Shanghai's 50 Best Dishes

Shanghai’s dining scene changes quickly so, at the end of the year, it’s nice to sit back and take stock of the city’s enduring favourites. From cheap snacks found street side to over-the-top dishes only available as part of a chef’s tasting menu, these are Shanghai’s 50 best, so dig in.

A Da's Congyoubing

Mr Wu serves up one of the most sought-after breakfasts in the city; just checkout the hour-long queue out of his kitchen door every morning. His scallion oil pancakes are slicked with yellow lard, buttered up with a pinch of fatty pork and stuffed with a fistful of green onions, before taking an oil-filled plunge on to the flat griddle. His secret? The last minute roasting to crisp up the edges of the dough.
RMB 4. Lane 159, back door of No. 2 Maoming Lu, near Nanchang Lu

Wulumuqi Lu's Jianbing

These legendary Chinese pancakes allegedly saved a wok-less army from starving 2000 years ago – now the savoury snack feeds worker drones with its quick flip, slather and fold cooking technique. Most citywide vendors serve approximately the same pancake, tweaking the soybean paste a bit or offering a youtiao substitution for the wonton cracker, but only the lady on Wulumuqi Lu keeps her stall open until 1pm, satisfying cravings well past breakfast time.
RMB 3.5. Wulumuqi Lu, in between Fuxing Lu & Wuyuan Lu.

 

Lillian's Danta

Shanghai’s best humble bragger, Lillian’s old Huaihai Lu location had a sign that said “Probably the best egg tarts in Shanghai” hanging over their hot-outof- the-oven display case, and they’re not kidding. One of the finest by-products of the Portuguese colonisation of Macau, the danta is like eating a custardy crème brulee tucked into a flaky croissant. Bet you can’t eat just one.
RMB 4. Multiple locations around town, including: 939 Huaihai Zhong Lu, near Shaanxi Nan Lu, Subway B2 Level, Paris Spring Mall. Tel: 5405 1200

Mercato's Ricotta And Fruit Compote

Depending on the season, Jean Georges’ Mercato substitutes a different fruit into this airy house made ricotta dish. Autumn ushers in the musty sweetness of the fig and winter the tart cranberry and summer welcomes in strawberry season. Chef Sandy Yoon toys with the fruitiness of the jam and creamy cheese, with buttery, crispy sourdough bread on top for dipping.
RMB 78. Three on the Bund, 6/F, 17 Guangdong Lu, near Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu. Tel: 6321 9922. Web: www.threeonthebund.com

Mr & Mrs Bund's Lemon And Lemon Tart

It takes 72 hours to create this fruity dessert, and the meticulous execution is worth every minute. Slice into the candied lemon hull and a holy trinity of light lemon sorbet, smooth lemon curd and effervescent vanilla Chantilly will seep onto your plate. MMB ranked 43rd on the list of the world’s best restaurants, so try your best to resist the urge to lick your plate at Shanghai’s F&B pride and joy.
RMB 100. 5/F, 18 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, near Nanjing Dong Lu. Tel: 6323 9898. Web: www.mmbund.com

Cha's Fried Chicken Wings

Shanghai’s finest attempt at a Cantonese cha canting (think greasy spoon diner), Cha’s offers traditional Hong Kong eats, including Honk Kong-style deep-fried chicken wings. Cut from what must be the world’s biggest birds, these breaded bites are deep-fried to a crispy, bronzed finish and worth every second of the inevitable wait.
RMB 20 for two pieces. 30-4 Sinan Lu, near Huaihai Zhong Lu. Tel: 6093 2062. Floor B1, 131-18 Tianyaoqiao Lu, inside Novel Place, near Xingeng Lu. Tel: 3461 5618

Dongbei Siji Jiaozi Wang's Di San Xian

We love the dumplings, majiang lapi and smashed chicken at Four Season Dumpling King, but to be honest, it’s the Di San Xian that has us coming back at least once a month. The “three treasures from the ground” puts together a star trio of potatoes, eggplant and green peppers, braised down in a thick soy-based sauce with a heaping spoonful of garlic.
Multiple locations around Shanghai, including: 1791 Huaihai Xi Lu, near Wanping Lu. Tel: 6433 0349; 379 Xikang Lu, near Wuding Lu. Tel: 6258 3289

Elixir Healthpot's Ice Cream Tofu

With an attention-to-detail bordering on fastidious and ingredients so high quality that dipping sauce is not recommended, Elixir is up there with the best hotpot in Shanghai. The supernatural (and complimentary) ice cream tofu helps them claim the crown. They may appear frozen, but they magically never melt no matter how long they bob in the boiling broth, absorbing all its nutritional properties and delicious flavours.
Free. 2 Hengshan Lu, near Taojiang Lu. Tel: 5456 1489

Xinjiang Expedition's Yangrou Chao Naan

Hailing from China’s Northwestern provinces, this Uighur Muslim restaurant’s cuisine is more Central Asian than Middle Kingdom. Try their special fatty lamb stir-fried with chopped naan bread – an irresistible heavy dish lightened by rings of purple onion and sprigs of coriander.
RMB 18/RMB 28. 20 Yuyuan Zhi Lu, near Wulumuqi Bei Lu. Tel: 136 1160 3279

Old Jesse's Hongshao Rou

As the grand old dame of haipai cuisine, it’s no surprise Old Jesse swarms with locals ordering one of the best red-braised pork dishes in town. The sweetness of the viscously sticky sauce slathered on fatty pork belly is cleverly balanced with salty, diced cuttlefish. The old-school benbang ambience permeates the place, right down to the claypot dishware.
41 Tianping Lu, near Huaihai Xi Lu. Tel: 6282 9260

Zhuque Men's Roujiamo

Bastardized roujiamo (Xi’an style hamburgers) are the norm in Shanghai, but Zhuque Men’s version is the most authentic you can get this side of the Terracotta Warriors. Mr Li, the chain-smoking proprietor, will happily show you a picture of his wife in a bikini, but don’t ask about the 40 ingredients that go into the starter stock he brewed over 20 years ago. Fatty pork marinates in this bath of secret spices, then is chopped and stuffed into mantou.
RMB 9. 101 Zhenping Lu, near Zhongshan Bei Lu. Tel: 5291 2385

Deng Ji Chuan Cai's Lao Tanzi Xie

This spicy Sichuan crab dish comes stewed in the city’s best broth: a complex stock full of the region’s trademark spicy flavours, as well as pickled vegetables for a sour kick. The crab is de-shelled before simmering in a traditional earthen jar with the soup, then put back together, to make for a great photo and easy eating.
737 Dingxi Lu, near Yan’an Xi Lu. Tel: 6281 0449

Lost Heaven's Jing Bo-Style Ghost Chicken Salad

Proving nothing tastes as good as a sacrifice to the gods, this minority chicken dish from Yunnan is offered up to the higher powers, then crisp fried until the skin is an addictive crunchy brown. Shredded with the piquant flavours of red chillies and livened up with coriander, lemon leaf and basil, the dish disappears down to its lettuce leaf bed fast. Hallelujah!
RMB 68. 38 Gaoyou Lu, near Fuxing Xi Lu. Tel: 6433 5126. 17 Yan'an Dong Lu, near Sichuan Nan Lu. Tel: 6330 0967. Web: www.lostheaven.com.cn

Ultraviolet's Truffle Burnt Soup Bread

Every one of the 22 courses at Ultraviolet’s multi-sensory dining experience pairs with not just a drink, but a sound, visual and, occasionally, a scent – and none do the “psycho-taste” better than the Truffle Burnt Soup Bread, which is delivered to your table from the surrounding misty forest projected on the restaurant’s white walls in a foggy glass dome. The waiter instructs you to inhale the sultry fragrance of cigar smoke as he lifts the lid. The bread itself is as earthy as the environs, one side spread with truffle and hazelnut sauce, while the grilled top is layered with slices of truffle and mushroom foam.
RMB 2,500 for 22 courses. Undisclosed location with pick up at Mr & Mrs Bund. Tel: 6142 5198. Web: www.uvbypp.cc

Wei Xiang Zhai's Majiang Mian

Brave this jam-packed noodle house during peak dining times if you dare – the meagre air conditioning unit does little to temper the heat from the kitchen in the summer – but the final product (peanut sesame noodles) is well worth the battle. Sesame paste mixed with peanut butter, chilli oil, vinegar and green onions are dolloped onto er liang of egg noodles. Mix quickly when it arrives – that combo can get downright glutinous if you let it sit too long while instagramming your meal.
RMB 8. 14 Yandang Lu, near Huaihai Lu. Tel: 5383 9032

 Yu Xin's Shui Zhu Yu

Yu Xin’s water-boiled catfish has a whopping 15,000 recommendations on Dianping. Served in an oil broth so loaded with dried chillies you can’t even see the bottom of the bowl, it manages a slow burn without leaving your tongue too anesthetised to appreciate the subtle flavours of the flaky fish.
3F, 333 Chengdu Bei Lu, near Weihai Lu; 3F, 796 Dongfang Lu, near Zhangyang Lu. Tel: 4000 231 717. Web: www.yuxin1997.com

Bros'’ Fatty Tonkatsu

Despite its three locations around Shanghai, Bros is still something of a hidden gem. Tonkatsu, that glorious golden deep-fried Japanese pork cutlet, is the specialty here at lunchtime. Order the fatty cut, and embrace the juicy panko-encrusted meat, completed by a dip in the glutinous barbecue sauce with just a hint of smoke.
RMB 98. Multiple locations around town, including: 88 Zunyi Nan Lu, near Xianxia Lu. Tel: 6219 9177

Coquille's Venison Tartare

If a plate of minced raw deer isn’t on your bucket list to eat, it should be. Chef Anna Bautista’s plate of venison tartare is as delicious as it is beautiful. Covered in a garden of edible pansies, the minced deer meat is deliciously wild, tamed only by pine oiljuniper vinaigrette and deep-fried shallot rings.
RMB 218. 29 Mengzi Lu, near Xujiahui Lu. Tel: 3376 8127

Xiao Bai Hua's Shizi Tou

This tiny Shanghainese eatery feels more like your nainai’s living room than a restaurant, but you’d be lucky to have a granny who makes lion’s head meatballs this good. Braised in Shanghai’s famous red sauce, these pork meatballs are the size of a fist and pack as much flavour as a punch.
No. 3, Lane 297 Wanping Lu, near Zhaojiabang Lu. Tel: 6472 1867

El Willy's Explosive Balik Salmon

The explosive Balik Salmon (RMB 88) picks up on Chef Willy’s playful nature and runs with it – minced black truffles with honey atop a hefty pile of smoked salmon that floats on a puffed piece of bread injected with sour cream. Sounds complicated, yes, but eat this little mouthful in one bite and the effect is hypnotic – it does indeed explode upon impact, detonating a delicious bomb of flavours and textures.
RMB 88. 5/F, 22 Zhongshan Dong Er Lu, near Xin Yong’an Lu. Tel: 5404 5757. Web: www.el-willy.com

Da Hu Chun's Shengjianbao

One of just 1000 Chinese Time-Honoured Brands, Da Hu Chun has been pan-frying Shanghainese-style pan-fried buns since the 1930s. Pork is wrapped in yeasty bread, then lined up in a flat wok filled with oil to deep-fry the flat bottoms. Da Hu Chun fries their dumplings upside down, with the seam face-up, allowing for thinner skin and less soup, so the focus is all on the juicy pork.
RMB 5.50. Multiple locations around town, including: 11 Sichuan Nan Lu, near Yan’an Dong Lu. Tel: 6330 8402. 71 Yunnan Nan Lu, near Jinling Dong Lu. Tel: 6249 3683

Ippudo's Akamaru Ramen

This Japanese international chain slops up three varieties of ramen for noodle lovers, including the delicious house specialty Akamaru. Its broth brings together the magic umami-laden combination of miso and pork bones, while the house made noodles, tender pork belly and bright orange hard-boiled egg add girth to the soup.
RMB 45. Multiple locations around town, including: LG1, No.79-80, 8 Shiji Dadao, inside IFC mall. Tel: 2028 0328.

Guyi's Ziran Paigu

Forget the hype about Di Shui Dong’s cumin ribs – Guyi has the best pork ribs in town. These meaty mallets are encrusted with cumin seeds and Hunan spices, but pull away easily from the bone, a clear sign of wellsmoked tender meat. And you don’t have to pay RMB 8 for a napkin.
RMB 38. Multiple locations around town, including: 87 Fumin Lu, near Julu Lu. Tel: 6249 5628

Lao Difang's Zhajiang Mian

Pork noodles are typically a heavy Dongbei style noodle dish topped with ground pork and salty fermented bean sauce, but Lao Difang has turned the northeastern specialty into a Shanghai classic. Minced pork stir-fried with oil and vinegar makes up the bulk of the topping, with a dash of sugar to bring out the sweet hometown flavours – and red chilli flakes top it off. Lao Difang closes when supplies run out, so don’t even think about heading there past 6:30pm.
RMB 13. 233 Yongjia Nan Lu, near Yongkang Lu. Tel: 6471 0556

Goga's West Coast Lobster Roll

The idea of a West Coast Lobster Roll might offend those on the eastern seaboard, but Goga’s chef-owner Brad Turley has made a name for himself combining cuisines into fusion dishes and he succeeds here again. This gussed-up Cali version uses buttery brioche, lemon tarragon aioli and sweet chunks of lobster to make a dish that even a New Englander couldn’t turn his nose up at.
RMB 120. 1 Yueyang Lu, near Dongping Lu. Tel: 6431 9700

Chi-Q's Foie Gras Kimchi Mandoo

Korea’s answer to potstickers, these mandoo are pan-fried and stuffed with pickled cabbage and fattened  oose liver, a combination of home cooking and white tablecloth dining that just works. This dish captures exactly what Michelin starred chef Jean- Georges and his half-Korean wife Marja Vongerichten were trying to do when they joined forces in the kitchen.
RMB 108. Three on the Bund, 2/F, 17 Guangdong Lu, near Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu. Tel: 6321 6622

Masala Desi's Baingan Bharta

The sister restaurant of next door neighbor Masala Art, Desi serves up Indian street food in a decidedly classier atmosphere than the cuisine originally intended. The baingan bharta is a smoky, spicy Punjabi specialty of eggplant roasted and mashed with tomatoes, chopped red onion and green pepper, which all goes perfectly wrapped with bhatura bread or atop a pile of basmati rice.
RMB 46. 401 Dagu Lu, near Shimen Yi Lu. Tel: 5375 1275

Nanjing Tang Bao And Mala Tang's Soup Dumplings

Choosing the “best” xiaolongbao in the city of their birth is about as hard as Sophie’s Choice. It might be city sacrilege, but top honours here go to Nanjing Tang Bao’s Soup Dumplings with their translucent wrappers (and impromptu al fresco tables). This hole in the wall steeps ginger in their vinegar – the perfect southern dumpling pairing that cuts the fat – and goes for extra soup, meaning larger sloshes and slurps.
RMB 7 per steamer basket. 641 Jianguo Xi Lu, near Gao’an Lu. Tel: 6473 5648

Franck's Grande Planche

For the past six years, Franck has brought a little slice of Paris to the “Paris of the East” with his bistros, breads and blackboard menus. His grande planche is an overindulgent charcuterie platter of imported aged and smoked meats sliced so thin they’re practically translucent in the glow of the candles. The cutting board also features a luxurious loaf of terrine de campagne, a silky smooth foie gras terrine, and a dollop of roasted onion chutney.
RMB 210. 376 Wukang Lu. Tel: 6437 6465. Web: www.franck.com.cn

M On The Bund's M Pavlova

An oldie but a goodie, the Pavlova at Michelle Garnaut’s Bundside eatery has kept people coming back in their droves for more than a decade. The huge servings of M Pavlova are light and fluffy on the inside, with just the right amount of crunch on the outside and piled high with whipped cream, tropical fruits and a drizzling of passion fruit sauce.
RMB 98. M on the Bund, 7/F, 5 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu near Guangdong Lu. Tel: 6350 9988. Web: www.m-onthebund.com

Ding Te Le's Zha Zhu Pai

No meal of home-style Shanghainese noodles would be complete without a fried pork cutlet, and Ding Te Le’s special bone-in hunk of China’s preferred meat wins over diners with its mouth-watering five-spice rub. Drizzle the pork with the sweet and savoury Shanghainese Worcestershire sauce to bring out all that savoury goodness. Word to the wise: this place is open 24 hours.
RMB 7. No. 22, 494 Huaihai Lu, near Yandang Lu. Tel: 5107 9177

Madison's Peanut Butter And Jelly Sundae

Chef Austin Hu has created a dish that tastes like childhood in a glass: the Peanut Butter & Jelly Sundae. It’s two scoops of peanut butter ice cream, sandwiching a made-from-scratch raspberry scoop, then layered with whipped cream and raspberry jam. There’s no cherry on top, but the pinenut brittle goes one better.
RMB 65. 3 Fenyang Lu, near Huaihai Lu. Tel: 6437 0136

Cuivre's Le Cochon Noir

Michael Wendling’s cooking philosophy is to give second life to traditional French recipes, and it is never more brilliantly apparent than with his black pig. The whole rack is sous vide for eight hours until it’s miraculously tender, then grilled with fresh thyme and served with mustard sauce and green lentils simmered with salted pork belly. It’s big enough for two, but only if you’re really into sharing.
RMB 158. 1502 Huaihai Zhong Lu, near Wulumuqi Lu. Tel: 6437 4219

Mei-Xin Jade Garden's Pineapple Bun

There’s several reasons Jade Garden books up six months in advance, and the massive boluo bao is one of them. Requiring a plate unto itself, this huge bun bucks tradition and actually includes pineapple jam, and the pat of butter is also supersized so no carb goes un-touched.
RMB 18. 4/F, Jing An Kerry Centre, 1,238 Yan’an Zhong Lu, near Changde Lu. Tel: 5243 8088. 6/F, Grand Gateway Mall, 1 Hongqiao Lu, near Zhaojiabang Lu. Tel: 6443 8088

Strictly Cookies' Snack Pack

When Strictly Cookies dreamed up the Snack Pack for their April Cookie of the Month, they didn’t realise it would become an obsessive fan favourite. A chocolate chip cookie topped with Oreos, caramel, pretzels and potato chips, it’s got a sweet and savoury one-two punch that knocked out the competition when SC pitted all the former cookies of the month against each other in a sweet election, allowing one formerly fleeting flavour a permanent place on the Strictly Cookies roster.
RMB 45/pack of five. 1/F, Metrobank Plaza, 1160 Yan'an Xi Lu, near Panyu Lu. Tel: 137 88940 337. Web: www.strictlycookies.com

Sushi Oyama's Nigiri-zushi

You can’t really pick one dish from Oyama-san’s omakase menu because you never know what’s going to be there when you arrive. The 20 (or so) course spread changes nightly based on what’s in season and fresh from Tsukiji Market and Nagasaki. All you need to know is that each slice of sushi rice Oyama-san tops with raw fish right before your eyes will have you oohing and aahing, and counting your pennies until you can come back for more.
RMB 1,200 for omakase menu. 20 Donghu Lu (near Huaihai Zhong Lu). T: 5404 7705

T For Thai's Meng Kham

Some of the best Thai in Shanghai comes from the French team behind Cuivre, and we can prove it with their take on Meng Kham. Usually a hawker favourite served in a bag street side in cities like Bangkok, Chef Michael Wendling has given the grilled pork neck dish served with spicy, bold condiments a gourmet makeover.
RMB 68. 2/F, 1502 Huaihai Lu, near Wulumuqi Lu. Tel: 2203 8889

Charmant's Peanut Smoothie

It’s a good thing Charmant is open well into the night, because a craving for the peanut smoothie has been known to hit us at all hours. A Taiwanese dessert specialty, the smoothie is more a creamy ice cream mountain, made of shaved ice, peanut butter and - we’re pretty sure - crack. The mango version ain’t bad, either.
1414 Huaihai Lu, near Fuxing Lu. Tel: 6431 8107

Bottega Mozzarella Bar's Coreano Pizza

Korean-Italian fusion might seem like a stretch, but you haven’t met Kyeong Joo Lee. A native of South Korea who lived in Milan for more than decade, Lee is better known as Solo Latte, the mozzarella company she started that has been quietly serving the best Italian restaurants in town for years. With the help of Austin Hu, she’s joined her roots to her passion to create The Coreano. A thin-blistered-crust pizza topped with kimchi, pork neck bacon and stracciatella (strands of cream-soaked mozzarella).
Xintiandi, Unit 2B, Bldg 22, 181 Taicang Lu, near Huangpi Nan Lu.

Lao Shaoxing Doujiang's Dough Sticks

This late-night street stall serves two of the four heavenly kings of Shanghainese breakfast (youtiao and doujiang) better than anyone during daylight hours. It’s hard to order one without the other, as their deep-fried-to-order Chinese crullers were made just to dip into the bowls of hot sweet or savoury soy milk (trust us, it’s better than the English makes it sound).
RMB 3. 309 Zhaozhou Lu, near Jianguo Xin Lu.

Da Dong's Peking Duck

The famed Peking Duck emporium has been serving kaoya in the capital since 1985, with a recipe updated from the Yuan Dynasty that makes for a leaner, crispier frame. Roasted over fruitwood imported from Beijing, these delicious fowl are sliced by knifewielding masters tableside, providing both dinner and a show.
RMB 268. 5F, Reel Mall, 1601 Nanjing Xi Lu, near Changde Lu. Tel: 3253 2299. 6–7/F, IAPM, 999 Huaihai Zhong Lu, near Xiangyang Lu.

Scarpetta's Orecchiette Bolognese

The beef and pork ragu is nice on top of the “little eats” of pasta, but it’s the towering skyscraper of roasted bone marrow jutting out of the saucy pasta that makes this dish a winner. Scoop all the meaty custard out of the bone, then mix it up for a taste of heartattack- worthy decadence.
RMB 168. 33 Mengzi Lu, near Xujiahui Lu. Tel: 3376 8233. Web: www.scarpetta.cn

Tao Heung's Radish Cakes

Remember learning about surface area in geometry? No? Well we’re glad the chef at Tao Heung did. By chopping luobo gao into small cubes, it maximised the pan-fried crispy edges and did away with the dim sum fail of mushy-middle radish cakes. The garlands of chilli pepper and XO sauce are all the garnish these need to be winners.
3/F, IAPM Mall, 999 Huaihai Zhong Lu, near Shanxi Nan Lu. Tel: 3363 7999

Bistro 321 Le Bec's Duck Pate

The dramatic (and controversial) arrival of Michelin-starred chef Nicolas Le Bec brought with it some of the best patés the city has seen. Minced rich duck is shot through with crunchy pistachios and woody juniper flavours, and, since it’s served in a traditional jar, you can take one to-go with a baguette if a craving strikes and you can’t score a last-minute reservation.
RMB 90. 321 Xinhua Lu, near Dingxi Lu. Tel: 6241 9100

Tock's Montreal Bagel Sandwich

Spread the Bagel made a special sweeter Montreal-style bagel (it’s boiled in honey water) for this sandwich, and it’s one of the most delicious collaborations in town. Top an everything bagel with smoked duck and fatty beef and you’ll be glad they teamed up too.
RMB 103. 221 Henan Zhong Lu, near Fuzhou Lu. Tel: 6346 3735

The Commune Social's Salt & Pepper Squid

Calamari might be a throwaway dish in some restaurants, but at Jason Atherton’s second Shanghai restaurant, it’s the star attraction. The squid rings are served so lightly-crispy they are almost airy, and the puddle of black squid ink for dipping is as fun to eat as it is to point out when it coats your dining partners’ incisors. The dish is so good, the restaurant gives away sachets of the seasoned flour to all its guests, telling them to just add squid.
RMB 88. 511 Jiangning Lu, near Kangding Lu. Tel: 6047 7638

Garlic's Kofte

A classic Turkish dish, Garlic’s version of this classic Turkish dish minces 60 per cent beef with 40 per cent lamb, plus parsley, garlic and secret seasonings to make their grilled meatballs stand out from the crowd. They are also found on the excessive meat plank at sister restaurant Black Pepper.
RMB 115. 698 Yongjia Lu, near Hengshan Lu. Tel: 135 6486 1208

Pirata's Ferror Toasts

One of the best new restaurants on the scene in 2014, Pirata’s menu of excellent dishes makes picking just one a task. While we almost gave it to the fennel-octopus hummus, this dessert stole our hearts with a sprinkle of crunchy sea salt atop Nutella and crushed chocolate spread on toast.
RMB 40. 136 Xinle Lu, near Xiangyang Lu. Tel: 5404 2327

Five Star Hainan Chicken Rice

This hole-in-the-wall Singaporean shop sells only 48 chickens per day thanks to the laborious process that takes about an hour per bird, but one bite and you’ll know all the hard work is worth it. Each time-consuming blanche turns the skin whiter, the meat more velvety, and the accoutrements (black viscous soy sauce, pounded ginger, spicy garlic-chilli sauce and chicken rice) are all made inhouse to guarantee quality.
RMB 98 for a whole chicken. 176 Jiaozhou Lu, near Xinzha Lu

Napa Wine Bar And Kitchen's Angus Beef Short Rib

In April 2014, Napa Wine Bar & Kitchen hired Noma protégé Martin Bentzen, and the young chef has taken the already-great kitchen in wonderful new directions. This summer, we sampled his Angus beef short ribs with white asparagus and summer truffle, slowcooked perfectly and well-marbled as any cut of beef in town. For winter, he’s made it seasonally appropriate and just as delicious by pairing it with black truffle, crispy artichoke and sunflower sprouts.
RMB 288. 2/F, South Bund 22, 22 Zhongshan Dong Lu, near Jinling Lu. Tel: 6318 0057. Web: www.
napawinebarandkitchen.com