China » Dining in Shanghai

The name "Shanghai" means "above the sea", so unsurprisingly seafood predominates, the usual style of preparation being steaming. Some Shanghainese dishes to look out for.

• xiao long baozi lit. buns from the little steaming cage), probably the most famous Shanghai dish: small steamed dumplings full of tasty (and boiling hot!) broth and a dab of meat. The connaisseur bites a little hole into them first, sucks the broth out, then dips them in rice vinegar (cu) to season the meat inside.
• dazha xie (hairy crabs), best eaten in the winter months (Oct-Dec) and paired with Shaoxing wine to balance out your yin and yang
• xiefen shizitou (crab powder lion heads), actually pork meatballs containing crab meat
• joi gai (drunken chicken), chicken steamed then marinated in rice wine, usually served cold

For cheap Chinese eats, head for the alley known as Wujiang Road. For fancier food in nicer surroundings, try the upmarket restaurants of Xintiandi.

If you can navigate your way past the puzzle entrance, you will find yourself in a mysteriously under-lit bar/restaurant with sci-fi decor, where the puzzle theme continues - the staff wear badges which are Chinese riddles, and the badges can be won by guests if you guess the riddle correctly.