Shanghai’s Food Streets

By Jamie Barys, 2010-05

 The arrival of the Expo may be bringing Shanghai’s citizenry a better city and better life, but the street food has been sanitised out of existence in order to impress the influx of tourists in the process. Wujiang Lu, the erstwhile emperor of Shanghai's food streets, has undergone a facelift of corporate proportions, but all is not lost. Meander down the path less eaten to rediscover Shanghai's remaining food streets and rekindle your relationship with the city's cheapest grub.

South Yunnan Snack Street

After undergoing renovations a couple of years ago, South Yunnan Snack Street isn't the street food destination it used to be, but at least it hasn’t gone the way of Wujiang Lu and been shuttered for good. Ubiquitous Chinese chains like Overseas Dragon and 85 Degrees have pervaded the otherwise family-run street, making this once-glorious snacking haven seem disappointingly sterile in the light of day, but head down to this three-block strip before the sun has fully risen to see it come to life.

Starting at Huaihai Lu and working north, snackers will find all the usual street food suspects: you tiao (oil sticks), jian bing (egg pancakes) and potstickers. This traditional breakfast fare is executed with the aplomb one would expect to find at a renowned food street, but innovative vendors offering nibbles that take diners off the eaten path are the best bet on Yunnan Lu.

Ms Hong serves up a tasty fensi hezi (RMB 1) – a fried pancake “box” stuffed with glass noodles at Lane 111. This carbohydrate overload starts with a crunchy outer shell that unfolds into a chaotic concoction of pickled vegetables and noodles seasoned with a spice that will jolt your mouth awake. For a nosh with less zing, sample her jiucai hezi (fried leek boxes), but get there early – these sell out quickly. After breakfast, wander down the alley where Ms Hong’s cart sits to try the street’s best fried pork cutlet.

At stall 127, Mr Li puts a Shanghai spin on the jian bing (RMB 2.5), swapping a you tiao for the typical crispy wonton skin. The chewy oil stick adds a new textural dimension that will leave you wondering why more vendors don’t offer this option.

For those who prefer to dine sitting down, walk north of Jinling Lu for a row of restaurants that offer both the comfort of tables and the authentic flavours of street food. Order tang yuan (RMB 6) – glutinous rice dumplings stuffed with black sesame paste – at 87 Yunnan Lu, then pop next door at Da Hu Chun to try Shanghai’s specialty sheng jian bao (RMB 4).

Yunnan Lu, from Huaihai Lu to Yan'an Dong Lu

The Hunchback of Cong You Bing

The scallion pancake is the embodiment of good street food – it’s simple, tasty and cheap – and the pantheon of this greasy breakfast bing is Mr Wu’s A Da Cong You Bing. Born with a crippling disability that left him a hunchback, Wu was unable to assume his father’s party official role, so he took over his maternal grandfather's famous cong you bing grill 30 years ago.

Every day, he gets up at 5am, starting the lonely process of mixing the dough and bracing himself for the jostling, hungry hordes of loyal customers. Wu spends the next eight hours single-handedly churning out edible masterpieces. A perfectionist, he painstakingly leans over the grill for 15 minutes, ensuring that each batch meets his high expectations.

Wu starts by balling up dough chunks and throwing them on a grill spitting with a delectably greasy combination of vegetable oil and pork fat. After smashing the balls into flattened pancakes – sometimes with his bare hands – he flips them over and subs them in and out of the grill's sizzling centre so each pancake is perfectly fried before throwing them into a kiln. This last-minute baking is Wu's secret trick, making the finished product delightfully crunchy on the outside and irresistibly soft on the inside.

Observing Wu lovingly prepare his delectable pièce de résistance is akin to watching an artist paint a masterpiece, except that you only have to pay RMB 2 for the privilege of eating the magnum opus.

Lane 159, Back Door of No. 2 Maoming Lu, near Nanchang Lu

Muslim Market

On Fridays, trek up to Changde Lu near Suzhou Creek to be transported to the bustling markets of Urumqi without ever leaving Shanghai's city limits.  More than just another food street in Shanghai, the bazaar is a community gathering place where Uighur minorities meet up for a taste of home. Make this your late lunch spot, and you'll be there to watch the one o'clock prayer service.

While most of China serves up meals flavoured with pork, mutton is the unequivocal star of the show at this Muslim bazaar. The lamb meat here comes from a voluptuous breed of sheep known for its exceptionally fatty tail – which is threaded with meat to make the most succulent kebabs (RMB 1) this side of Xinjiang. Lamb is featured in almost every dish served here – from the baked pumpkin dumplings (RMB 5) to the rice polo (RMB 8/plate), and gives the market a slightly barbaric atmosphere as carcasses are strung up on either side of the road.

If lamb is a bit too gamey for you, stroll down to the fried beef bun stand (RMB 1.2). This delightful bite is fried on all sides, making it an uncharacteristically crunchy mouthful that melts into a hunk of juicy well-seasoned beef. Hop across the street to pick up a bowl of sweet yogurt for just RMB 5. Unlike its watery Chinese counterparts, this thick Xinjiang variety is best enjoyed with a spoon.

A trip to the Muslim market is not complete without a fresh slice of watermelon or honeydew (RMB 2) imported straight from the fruit-bearing regions of Xinjiang. Freshly squeezed pomegranate juice is available for RMB 5 a bottle. Stock up as this nectar has been unscientifically proven to cure even the worst hangovers.

Whether you come for the food, the culture, or just an opportunity to see some Chinese people who aren't part of the 90 per cent Han majority, the Muslim Market is a great way to spend a lazy Friday afternoon.

Changde Lu, near Aomen Lu