In Shanghai, there are not only many fancy Michelin star restaurants, but also many delicious local delicacies, which have become landmarks of the city and have already blended into its heart and soul a long time ago.
Take a look at this list of old Shanghainese local delicacies found in Huangpu District. How many have you tried?
Pan-Fried Pork Buns
Recommended Restaurant:
Da Hu Chun（大壶春）
Address: #136 Sichuan Zhong Lu
Pan-fried pork buns originated during the Yuan dynasty and became very popular in Jiangsu Province, Zhejiang Province, and Shanghai during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Then Shanghai commercialized it in the 1930s and it gained more popularity in the city than other areas. Pan-fried pork buns from time-honored brand Da Hu Chun in Huangpu District have become sweet memories of several generations of Shanghainese.
At Du Hu Chun, curry beef soup is a must to order to pair up with the pan-fried pork buns. This curry beef soup features a clear, tasty, slightly spicy, and rich beef broth topped with slices of beef. The taste will linger in your mouth afterwards.
Steamed Soup Dumplings
Recommended Restaurant:
NanXiang Mantou Store（南翔馒头店）
Address: #87 Yuyuan Lu
Shanghainese love soup dumplings cooked in bamboo steamers. These steamers are stacked up and have lovely puffs of steam emanating from within. It’s full of Shanghai taste. Xiaolong is a nickname for Xiaolong mantou. In Yuyuan mall, which is famously known as “ Local Delicacies Kingdom”, there is a time-honored Xiaolong restaurant. If you are originally from Shanghai, you will shout its name out without any hesitation – Nanxiang Mantou!
Nanxiang Xiaolong features thin skin that’s full of stuffing. They are juicy, delicious, beautifully shaped, and are famous around the country as “Shanghai Xiaolong”.
You Dun Zi
(Fried Radish Cakes)
Recommended Restaurant:
Chunfeng Songyue Lou（春风松月楼）
Address: #19-27 Bailing Lu
It’s hard not to know You Dun Zi after living in Shanghai for a while. Right after these delicious morsels come out of the oil, the outside is golden and crunchy, and the inside is filled with juicy shredded radish with a gentle salty flavour. It warms you up right away during the chilly wintertime.
Nowadays, it’s hard to hunt down You Dun Zi on the streets of Shanghai, but you still can find authentic You Dun Zi at Chunfeng Song Yue Lou.
Sweet Dumplings
Recommended Restaurant:
Ningbo Dumplings（宁波汤圆店）
Address: #110 Yuyuan Lu
A bowl of hot steaming glutinous sweet balls is very comforting in the cold winter for the Shanghainese. Glutinous rice balls with black sesame filling from Ningbo Tangtuan Restaurant are the favourite of the locals. The outside is glutinous rice flour skin while the inside is a black sesame paste. Biting into it, your mouth will be filled with the fragrant taste of black sesame seeds and lard. It’s so tasty and will fill your heart with joy.
Minced pork glutinous rice balls are delicious as well with a tasty filling and chewy skin.
Minced Pork Mooncakes
Recommended Restaurant:
Shao Wan Sheng（邵万生）
Address: #414 Nanjing Dong Lu
In Shanghai, minced pork mooncakes are very popular. It’s no longer a seasonal food, but has become an all-year-round delicacy for the locals. The best time for minced pork mooncakes is when they are served right after being made.
The fragrance fills the air, and you can smell it from far away. There is always a long line for these delicious mooncakes! Take a bite and the crispy skin flakes off and the rich pork juice seeps into your mouth and covers your tongue. It’s a must-have!
Chicken Congee
Recommended Restaurant:
Xiao Shao Xing（小绍兴）
Address: #75 Yunnan Nan Lu
Chicken congee is an authentic Shanghai delicacy. Tender chicken is sliced into strips that are 3 centimeters long and 0.6 centimeters wide and served on a plate. The chicken congee is garnished with green onion, ginger, and chicken fat and is served in a bowl.
At Little Shaoxing, the chicken congee is made with sinica rice, cooked in chicken broth, and is paired with chicken and a variety of seasonings. It’s great to have in the cold winter days.
Spicy Pork Noodles
Recommended Restaurant:
De Xing Guan（德兴馆）
Address: #471 Guangdong Lu
Although Shanghainese are not super into spicy food, they can’t help but love this dish! Spicy pork noodles are a special delicacy of Shanghai. It’s deep rooted into Shanghainese’s hearts.
As a time-honored brand restaurant, spicy pork noodles from De Xing Guan are fabulous. A big hot steaming bowl of spicy pork noodles will fill your nose with heavenly aromas. You’ll love the chewy smooth noodles that are topped with spicy pork. It’s incredibly amazing.
How many of these great dishes have you tried? Feel free to save it or share it with your friends.
*Pics via the internet