Cypress Hotel Jin Jiang Shanghai

Yue Hai Tang is the brainchild of an experienced chef who has worked in some of the most prestigious kitchens of Shanghai. His team, which has been with him for a long time, rustles up a wickedly enticing Cantonese barbecue. Besides the main menu, you will also see seasonal offerings and a selection of painstakingly crafted dishes, such as lobster and crab meat in pastry. The wine list boasts over 500 choices. Booking and pre-ordering dishes is recommended.

Brace yourself for nostalgia aplenty: velvet tufted chairs, walls covered in vintage blue bricks, art pieces from around the world…Most ingredients are shipped from Anhui, including mouldy tofu – a speciality you can’t miss. Wine-scented fermented mandarin fish is another classic slightly adapted to suit the local palate. The Anhui-style braised pork trotter in soybean paste is cooked in a 30-year-old marinade for exceptional depth and layered flavours. On top of the à la carte menu, you can also have one tailored in advanced.

This airy restaurant with chic retro decor, near Hongqiao airport, is a veritable haven for weary travellers. As well as cooking up the same classics as the namesake sister branch in Hong Kong, the experienced Shanghainese chef imbues Cantonese dim sum with unique Shanghainese touches. Honey-glazed barbecued pork, and tofu-skin beggar's purses are both highlights. Round off your meal with pear, bamboo bird's nest and nostoc sweet soup.

In Hongqiao district, near a train station and airport, this restaurant is a popular choice among travellers. The head chef is a Shanghai native, who respects traditions, while exploring other Chinese regional flavours. His menu is heavily based on Shanghainese cuisine, with occasional Cantonese and Huaiyang dishes. Try his marinated pigeon with green Sichuan peppercorns and silky meat, and the umami-rich sautéed shredded fish with chive sprouts.

Since 1992, this household name has been a favourite Ningbonese seafood joint. Their first outpost in Shanghai takes up two storeys with live fish tanks and an open kitchen downstairs and the main dining room reached by a bright red staircase upstairs. Braised pomfret with sticky rice cake exemplifies the rustic charm and full-bodied flavours of Ningbo home-style cooking. Raw marinated white crab known as ’18 cuts’ is loaded with umami.

Several famous chefs joined forces in this venture that offers traditional and creative Cantonese and Sichuanese fare under one roof. Flavours are nuanced and varied, making for a multi-faceted experience. Signatures include roast young duck with Sichuan pepper, a crossover between Cantonese barbecue and Sichuanese spice. Yellow croaker can be prepared in myriad ways – try it poached in claypot with aged dried radish.

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