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35 Shanghai street foods we can't resist
Buns, dumplings, pancakes, soups -- here's a Shanghainese boulevardier's buffet
Living in metropolitan Shanghai, you can choose to dine in a Michelin-star restaurant on the Bund, or opt for a scavenger hunt down dark alleyways.
We love both.
But in the spirit of the real local lifestyle, we’ve decided to search out the most delicious and wallet-friendly street food in Shanghai.
Some of them are Shanghai-native eats, others are popular snacks from around the country.
More on CNNGo: 11 top snacking options in Shanghai
A budget Shanghai snack for hairy crab fans.
1. Xie ke huang (crab shell pie, 蟹壳黄)
Why we love it: Although those hairy crustaceans from Yangcheng lake aren’t available year-round, xie ke huang, aka the poor Shanghainese man’s hairy crab, can be found around the town in any season.
Baked in a clay oven until golden brown, these little oval pies are stuffed with sweet or savory fillings. The name is inspired by its appearance -- freshly baked xie ke huang look like crispy golden crab shells.
Where to get it: We've been coming back for Wuyuan Bingjia’s savory xie ke huang for years, despite the grouchy service.
Try the cong you-flavored ones (spring onion and lard, RMB 1) for the most authentic Shanghainese taste.
Wuyuan Bingjia (吴苑饼家), 255 Yanping lu, near Kangding Lu 延平路255号, 近康定路, +86 21 6256 5556, 6 a.m.-11 p.m.
These yummy buns are well worth the blisters on your tongue.
2. Sheng jian (fried bun, 生煎)
Why we love it: It’s hard to resist succulent pork buns, especially when they are fried and garnished with fresh spring onion and toasted sesame.
They taste best just out of the pan -- totally worth the blisters on your tongue.
Where to get it: Xiao Yang Sheng Jian is the best-known fried bun restaurant in town, but our favorite place is a little joint named Bu Cuo Sheng Jian Wang on the corner of Fujian Zhong Lu and Guangdong Lu. For RMB 6, you can get four sinfully delicious buns.
Bu Cuo Sheng Jian Wang (不错生煎王), 90 Fujian Zhong Lu, near Guangdong Lu 福建中路90号, 近广东路, +86 21 6373 1944, 7 a.m.-8 p.m.
China's answer to KFC.
3. Chinese-style fried chicken (中式炸鸡)
Why we love it: Picture a chicken fillet being fried in a wok with chopped dried chilies, scallions, ginger and garlic, then sprinkled with sesame and five-spice powder. Viva fusion street food.
Where to get it: Walk down Wulumuqi Zhong Lu until you hit Fuxing Zhong Lu, you'll see this husband-and-wife fried chicken stand on your right.
The friendly couple who run it always do their chicken just right. For RMB 10, you can stuff your face.
328 Wulumiqi Zhong Lu, near Fuxing Zhong Lu 乌鲁木齐中路328号, 近复兴中路, +86 152 0185 9878, 5-8 p.m.
Kick-start your day with a filling rice ball.
4. Ci fan (rice ball, 粢饭)
Why we love it: Ci fan is one of the most popular breakfast foods in Shanghai. These glutinous rice balls have everything you ever needed for an energetic start to your day.
Typical stuffing includes a you tiao (fried dough stick), pickled vegetables, pork floss, white sugar and sometimes eggs and ham. Tastes best when hot.
Where to get it: Hit the corner of Nanyang Lu and Xikang Lu for the most authentic Shanghainese ci fan.
With a secret homemade meat sauce and delicious fried egg stuffing, this 20-year-old ci fan stand is hands-down the best in Shanghai.
100 Nanyang Lu, near Xikang Lu 南阳路100号, 近西康路, no telephone, around 7-10 a.m.
Shanghainese deep-fried pork chop usually come with a couple of rice cakes.
5. Pai gu nian gao (pork chop with rice cakes, 排骨年糕)
Why we love it: The best part of this Shanghainese dish is neither the deep-fried pork chop nor the sweet-soy sauce glaze, it’s the nian gao.
Made of glutinous rice flour, nian gao has a compact texture that seals the subtle, fragrant taste of sticky rice from any heavy sauce.
Where to get it: Proudly naming itself after the dish, Xiandelai’s pork chops and rice cakes are a must-try. Remember to sweet-talk the ayi behind the counter to giving you a freshly fried serving because it tastes like heaven while piping hot.
Xiandelai Pai Gu Nian Gao (鲜得来排骨年糕), 9 Yandang Lu, near Xing’an Lu 雁荡路9号, 近兴安路, +86 21 6386 8377, 7 a.m.-9 p.m.
Nothing tastes more Shanghai than these porky dumplings.
6. Xiaolongbao (soup dumpling, 小笼包)
Why we love it: RMB 4 usually gets you eight of these velvety and delicate Shanghai classics. The cure for any hunger pang, these are seriously good.
Where to get it: Everywhere. That is the greatest thing about xiaolongbao -- they can be ordered at five-star restaurants, malls, food courts and street stalls. Our favorite, though, are from the stall on the corner of Yunnan Nan Lu and Jinling Dong Lu.
Corner of Yunnan Nan Lu and Jinling Dong Lu 云南南路金陵东路路口
More on CNNGo: Shanghai's best xiaolongbao
Find these tasty soupy wontons on Jingling Dong Lu, if you're lucky.
7. Chai Pan wonton (柴爿馄饨)
Why we love it: Nothing beats a bowl of warm wonton soup at 3 a.m. on a freezing winter night.
We know the soup is laden with MSG, and the cart and cookers haven’t been cleaned for at least a decade, but one bite of the translucent wrapper and its tasty pork stuffing, and you’ll know it's worth it.
Where to get it: Chaipan Wonton stands used to be seen on every street corner after 8 p.m., but only a few remain. Take a stroll down Jinling Dong Lu after a night on the Bund; you should be able to cap your Moët and foie gras with RMB 5 worth of joy in a bowl.
Jinling Dong Lu, between Sichuan Zhong Lu and Jiangxi Lu 金陵东路，在四川中路和江西路之间, around 11 p.m.-later
One of the easiest Shanghai street foods to grab and go.
8. Cong You Bing (green onion pancake, 葱油饼)
Why we love it: The best green onion pancakes are cooked up by little old grannies (and grandpas) who get up at 6 a.m. to cook, knead and slap these petite bing in the city’s many longtangs.
Where to get it: Our favorite cong you bing stall lies behind a big black gate on Xiangyang Nan Lu, run by a local granny.
Follow your nose and the huge line to find the most authentic Shanghai scallion pancake (RMB 1.5 for one). Spoil yourself by asking for an extra egg on top of your bing (RMB 3 for an egg pancake).
Ah Po Cong You Bing (阿婆葱油饼), Lane 578 Xiangyang Nan Lu, near Zhaojiabang Lu, 襄阳南路578弄口, 近肇嘉浜路, no telephone, Monday-Friday: 2:30 p.m.-later
Order a cup of smooth tofu soup to go with your fried buns.
9. Tofu flower soup (豆腐花)
Why we love it: Made by curdling soy milk, this smooth tofu soup contains the subtle flavor of soybeans beneath a colorful mixed dressing of dried shrimps, pickled radish, seaweed, scallion, soy sauce and chili oil.
Where to get it: A lot of street breakfast stands serve tofu soup, but the best one we’ve tried so far is from Fengyu Shengjian, a time-honored Shanghainese eatery.
The price (RMB 3) is twice what you'll pay at other places, but you’ll know it’s worth every kuai after you had a sip.
Fengyu Shengjian (丰裕生煎), 281 Shaanxi Nan Lu, near Shaoxing Lu 陕西南路281号，近绍兴路, +86 21 6472 4609, 6 a.m.-8:30 p.m.
These sweet treats attract hour-long queues.
10. Mung bean pie (绿豆饼)
Why we love it: Most Shanghainese prefer their snacks savory over sweet, but mung bean pie is one exception -- you will find locals queue up around the block to buy them.
Where to get it: Take a hike to Zhabei district and you will find the most delicious mung bean pies in town.
Stuffed with slightly sweetened mung bean paste, Jianlilai’s pies (RMB 14/500 grams) ooze the fragrance of fresh mung beans.
Jianlilai Lvdoubing 健利来绿豆饼, No. 31, Lane 1725, Gonghexin Lu, near Yanchang Lu 共和新路1725弄31号, 近延长路地铁2号出口 , +86 21 159 2121 4238, 8 a.m.-9:30 p.m.
More on CNNGo: 40 Shanghai foods we can't live without
