Shanghai: Week 3 - 人間 [People's 6)

Went to 人間, also known as People's 6, in Shanghai. It is actually owned by a Taiwanese guy, with several restaurants in Taiwan and China. I've been to one in Taipei and it's a restaurant during the day and at night, it turns into an upscale lounge/bar, which is the same for this one. Usually to get into 人間 it requires you to solve a sort of puzzle so you can open the door to go in. For this specific 人間, you had to swipe your hand across a sensor that's placed inside a rock. Pretty cool concept.

Tiny side dishes that the waitress said they are known for. Mostly preserved vegetables and stuff.

So I got Salmon Fried Rice, since it's hard to go wrong with it, since it combined two of my favorite food: fried rice & salmon :P The salmon eggs adds a nice touch of saltiness to it too.

My friend Raymond didn't get his lamb chops for like... an hour so to make it up to us, the restaurant gave us these test tube shots filled with a drink called Lemon Drop. Very weak but it has a cool presentation, since they placed dried ice around it to give the smoking effect.

Overall, the place is definitely for young professionals since it is a bit costly in Shanghai's standards. Good place to go on a date too hahah. Kinda makes me want to check out the other 人間.

Shanghai: Week 2 - Misc

I forgot my camera a lot of times during the second week, so I didn't get to document all the stuff I ate... but here's some haha.

So I was craving some Taiwanese food, and there happens to be a Taiwanese restaurant near Jiao'Tong so went with Lydia and Chris. I ordered 雞排飯 (chicken steak rice combo) with a sunny-side-up egg. It was better than I thought: decent food, wide selections, and it never hurts when the people in the restaurant speak Taiwanese :]

Hmmm... don't remember why the picture's crooked but... yay for shaved ice hahaha. We went to a restaurant next door that was mainly Hong Kong style. They called this "ants on a mango ice mountain" or something weird thing like that haha.

One night a bunch of us went to a vegetarian restaurant near the school called 五觀堂素食. I gotta admit, it was the best vegetarian food I ever had. They were really strict in there and didn't let us take pictures sooo no pics :[

麥芽糖 (malt sugar). Got it in Tong'Li. I used to eat these a lot as a kid. They start out as a real dark color, but the more you pull and twist on it to aerate the sugar, the lighter in color it turns.

Shanghai: Week 2 - 南翔饅頭店

We went to 南翔饅頭店, which is a restaurant known for its 小龍包 (xiaolongbao) and the 湯包 that you eat with a straw. It's located in 城隍廟 in Shanghai, this old town area which is a tourist spot. We waited about 30 minutes cause it was so packed. Got a 50rmb set meal that came with a lot of dim sum items.

The menu!

The first item that came was 西施春捲 (springroll). Totally forgot what was inside but I do remember it was very good.

This is the 咖哩肉餃 (curry dumpling). Instead of the usual dumpling skin on the outside, they used something more similar to puff pastry on the outside. Since I love curry this was my favorite item.

The infamous 湯包 (soup bun)!! The reason you have to use a straw is because as they steam it, the meat juice fill the bun itself and you don't want to waste the soup! It also has crab roe in it to add a twist. Like the sticker on the straw warns, it was freakin hot haha. I don't know whether it was that stuff to eat something that hot with a plastic straw though...

Here's two types of buns: 靜素菜包 and 婉蓉秋葉包. 靜素菜包 is a vegetarian bun. They use a bunch of different types of vegetables, cut it up really fine, then they steamed it. As for 婉蓉秋葉包, I don't really know how to translated it haha. It's more of a sweet bun in the shape of a leaf.

糯米燒賣 (sticky rice shumai) with 金腿小粽子 (bamboo leaf wrapped sticky rice). Both were very delicate items that symbolizes the dim sum of Shanghai.

Their infamous 小龍包 (xiao'long bao), which a lot people said it was better than Ding Tai Feng's... but honestly, no hahaha. Ding Tai Feng still owns :D

Yessir!

Meant to start this blog when I was in Shanghai to document the different foods I ate... but China blocks all blogging sites so I couldn't haha. Nevertheless, better late than never!

Shanghai: Week 1

Yea, the first thing I ate in Shanghai... is...
*DRUM ROLL*

Potstickers!!

Went with my good friend Quang searching for food around Jiao Tong University and ended up at 四海遊龍 (Si Hai You Long), which is a chain store from Taiwan that sells potstickers, dumplings, etc.

I'm not gonna lie, it was very good. Made and cooked to order, the outside is really thin with slight crust that adds texture. Of course, you dip it in vinegar and enjoy!

Moments later, went to a traditional market and ate this. I forgot the name of this but it's thinly cut chicken strips breaded and fried, then it is throw in a wok with chili peppers, garlic, white pepper, and green onions. Very flavorful.

More streetfood! Yay! Grilled octopus. Had this the second day in Shanghai. The sauce on it is AMAZING. Costs about 50 cents. I had 5.

蛋塔 (eggtart) from Lillian's Cafe, a popular bakery from Macao. Flaky on the outside and then one bite you reach the center, which is just freakin' delicious. The best eggtart EVER.

包子 (bao zi) near FuDan University, recommended by the infamous Michael Lin when we went to visit. I gotta admit, it was the best bao zi I had the whole time in China. It was about half of my palm but spicy and juicy. Loved it.

Then Michael, being the our trusty tourguide, took us to a Xinjiang bbq place.

Yea, 烤饅頭 (grilled steamed bun). Soooo good. They either sprinkle salt or sugar to flavor it since steamed buns are tasteless pretty much. It's amazing how the flavors change depending on the seasoning.

Plate full of assorted skewers. Seasoned with cumin, dried chilies, and salt!

Afterwards, went to Wal-Mart in China with Rose, Lydia, and Quang (yea, we're lame..)

China Arrowhead knockoff!! hahaha

Where's the aisle with all the beer.... AH there we go :D


Few days later, went to 吳江路, which is a street full of food stands and streetfood. It is also where the famous 小揚生煎包 is.

The street, 小吃街.

The famous 小揚生煎包. I had to wait in line for this shiet haha. 生煎包 is pretty much steamed buns made in a different way. Raw buns are put into a flat pan with oil, then they add water and cover it up to give it the crust on the bottom. Sprinkled with green onions and sesame. Best 生煎包 ever haha.

烤雞皮 (chicken skin skewers) = de-fucking-licious. 'nuff said.

烤鴨舌 (grilled duck tongue) was... interesting... All the skewers use the same seasonings (cumin, red chilies, salt, pepper, msg etc) but it had different texture. Soft, until you hit the part with cartiledge?

More skewers!

Grilled chicken wings with roughly the same seasoning.

And week 1's end with...
China Pizza Hut! Hawaiian, to be more exact. Not as good as American's and definitely not as good as Taiwan's.