The tofu threads tasted extra smooth and was full of flavours from the broth.

4. 桂满陇 Gui Man Long

Location: 上海市 衡山路 932号太平洋百货8层 (徐汇店)

Another favourite of mine is the Gui Man Long's specialty Hangzhou cuisine (杭帮菜) which focuses on culinary techniques and aesthetics. The overall taste is mild but flavourful with a focus on fresh ingredients. It was, again, a mindblowingly great meal for us! 

❤ 瘦西湖松鼠桂鱼 (168元)

❤ 海胆香精踏蛋 (45元)

❤ 东坡肉 (35元)

❤ 桂花冰酿 100ml/杯 (25元)

Huge efforts went to the presentation of the dishes, for instance the Sweet Sour Fish being presented as a squirrel while the Braised Pork Belly was beautifully plated too. Flavour wise, they were equally great. My personal favourite was the Sea Urchin Flavoured Egg which exuded a lovely seafoody eggy aroma.

5. 新白鹿 Xin Bai Lu

Location: 上海市 南京东路800号东方商厦九楼 (南京东路店)

 

Xin Bai Lu is a more affordable option for Hangzhou cuisine (杭帮菜), but the ambiance, food presentation and taste are never lacking at all. 

❤ 蛋黄鸡翅 - 小份4只 (22元)

❤ 薄饼豉油肉 - 小份4只 (25元)

❤ 糖醋排骨 (9元)

❤ 干锅花菜 (19元)

The Salted Egg Yok Chicken Wing was so juicy and flavourful, while the Sweet Sour Pork Ribs had its own charm in terms of texture and sweet-savoury flavour. Overall, our lunch here was pretty pleasant, and the portion was just right for two. 

6. 鮮得來 Xian De Lai 

Location: 上海市 云南南路46号 (百年美食街)

Along the food street of Yunnan South Road (云南南路), there were plenty of traditional, hundred-year-old eateries lining the row of shoplots. But the most popular one is probably Xian De Lai which is famed for its Pork Chop with Glutinous Rice Cake (排骨年糕), a signature dish from the《繁花》.

❤ 排骨年糕  (15元)

❤ 鲜肉小馄饨 (9元) 

❤ 桂花酒酿小丸子 (13元)

The pork chop was so well seasoned and tasted amazing with the sweet sticky sauce, served on a bed of chewy glutinous rice cake. Truly a local delight that you must not miss. For only RMB 15, we couldn't stop ourselves from ordering another portion because it was just so good. 

While the Pork Dumpling Soup was tummy comforting during the cold weather, we were more attracted to the Sweet Fermented Glutinous Rice Dessert (桂花酒酿小丸子) which lent a strong flavour of sweet rice wine with a hint of aromatic osmanthus flakes. 

7. 蟹江南•蟹黄面

Location: 上海市 黄浦区河南中路505号 (南京东路店)

❤ 招脾纯蟹黃金 + 蟹粉娃娃粟 (90元)

Xie Jiang Nan is famous for the crab roe noodles set, so we ordered a set to try and were pleasantly surprised that the quality of affordable crab roe was not bad after all. It definitely couldn't beat Ren He Guan in terms of the consistency and flavour, but at this affordable price point I think the crab roe noodles had nailed it! 

8. 阿娘面馆 Ah Niang Mian Guan

Location: 上海市 黄浦区思南路36号

❤ 黄鱼煨面 白汤 (60元)

❤ 炸猪扒 (20元)

In Sinan area, we stumbled upon this unassuming noodle soup, and little did we know that it is actually an awardee of the Michelin bib gourmand for 8 consecutive years since 2017 until 2024!

The signature Yellow Croaker Noodles (黄鱼煨面 白汤) was so tummy comforting. As the soup made from yellow croaker and fish bones had been boiled for long hours, you could tell how fresh the yellow croaker is just by tasting the soup! Delicious! 

9. 美味嘉老上海双档 Mei Wei Jia Old Shanghai Shuang Dang

Location: 上海市 黄浦区贵州路116-118号底层前间

❤ 双档 (25元)

❤ 老上海绿豆汤 (18元)

One of the must-have traditional Shanghai snack / breakfast is the Shuang Dang (双档)! It was a piping hot bowl of vermicelli, filled to the brim with various ingredients such as beancurd sheet, stuffed tofu puff, seaweed, fishball etc. 

The minty green bean dessert soup is another traditional Shanghai delicacy, but we did not enjoy the overly cloying sweetness of it. 

 

10. 沈大成 Shen Da Cheng

Location: Multiple branches

❤ 糟香鮮肉月餅 (5元)

❤ 蛋黄肉松青团 (10元)

When it comes to traditional snack / pastry, Shen Da Cheng definitely tops the list. It is a time-honored brand that has been producing traditional snacks (传统糕点), dumplings, noodles and Shanghainese cuisine since 1875.

Our favourite among all was the Fresh Meat Dumpling (鮮肉月餅) - so juicy and meaty on the inside, and so flaky on the outside! The Salted Egg Yolk and Pork Floss Rice Balls (蛋黄肉松青团) on the other hand was pretty unique with sweet-savoury taste. Highly recommended to bring some home as souvenir. 

11. 酥小蝶 & 老香斋 蝴蝶酥 Shu Xiao Die & Lao Xiang Zhai

Location: Inside 上海第一食品商店 Shanghai First Foodmall (南京东路旗舰店)

We had a great time shopping for the Shanghai traditional pastries: 奶酥 (similar to a streuselkuchen) and the French Palmier (蝴蝶酥). The butterfly-shaped French palmier here was extremely crisp and rich in buttery goodness. I guess it was the authentic flavour of old Shanghai that kept people thronging for it.

12. 小桃园 Xiao Tao Yuan

Location: 上海市 複興中路1251號-1臨

Here we got to try the Taiwanese flavours with a Shanghainese flair. Xiao Tao Yuan is a popular breakfast and supper spot, and we could see the never-ending queue all the time. For below RMB 10, you can fill your tummy full and happy. 

We tried the Egg Crepe (蛋饼), Salted Soy Milk (咸豆浆), Sweet Soy Milk (甜豆浆), Fried Crullers (炸油条) and Steamed Buns (小包子) - and it costed us only RMB 28 which was a super great value for money! Overall, we enjoyed the salted soy milk with crullers and egg crepe the most. 

13. 小杨生煎 Yang's Dumpling

Location: Multiple branches

A little rendition from the usual steamed dumplings, Yang's Dumpling serves the pan-fried version which is equally juicy and meaty inside, while the exterior is more crisp and heavier on the palate. Our Chives and Original Pan-fried Dumpling Set (荠菜小杨双拼 - 12元) was pretty decent, and it went well with the spicy chilli flakes.

14. 哈茶福 Ha Cha Fu

Location: Multiple branches

Our travel in China would not be complete without having some authentic Chinese traditional tea. Here we had some Osmanthus Oolong Tea in a more creative and modern way. Not bad! 

15. 半酌烧烤小酒馆 

Location: (上海人民广场全季酒店店）

Interestingly, there is a late night drinking spot right at the ground floor of the hotel where we had a really great time tucking into the China’s famous grilled skewers and beer. The vibes here were super on point – funky decors filled up the space, full-house crowd during weekends. Recommended for group dining!

❤ ❤ ❤

Thank you for the exceptional dining experience, Shanghai!

Overall, our 5D4N Shanghai food adventure has given me a lot of opportunities to discover various cuisines from different parts of China. Each and every experience is mind-blowingly good, from the extravagant décor to the beautiful food presentation and impeccable services. Such gastronomical experience is just so memorable and I definitely look forward to visiting China again! 

❤ ❤ ❤

- FiSh | Shanghai | Spring 2024 -

[TRAVEL] Day Trip to Zhujiajiao Ancient Town 朱家角 - "Venice of Shanghai"

Zhujiajiao | One day trip ❤

The highlight of our 5D4N Shanghai trip is definitely the ancient Zhujiajiao water town (朱家角水乡). Although it is not listed as one of the “top 10 water towns in China”, it is remarkably beautiful and definitely worth a visit if this is your first time visiting a water town.

Our initial plan was to tour around Hangzhou and Suzhou for the scenic view, but since we did not have much time to spare in Shanghai, we opted for the closest water town, Zhujiajiao for a nature-centric and cultural-rich experience.

What to expect in Zhujiajiao:

Established since 1,700 years ago, Zhujiajiao was a trading port to ferry the goods in little boats and barges along the canals. According to the locals, Zhujiajiao was once labelled to be part of Hangzhou before the city reorganisation in which the area then becomes part of Shanghai.

Today, it is the most well-preserved ancient water town in the south of the Yangtze River in Shanghai. With the numerous rivers lining Zhujiajiao, there are still many ancient buildings lining the riverbanks until today.

It is good to spend half a day here exploring the shops and restaurants, as most of the shops close by 4pm.

Getting here from the city:

It is an hour train ride from the city. Take the train on Line 2 to the terminal station, East Xujing then switch to Line 17 to Zhujiajiao.

Going by car (49km on the road) does not really save us a lot of travelling time given the traffic condition, hence we relied on the public transportation instead.

Entering into the water town:

There are multiple ways to enter the water town:

❤ 1. By river cruise (RMB 40 one way)

❤ 2. Hop on a trishaw which is located at the opposite side of the station (RMB 20 one way)

❤ 3. By cab (easiest and fastest but less scenic - also around RMB 40 one way)

❤ 4. Walk for approximately 1+ km

We opted for the trishaw in which the rider was a friendly old man. But be mindful that the rider might push for his day tour service (RMB 100 for one full day) where he would chauffeur you wherever you want to go in the water town and recommend some photo spots throughout the tour as well. We wanted to have a more relaxing stroll on our own, hence we turned down the offer.

Bought some ultra sweet strawberries from the roadside vendor before hopping onto the trishaw. Sweet!

大清邮局 Qing Dynasty Post Office

Operating hours: 09:00 – 17:00 daily

Our first stop was the renowned Qing Dynasty Post Office (大清邮局) tucked along one of the many narrow alleys in the water town. It is the only ancient post office that still stands boldly in the East China, so well-preserved since the Qing Dynasty era until today. Interestingly, the interior has now transformed into an art & craft shop cum café.

Look at the postbox! I managed to send a postcard home at only RMB 5!

阿婆茶楼 Ah Ma Tea House

Operating hours: 09:00 – 17:00 daily

Our lunch / tea destination was a very beautiful tea house by the river, overseeing the picturesque water town scenery. However, it is usually a full house, hence prior reservation is highly recommended. 

During our weekday visit, we were lucky as the crowd was so thin, and we managed to secure a table at the al fresco area which was floating on the river and overlooking the magnificent City God Temple amidst the breezy wind. 

The cooling and relaxing ambiance made it a perfect setting to sip on the traditional selections of Chinese tea set which came with a refillable platter of light bites. 

It really felt like being in a Chinese movie scene here. And we easily spent an hour or two in this little tea house just admiring the beauty of the ancient water town. 

The interior of the tea house was pretty cool too.

城隍廟 City God Temple 

Operating hours: 08:30 – 16:30 daily

Fellow worshippers can also visit the City God Temple (城隍廟) and its surrounding area (课植园 / 圆津禅院), but we only took a relaxing boat ride which toured around these historical landmarks.

放生桥 Fangsheng Bridge

Dubbed as the largest bridge in the water town, Fangsheng Bridge is a great spot for sunset viewing. Unfortunately, luck was not on our side during our visit - we could only see the gloomy sky after a heavy downpour. Nevertheless, it was a peaceful scene for us to enjoy afar from the tea house.

 

It is also the home to the boat terminal station which transports people to and fro the train station. It is highly recommended to take a boat ride to the train station from here (when leaving the water town) and enjoy the river view! 

小杨生煎 Yang's Dumpling

Operating hours: 07:00 – 20:30 daily

The next pitstop before leaving the water town was the famous dumplings shop in Shanghai. There are plenty of Yang’s Dumpling outlets spreaded over the whole of Shanghai, but since we came across one without any queue outside, we decided to take a short break here and tuck into the piping hot and juicy meat dumplings. 

We had the recommended traditional and chives dumplings (荠菜小杨双拼 @ RMB 12) and they were filled with juicy goodness.

   

For a complete experience, don't forget to stroll along the local market / food street area and check out the local offerings such as the gigantic glutinous rice (priced roughly around RMB 6 each), tea leaves, etc. Personally, I find that it was a great way to immerse ourselves into the rich, preserved culture and tradition.

All in all, it was a short but fun trip to the water town. I particularly love the architectural aspect of this town - where the traditional brick houses were very well-preserved and they added colors to the tranquil flowing river. 

While I don't usually enjoy rainy weather during my travels, the rain here somehow made my experience here even more peaceful and memorable.

 

Can’t wait to share with you my travel diary in other parts of Shanghai city.

Stay tuned for the next update!

❤ ❤ ❤

- FiSh | Shanghai | Spring 2024 -