Where do you suggest we go for great local food. Location can be casual, or fancy. Thanks in advance.
Lots of excellent trip reports on here
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I concur with @PedroPero. If you do a search for the respective areas, you’ll come up with an abundance of information, like this one, and @Google_Gourmet has a bunch of reports on Shanghai & Chengdu as well.
Welcome to our board!
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My top recommendation for you in Shanghai is a generic one: Go to a place that specializes in Shanghainese food.
I have a specific rec for you, not recent, but it is an old standby. If someone has a more recent rec for you in this category, then by all means go there if you prefer, but do go for this cuisine:
Ji Shi (Sign on the building says Jesse) at 41 Tianping Lu in the French Concession. Go for the river shrimp, fish in seaweed batter, red braised pork belly, and wild herbs wrapped in tofu skin. The dates stuffed with glutinous rice is more of a dessert even if not listed as such.
Shang Hai Heng Shan Xiao Guan Heng 上海衡山小馆衡山店, 308 Hengshan Rd, Xuhui District, Shanghai, China, 200031
On the building the sign says Hengshan Cafe. Cantonese, go for the roast goose, fish with fresh chilis, morning glory greens.
Jai Jia Tang Bao, famous for xiao long bao, but again if someone has a preferred spot, then by all means eat there. I prefer the crab and pork xlb, but certainly order several varieties wherever you go.
Yang’s Fry Dumplings. Legendary shengjianbao.
Again, I would consider these must eats, even if you substitute for a place that someone else here thinks is better in that category.
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Just got back from Shanghai
Xia Long Bao - XLB
Lai Lai xiao long shanghai was far better than Jia Jia Tang Bao. Jia Jia was so sloppy that many of our xlb had no soup.
Sheng Jian Bao
Shu Cai Ji 舒蔡记 has been suggested as a better bet to the now very commercial Yangs Dumplings by rachelgouk.com. I still liked Yang’s better.
YaBa ShengJian 哑巴生煎（临顿路店) in Suzhou is a legendary spot. I still liked Yang’s better.
Some interesting places in Shanghai
Minmon Feast Art Seafood Zizao Buffet Nanshan 銘門盛宴 藝術海鮮姿造 南山店 has the most crazy extensive seafood buffet around for US$41.
Nanlu Zheli (Bund Branch) aka Le Patio La Famille 南麓•浙里 was 1 block from our hotel/Bund and pretty decent.
Lei Garden Pudong aka Liyuan Restaurant (Guojin Center Branch) solid Michelin 1 star Cantonese in Pudong.
Dianping is hard to use. You need a Chinese phone number. Most restaurants pad reviews by giving discounts or free stuff. Waiters actively push this cheating.
I have more details on my food blog.
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唤子饭庄 - Huanzi Restaurant
Fenghuang County, Phoenix Ancient City
QinDama
Yongding District, 新华天酒店旁 邮政编码: 427000
Details:
https://www.foodnut.com/53862/zhangjiajie-national-forest-park-restaurant-reviews-张家界/
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Thanks so much for posting this, and I am excited to look at your blog.
Regarding Dianping, like any other website, I absolutely do not trust reviews unless it’s a community like Hungry Onion. Same thing for tabelog in Japan. I use websites like that for research of menu items and practical info. I do not care how many stars a place gets or what the average is. If I can eat one thing that is new to me and spectacular, that’s what I’m after. Dianping is a great resource, too bad it is no longer available to folks like me.
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