Shanghai Cuisine

I've been back from Shanghai for three days now and am still deflating. That is to say while there, I consumed a huge load of food -namely dumplings, my favorite. I played it pretty safe in terms of what I ate -nothing too traditional or too exotic. For my foodie friends, I'm including some photos to give you an idea.

At Crystal Jade, my favorite Shanghai restaurant. I visited twice for the best dim sum I've ever had (and probably ever will):

 shrimp dumplings (see how translucent and delicate their skins are??!)

minced pork dumplings in red chili oil

steamed pork buns -so light and savory!

shrimp wonton soup

Only on one occasion did I order room service at my hotel; it seemed like an okay idea at the time. While I wasn't overwhelmed by my breakfast, it wasn't bad, and I did like its presentation. Also, the side of salmon was a nice touch.

eggs benedict

At Victor's in the Peace Hotel:

 Best. Lemon. Tart. Ever.

According to TripAdvisor.com, as well as my Lonely Planet guide, Yang's Dumplings is one of the TOP restaurants in Shanghai. They're famous for their fried soupy pork dumplings, topped with scallions and sesame seeds. At $1 for 4, they're a steal (I visited twice).

First you order at a counter, where no English is spoken or understood, with only this menu board as a guide (I did a lot of pointing and sign language when placing my order).

Then, you take your receipt and head to Yang's station in this food court-like space:

Finally, the moment you've been waiting for... except you actually have to do additional waiting because the dumplings are scalding and take awhile to cool down. Absolutely worth the wait though!

Now for something I did NOT eat (though I saw numerous ads for this dish all around town):