Many of the office workers dining at this packed alleyway Shanghainese lunch spot are so loyal that they rarely miss a day’s meal here. Luroufan (pork belly rice) is the top dish (28RMB). Read more.
De Refter went through 12 varieties of potato and 30 different recipes before they perfected their Belgian fries (35RMB), but perfect them they did - eat them quick, before your table-mates do. Read more.
It’s not just the nice prices that have made this tiny Yongkang Lu restaurant an instant hit – it’s the high quality of their fish and chips (35RMB). Read more.
At Molokai, the shrimp wontons (36RMB) illuminate why the dish is a signature pride of the Cantonese table – silky packages float in a light broth that doesn’t sting the tongue with MSG. Read more.
This bright and breezy arts hangout offers a menu full of delightful choices, our favorite of which is the Cajun chicken sandwich (38RMB) served on floury, firm ciabatta. Read more.
This homey Shanghainese dining room is known to have a fan base for its no-MSG quality cooking. We never skip the deep-fried duck leg (38RMB), with its crispy skin and chewy-tender meat within. Read more.
Franck Pecol’s artisan bakery serves up a croque monsieur (40RMB) so delicious that despite the high price, we find ourselves going back for it again and again. Read more.
The house made tofu (42RMB) at Awana could convert even the most ardent bean curd skeptic. Made fresh every day in-house, the golden brown blocks have a delicate exterior and a silken interior. Read more.
This casual Yongkang Lu eatery has remedied Shanghai’s dearth of poutine with their excellent rendition (45RMB): crispy thin-cut French fries smothered in cheddar and lip-smacking gravy. Read more.
Try the delicious meat-free take on the hongshao rou (48RMB) which features large cubes of tofu, which wobble in a thick dark soy sauce with a layer of konjac (vegetarian gelatin) for the ‘fat’. Read more.
This revered Tokyo brand’s first Shanghai location uses citruses and rare salts in flavouring. Try the sushi set (160RMB) for an eight piece meal featuring a revolving selection of fish and meats. Read more.
