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China Street Eats

Flavors of Shanghai
Shikumen Red

From the City God Temple to Yunnan South Road, a Shanghai morning begins with a steaming basket of soup dumplings.

6
Featured snacks
East China
Region
Delicately sweet and savoryRefinedHaipai cultureLanes

Shanghai events and travel information

Published event guides and travel information for Shanghai.

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🎭

Shanghai International Arts Festival

2026.10-11Shanghai

Travel information

Places and neighborhoods worth exploring in Shanghai.

🌃

The Bund

Historic waterfront architecture faces Lujiazui across the river: a century of modern history on one bank and a skyline of skyscrapers on the other.

Must-visitNight viewsFree admission
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City landmarksFree admission
🏯

Yu Garden

A representative Jiangnan classical garden, with 400 years of pavilions and terraces tucked into the busy city center.

Jiangnan gardens5A scenic areaArchitecture
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Historic landmarks¥40/adult · off-season ¥30
🛍️

Nanjing Road Pedestrian Street

A celebrated shopping street stretching 1599 meters from Xizang Middle Road to the Bund, where century-old shops stand beside international brands.

ShoppingHistoryFree admission
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Shopping districtFree admission
🏘️

Tianzifang

A maze of creative shops in shikumen lanes, where everyday old Shanghai life shares space with contemporary art studios.

LanesCreative cultureSnacks
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Local cultureFree admission
🏛️

Shanghai Museum

A major collection of ancient Chinese art, renowned for bronzes, ceramics, calligraphy and painting, with a new building that is itself an architectural attraction.

MuseumsMust-visitFree admission
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Cultural venueFree admission (reservation required)
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Xintiandi

A landmark shikumen restoration district, with fine dining, designer shops and open-air cafes behind century-old brick walls.

Shikumen architectureFoodNightlife
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Urban renewalFree admission

Featured snacks

Shanghai's signature street-food highlights.

🥟

Xiaolongbao

Must-tryClassicFor guests
¥12–38/basket

Thin skins, plenty of broth and 18 pleats: bite a small opening and sip the soup first. The source recommends Nanxiang's Guyi Garden and Nanxiang Mantou near the City God Temple.

No online product linked yet.

🥘

Suzhou Pan-Fried Buns

Must-tryBreakfastHaipai culture
¥8–25/serving

Crisp underneath and soft on top, these pan-fried buns release hot broth when bitten. Dahuchun's thick, fully fermented wrappers and Yang's thin wrappers each have devoted followers.

No online product linked yet.

🍜

Scallion Oil Noodles

Noodles and dough dishesHome cookingNostalgic favorites
¥8–18/bowl

Soy sauce and scallions fried until golden brown turn the simplest noodles into an unmistakable taste of Shanghai.

No online product linked yet.

🥮

Fresh Pork Mooncakes

SeasonalMid-Autumn FestivalQueue favorite
¥5–12/each

Flaky pastry wrapped around fresh pork. Around Mid-Autumn Festival, the source describes three-hour queues outside Guangmingcun. Enjoy them warm, when the pastry crumbles at a touch.

No online product linked yet.

🍖

Pork Chop with Rice Cakes

ClassicLanesNostalgic favorites
¥15–28/portion

A golden fried pork chop meets chewy rice cakes and a special sweet sauce: a lane-side favorite Shanghai residents grow up eating.

No online product linked yet.

🦀

Crab-Shell Pastries

Dim sumFlaky pastryTraditional
¥3–8/each

Small flaky pastries shaped like crab shells and covered with white sesame seeds, with sweet sugar-and-lard or savory scallion fillings.

No online product linked yet.

How to enjoy it

How to enjoy Shanghai's street-food highlights.

🥟 How to eat xiaolongbao

  1. Lift：Gently lift the dumpling by its pleated top with chopsticks. Avoid piercing the wrapper, or the broth will escape.
  2. Move：Move it slowly into a spoon held underneath to catch any leaks. The source describes Nanxiang's ideal as one smooth movement from chopsticks to spoon.
  3. Open a window：Bite a small opening in the side and let the steam escape. Do not put the whole dumpling straight into your mouth: freshly steamed broth can burn.
  4. Enjoy the soup：Sip the broth through the opening once it has cooled. Pork and skin jelly give it a layered savory flavor; crab dumplings have golden broth enriched with roe.
  5. Dip in vinegar：Dip the remaining dumpling in Zhenjiang aromatic vinegar with shredded ginger, then finish it. Ginger balances the richness and vinegar brightens the flavor.

🥘 The two schools of shengjian

  1. Know the styles：The clear-water school, represented by Dahuchun, uses thick, fully fermented dough and firm meat without soup. The mixed-water school, represented by Yang's, uses thin unleavened wrappers and skin jelly for abundant broth. The source contrasts older diners' traditional preference with younger fans of the newer style.
  2. Check the base：A well-fried bun has an evenly amber base, neither blackened nor pale. Turn one over to judge the crust.
  3. Eat while hot：The source gives shengjian a 5–10-minute window at its best: the base softens as it absorbs the filling's juices. Eat promptly rather than waiting to pack it up or take photographs.
  4. Dip in vinegar：Choose Zhenjiang aromatic vinegar or sweeter Kangle vinegar; the source advises against aged vinegar that overwhelms the meat. Clear-water buns can take more vinegar, while broth-filled buns need less: sip the soup first.

🍜 The heart of scallion oil noodles: frying the scallions

  1. Choose the scallions：Use small scallions, particularly the middle section where white turns to green. Large scallions lack their gentle sweetness and can hold too much moisture to fry evenly.
  2. Dry thoroughly：After washing, dry the scallions thoroughly with kitchen paper. Wet scallions make oil spit and prevent proper browning; the source jokes that even veteran cooks get scolded for skipping this step.
  3. Start cold, cook gently：Begin with scallions in a cold pan of cold oil and fry gently for 15–20 minutes. Watch them change from green to yellow, light brown and deep brown. Remove them immediately at that last stage; the source cautions that another 10 seconds can turn them bitter.
  4. Mix the soy sauce：The source's sauce ratio is 2 parts light soy, 1 part dark soy and 0.5 part oyster sauce, plus half a spoon of sugar. Mix the noodles with soy sauce first, then scallion oil, and top with fried scallions: the dish called congkai noodles in its account.
  5. Add a topping：For a fuller bowl, add a soft-centered fried egg, spicy pork topping or pressed tofu rolls. Plain scallion oil noodles are satisfying on their own.

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