Shanghai Supper Club

Last Saturday, Matthew and I were thrilled to be a part of August's Shanghai Supper Club.

What exactly is SSC? You can think of it as an underground foodie group that meets monthly around the city, each time boasting a new location, chef, and group of people. Founder Camden Hague started the club last fall and previous events have brought together graffiti and Mexican food as well as burgers and a skate park. For each dinner, Camden invites ten different people, each of whom brings one guest. The result is an eclectic mix from Shanghai's expat scene. Our dinner included well known faces from the F&B scene, teachers, and an adorable engineer (that would be my husband).

This month's event was held in a beautiful lane house, owned by Shanghai native and chef Anthony Zhao. The intimate setting had us laughing with other guests like old friends in no time and left me with some serious kitchen envy.

photo courtesy of Fields

Fields, an online grocery store, sponsored the evening. Looking to highlight their fresh produce, Fields partnered with chef Kimberly Ashton of Sprout Lifestyle to create a healthy vegan meal that left even the meat eaters at our table satisfied. Though I did miss the alcohol (Kimberly opted not to have any served in order to keep in line with her principles for healthy living).

While the food was good (not surprisingly, my favorite dish was dessert), the company was even better. We heard fascinating tales, met unique individuals, and even received a hot tip on where to buy the best coffee smoothie.

Want to join an upcoming Shanghai Supper Club? Fill out your information here and cross your fingers that Camden invites you to her next even in September.

FAQ: Part 1

I receive quite a lot of emails from people who are looking to move to Shanghai or China. Many of these people ask the same questions so I thought I would put together a little FAQ for those people who are feeling a little too shy to email me (you can, really!).

Where should I live?
The housing situation is a bit tricky. Overall, my advice is to live within a reasonable commute to your office. You will be making this trip twice a day so settle on something that works for you. Matthew works in Minhang, which is about 45 minutes away from where we live. There is NOTHING down there and we decided that we would both be happier living closer to "downtown" and having access to Western amenities and the subway. That being said, it is sometimes frustrating for him when his commute balloons to over 2 hours on a rainy, Friday night.

Other things I would consider is your location to public transportation and basic necessities. We have a Western grocery store in our basement, a wet market within five minutes, and a Chinese grocery around the corner. It still takes me 3 hours to grocery shop some days but when I just need milk, it only takes me 5 minutes to get it. My friend lives 25 minutes away from a Western grocery and when she runs out of something while baking, it pretty much ends the process. My subway stop is only 10 minutes from our apartment. Honestly, this is the one thing that really helped to open Shanghai up for me because I was free to initially explore the city without understanding the language or the geography. I simply jumped on the subway and rode around until I became more comfortable.

Is it better to live in Pudong or Puxi?
There are two sides of the city where you can live, Pudong or Puxi. Pudong is the "newer" side of the city where the new skyscrapers are being built, apartments are larger, and there is more green space. Puxi is "older" but is the area most people consider to be downtown.

Everyone will have an opinion on whether Puxi or Pudong is better. I obviously love Puxi since this is where we live, but both sides have merit. I tend to go to bars and restaurants on this side of the river, but there are certainly many in Pudong as well. If you live close to a subway stop, it's not hard to take the train to the other side (taxis aren't as willing to cross the river but will do it when needed). Many families tend to live in Pudong as you have more access to green space and more of the international schools are located there, but you will no doubt find a community no matter where you end up.

Is living in Shanghai expensive? Will xxx amount be enough for housing?
I would say Shanghai is comparable to any big city. As for costs, the answer is that is varies. Anything from 12,000-25,000 rmb is reasonable to pay for a 2-3 bedroom apartment, depending on amenities and location. You'll pay more for amenities like an English speaking receptionist, an oven, or a compound with a pool. Just remember that when negotiating, you can have other things thrown in. For instance, you may want to insist they install an oven (most apartments won't have one), pay your gym membership, or cover your ayi costs. Don't be afraid to ask for what you want.

Food costs also vary. If you want to eat foreign, imported foods, your grocery bill is going to cost more than it does now. If you buy and eat local ingredients, your bills will go down. We buy a blend of local and imported foods so I would say our grocery costs have gone down but our restaurant costs have significantly increased. A meal at a local Chinese restaurant for two people should cost less than 100rmb while you will pay at least double that at a western restaurant.

Is public transport efficient? 
The most efficient I have ever used. Everything is well marked in English on the metro and it's cheap! I use it daily to commute. I am also a fan of using the public bus system as well.

Did you experience a major culture shock when moving there? 
Of course! China is about as far from my previous life as I could have imagined. But as long as you come in with a positive attitude and open mind, you will do fine here. You have to accept that things are simply the way they are, and not try to change them. Sure, the kid peeing on the street is gross but you just have to learn to adapt and not step in puddles!

Is the air consistently bad? Or are there enough good days to still be able to go outside?
If you have a iPhone, you should download the CN Air Quality App. It allows you to see what the air quality is like. The US Consulate also has a Twitter account which they update with information about the air. Most of the time it's ok (today is 78) but it can get high (over 300, I stay inside as much as possible). We bought an air purifier for our apartment and I hope that helps! And yes, I do run outside on the street sometimes and we bike quite often, we just make sure to check the air quality first.

Day Trip: Nanxiang Town

Thursday was Labor Day in China, meaning that we were all granted with a few days off work. Despite the fear of crowds, we decided to venture out of downtown to Nanxiang Town in the northern Jiading District of Shanghai. Nanxiang is a sleepy suburb that boasts attractions such as Guyi Gardens, Nanxiang Twin Towers, Ancient Town and Yunxiang Temple.

We came for none of these. We hadn’t gone to Nanxiang to sightsee, we were there to eat. Why? Because Nanxiang happens to be the birthplace of xiăolóngbāo.

I’ve talked about my love of these dumplings before and even suggested a few spots to try them in Shanghai. But eating xlb from the source seemed like the perfect way to spend an afternoon.

Reaching Nanxiang is easy. Simply take line 11 to the Nanxiang stop. Once there, take exit 1 and walk south along Huyi Gong Lu for 1.5 km (~10 minutes) to Guyi Garden. A short distance after that, you’ll encounter Guyiyuan Lu, which is where our culinary adventure began.

I’m not joking when I say there are hundreds of xlb restaurants in Nanxiang. Hundreds. For the purpose of research, we ate at three restaurants. I’m clearly conducting a very scientific experiment.

Our first stop was the shop on the corner. Overly thin skins combined with overcooked dumplings meant that our xlb stuck to the steamer and ripped when picked up. Would not recommend.

The second spot was the famous Gulong Restaurant (220 Guyiyuan Lu). While Nanxiang town may be the birthplace of xlb, Gulong is apparently the actual spot of creation. The dumplings here were beautifully prepared. The dough was slightly thicker and the flavor was sweet and savory. These were voted the best by our panel. FYI, the panel consisted of me, Matthew, and our friend C.

Our third stop was slightly further down Guyiyuan though I failed to notice the name. This restaurant offered numerous types of xlb and we opted for original pork as well as the crab variety. The crab version was a big hit and I quite liked the pork as well. These xlb received slightly less enthusiastic praise than the ones at Gulong, but we were also rather stuffed at this point. I think we had ordered and consumed close to 60 dumplings at this point.

I can feel you judging me.

Since we only sampled from a few restaurants, I have a feeling I will visit Nanxiang again. All in the name of research of course.

Shanghai Eats: Champagne Brunch at Vue

Guys, I'm so behind on blog posts. I've been logging 35+ hours at my "part-time" job and simply haven't had time to update. I have more to tell you about Harbin, a trip to Cambodia, and of course Shanghai updates to give. The posts are coming, just not in a timely manner. In an attempt to make it up to you however, I am going to post something that I did today. Yes, that's right, this event occurred only a few hours ago. How's that for quick turnaround?

My friend Lesley decided to celebrate her birthday in style with an all you can eat and drink champagne  brunch at Vue Restaurant. The price tag isn't cheap at 688 RMB per person but the incredible food and service were deserving of the cost. Unlike your average buffet, each of the dishes is made to order at stations situated throughout the restaurant. The result is beautifully executed food delivered to your table.

We started off our meal with glasses of Perrier Jouët along with a stop at the Bloody Mary bar.

Next we moved on to poached eggs with polenta and black truffle before hitting the cold bar for oysters, lobster tail, and king crab legs.

After the seafood, it was steak with red wine and bacon sauce, tiger prawns in cream (a personal favorite), and lobster risotto. As a side note, I apologize that all my photos of food look the same. I'm clearly not a food photographer. 

We took our time, noshing on other dishes such as Boston lobster bisque, steak tartar, and a full Sunday roast. And then finally, it was time for dessert. While we enjoyed everything we sampled, the chocolate soufflé stood out as a favorite in our group.

If you feel like treating yourself to a decadent brunch, this is the place to go. I'd recommend coming early and staying late to allow yourself time to savor your dishes. We arrived at 11:30 when the restaurant opened and waddled out left shortly after 4pm (final call for dishes was around 3pm). While not a spot my waist line could handle on a regular basis, I have no doubt I will be back when another special occasion rolls around. Like because it's a Sunday. Or the sun is shining. Those seems like good reasons to celebrate.

Vue Restaurant, 30th Floor
Hyatt on the Bund
199 Huangpu Lu, near Wuchang Lu
黄浦路199号, 外滩茂悦大酒店30楼, 近武昌路

Harbin Eats

When researching places to eat in Harbin, we found very little information. Tripadvisor wasn't a huge help with McDonalds coming in near the top of the restaurant list.

Additionally, we found very few places with English menus. With our basic Chinese and Waygo phone app, we were able to order without too many issues though restaurants along the pedestrian street seemed to have more English menus available.

We had some hits and misses but overall, greatly enjoyed the food in Harbin. Here are the places we tried throughout our stay.

Dongfang Jiaozi Wang/Eastern Dumplings King (Numerous locations)
We actually ate here twice because it was close to our hotel, cheap, and tasty. We noshed on various dumplings (I'd recommend the pork and chive as well as the mushroom) with a side of eggplant, all washed down with a few cups of tea. Our bill was around 65 rmb for two people each visit.

Tatos (127 Zhongyang Dajie)
Tatos was one of the few places to offer us an English menu. We ventured here because I wanted to try some Russian food. To be honest, I don't have a ton of experience with Russian food (other than borscht) and had no idea what to expect. The food here was good, but not great. But maybe I'm just not that huge a fan of Russian food? The prices were okay, we spent around 200 rmb for two people, including drinks. I'd recommend trying the baked claypot dishes if you go.

 

Lao Chang Spring Pancake (178 Zhongyang Dajie)
Again, no English menu though this was easily my favorite meal in Harbin. I'd highly recommend rolling up some spicy pork and red peppers with sliced cucumber as well as one of the egg fillings. And don't forget to order a sauce. 100 rmb will get you more food than you'll be able to finish.

After dinner, be sure to purchase a popsicle outside the Modern Hotel (89 Zhongyang Dajie). The ice cream sold here is supposedly made according to a hundred year tradition. Apparently that makes it extra tasty because we went back every day for one of these. Matthew declared it the best ice cream he has eaten in China. That's high praise from my husband.

Anyone else been to Harbin? Did I leave your favorite spot off the list?

Street Eats: Popcorn

The Chinese are always looking for ways to do things quicker or more efficient than everyone else. Take popcorn for example. You probably thought the fastest way to make it was in the microwave, right?

WRONG.

In China, your friendly neighborhood popcorn maker is waiting on the street corner to show you just how superior his method happens to be.

 

A metal, teardrop-shaped container is filled with popcorn, sealed, and cooked over a flame. When the pressure gauge mounted at the end reaches a certain level, the street vendor opens a lever on the side that shoots air into the metal cooker, relieving the pressure and shooting out freshly popped popcorn. The sound of the pop resembles a bomb going off. Or Shanghai during Chinese New Year. 

This method of popcorn making caused quite a stir in the US last year when it was featured on an episode of Mythbusters. The Chinese were similarly amused by how dangerous Americans found it to be. 

The whole process takes only a few moments. 5 rmb will get you a bag of this kettle corn like snack and a near death experience to go with it.

Shanghai Eats: Dolar Shop

Yes, the name of the restaurant I'm going to feature today only has one L in its name. I have no idea why. And whenever Matthew suggests we eat there, he is subjected to a serenade from me in which I sing about hot pot to the tune of Macklemore's Thrift Shop.

So what exactly is hot pot? It's China's version of fondue where you cook your own food table side.

To start, a simmering pot of soup base is placed on your table. At many restaurants, the soup is served in one pot for the entire table to share. At Dolar Shop, you are given individual pots to allow everyone to enjoy their own creations (a big plus when dining with people who like entrails in their soup). I usually go for the mushroom broth while Matthew opts for spicy mala.

You then add raw ingredients like meat, tofu, vegetables, and noodles to the soup, allowing them to cook in the broth. When the items are done to your likeness, you simply remove them and eat plain or dip into an accompanying sauce. The make your own sauce bar is one of my favorite things about Dolar Shop.

The staff at Dolar Shop generally do not speak English, but they will be happy to dust off provide you with an English menu if you ask. While this hot pot location doesn't boast the free manicures of Hai Di Lao, I do enjoy that we are given bibs (which I highly recommend wearing) as well as cell phone covers to keep ourselves and our things clean. 

The steamy atmosphere of Dolar Shop is the perfect spot to warm up as Shanghai enters its colder months. There are numerous locations around Shanghai, including my local branch at:

3F, 323 Tianyaoqiao Rd., near Nandan Rd
天钥桥路323号3楼(近南丹东路)

Street Eats: Lillian Bakery

Chinese sweets often leave something to be desired. I've been offered dessert numerous times only to be disappointed when I am served a bowl of red bean paste. Good but not exactly the ice cream sundae I was hoping for.

Thankfully, one snack that never disappoints is an egg custard tart from Lillian Bakery.

A flaky crust filled with sweet, soft custard, these treats are the perfect afternoon snack. Or pre dinner appetizer. Or you know, a good idea anytime you happen to pass by the bakery.

My mother was so enthralled with these, we stopped three days in a row to try them. But at 4 rmb each (or $.66 USD), buying a box is never a regret.

Try out these delectable treats at one of many locations around town including:

868 Huaihai Zhong Lu
淮海中路868号

B1/F, New World Mall, 2-68 Nanjing Xi Lu
南京西路2-68号新世界城B1楼

1688 Sichuan Bei Lu
 四川北路1688号

Shanghai Eats: Where to eat Xiăolóngbāo

Earlier this week, I gave you a lesson on how to eat xiăolóngbāo. But what good is this information if you don't know where to eat them? To be honest, there are tons of places around Shanghai where you can try xiăolóngbāo and you likely will leave satisfied. But I've provided you with three restaurants that I find myself going back to, time and time again.

Where to eat Xiăolóngbāo

Din Tai Fung (There are numerous locations in Shanghai. I can usually be found at one of these spots: Grand Gateway, 5th floor, 1 Hongqiao Lu or Shanghai Center, Ground Floor, 1376 Nanjing Xi Lu)

Let me start by stating that this is a chain restaurant. But with locations throughout China as well as the US, this is a great place to try out your first xiăolóngbāo. The menu is in English and the staff speak English as well. I started my xiăolóngbāo journey here by first trying the chicken version. Just know that you are going to pay more here for both a higher level of service and cleanliness.

Lin Long Fang (There are two locations though I prefer the first: SML, Basement Level 2, 618 Xujiahui Lu near Ruijin Er Lu or 10 Jianguo Lu near Zhaozhou Lu)

I actually stumbled across this spot while lost under the SML center. The place was empty so I almost didn't stop but a bowl of scallion oil noodles lured me inside. You might want to order some in addition to your dumplings. The staff don't speak English here but it's easy enough to point at what you want on the English menu.  I'd consider the cost midrange at 27 rmb for 12 dumplings.

Loushi Tangbao Guan (601 Nanchang Lu near Xiangyang Lu)
If you want to practice your Chinese, this is the spot to try. No one speaks English and there certainly isn't an English menu. But their dumplings are juicy and wicked cheap at 6 rmb for 8 dumplings.

So who else is hungry now?

How to eat xiăolóngbāo

In the past, I've provided you with an easy how to guide on eating Chinese baked goods. Today we have a lesson on eating xiăolóngbāo.

So what exactly are xiăolóngbāo? Xiăolóngbāo are classic Shanghainese soup dumplings that set my heart aflutter. They consist of a thin dumpling wrapper, filled with pork and a savory broth. Yes, that's right, I said pork. Longtime readers will remember that I hadn't eaten pork in 20 years thanks to an incident with Charlotte's Web as a child. But um, I sort of started again just so I could eat these dumplings. Yes, they are that good.

How to eat Xiăolóngbāo

Step 1: Pour some vinegar into the small dish provided to you. Trust me, this stuff makes the dish.

Step 2: Use your chopsticks to carefully grasp the top of the dumpling and dip it into the vinegar.

Step 3: Place the dumpling on your soup spoon.

Step 4: This is the important step. Seriously. Unless you want molten lava to burn your mouth and ruin your entire meal, you better pay attention here. Gently bite a small hole in the top of the dumpling to allow steam to come out.

 

Step 5: Allow the dumpling to cool for a moment and then slurp the soup out of the hole. Yes, slurping is not only okay but encouraged when eating these babies.

Step 6: Once the dumpling is a more reasonable temperature, use your chopsticks or spoon to slide that dumpling right into your mouth. You can add a little more vinegar before doing so if you choose (I always do).

Step 7: Return to Step 1. I think you get the idea.

Street (ish) Eats: Henan Lamian

I was first introduced to Henan Lamian through Culinary Backstreets. As scallion oil noodles (cōng yóu bàn miàn) are one of my favorite Shanghainese specialties, I was happy to try out this street side restaurant.

 

There are two reasons this hole in the wall noodle joint is worth a visit. One, their cōng yóu bàn miàn is delicious. But the second and more important reason to come here is because their noodles are hand pulled (lāmiàn).

Hand pulled noodles are an art which many makers spends years perfecting. The noodle maker will first knead and stretch the dough and then pull it the length of his arms, over and over with small twists throughout. As the noodles becomes thinner, the maker will slap them against the counter to separate them into individual noodles. 

Cōng yóu bàn miàn are fairly simple and insanely delicious. To make the sauce, scallions are fried in oil until they are dark and crispy. Salt and soy sauce are then added and the sauce is complete. The oil is then mixed with your noodles for a delicious and cheap meal (bowls of noodles are only 6 rmb or .98 cents). I then like to add a little (okay, a lot) of black vinegar to mine.

I'd also recommend you add a side of qīngjiāofǔzhú or bamboo tofu. The crispy peppers and soft tofu are the perfect side dish to round out your meal. As there is no English menu available, make sure to practice the pronunciation of the dishes you want. Or point. Either one should work.

Address: 
607 Changle Lu, near Donghu Lu
徐汇区长乐路607号近东湖路

Street Eats: Pomegranate Juice

As I biked home recently, my eyes were drawn to a street cart set up at the end of my lane. As a lover of street food, I couldn't help but slow down. I hadn't seen this cart before but knew right away the wares he was peddling. Not only was it a juice cart, it was a pomegranate juice cart!!!!

I quickly pulled over my bike and watched as the seller sliced two pomegranates for my juice. He then expertly placed each half into the manual cranked juicer and produced a cup of rudy red juice. 

The slightly tart juice quenched my thirst and left my wallet 10 rmb lighter. As these carts will only be out for the few weeks pomegranates are in season, you can bet I will be parking myself on the street corner every day in the foreseeable future.

Imported Wholesale Foods Market

Last week, I biked 14 miles round trip to buy 7 pounds of cheese. I came home sweaty, sunburnt, and deliriously happy.

As I've mentioned before on this blog, cheese is not a staple of the Chinese diet. For this reason, the vast majority of cheese here is imported and therefore, insanely overpriced. One pound of mozzarella at City Shop will cost me 68 rmb or about $11 USD. Ouch.

When I heard rumors of an imported food market that sold cheese in bulk, I knew I had to check it out. Thankfully, my husband was happy to ride along to make sure this directionally challenged girl didn't get lost.

We arrived at the market and were immediately greeted by carts whirling past us at terrifying speed. As this is a wholesale market, goods are constantly being sent off to restaurants and other suppliers throughout the city (I hear this is even where the Avocado Lady sources some of her wares). While stores were happy to sell to us, the majority of people here are not buying for personal use and many of the stalls will only sell items to you in large quantities.

We make our way through the market, passing massive sacks of Sichuan peppercorns that could be smelled from a few feet away. Stall after stall featured dairy products, baking ingredients, nuts, spices, condiments, canned goods, and sacks of flour.

After checking out a few stalls, we purchased a bag of shredded mozzarella from Topwin Foods (stall 18-19). Our 3 kg bag cost only 140 rmb or roughly $23. The same amount of cheese would have cost nearly $70 USD at City Shop! They also boasted whole wheels of gouda for 240 rmb and blocks of cheddar for 280.

From a few other stores, we grabbed a chunk of parmesan reggiano for 32 rmb (usually 90 at City Shop) and some Philadelphia cream cheese for 25. With our  bags full of cheese and our cholesterol levels in jeopardy, we pedaled away, vowing to return soon. Only next time I might need a minivan to bring home my spoils.

 

Want to check it out for yourself and stock up on wheels of cheese? Head to:
Imported Wholesale Foods Market 
1255 Lianhua Rd, Minhang District 
闵行区莲花路1255号