5 of Shanghai's best Chinese minority restaurants

China is home to 56 minority groups, though they only make up around eight percent of the country’s population.

While the list of delicious ethnic eateries in Shanghai is pretty extensive, here are our top five picks for getting some exotic flair. 

1. Mengu minority: Xibei Youmian Cun (西贝莜面村)

For centuries, China’s northern plains were controlled by the Mongols, whose once expansive empire was founded by the ruthless Genghis Khan in 1206.

Today wistful mengguren in Shanghai can get a unique taste of home at Xibe Youmian Cun(西贝莜面村), a restaurant serving northern provisions.

While the meat of choice here is unmistakably lamb -- served best in the form of roasted shanks (烧羊棒, RMB 29) -- the real prize is the honeycomb noodles made from oats (莜面窝窝, RMB 23).

In Inner Mongolia, older women still sit around the kitchen table painstakingly folding each hexagonal noodle of the honeycomb until a bamboo steamer is filled.

And although the hearty noodles are machine-made at Xibei Youmian Cun, they are still nostalgically delicious when plunged into either a rich mutton (羊肉热汤, RMB 6), mushroom (素什菌凉汤, RMB 5) or vegetable soup (蔬菜凉汤, RMB 4).

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Other highlights of the menu include steamed black bean bread (黑豆窝窝, RMB 8) and the RMB-128 stir-fried mushroom plate (大炒贺兰山蘑菇) that is an ode to the region’s Helan Mountain range.

Finishing a meal with the restaurant’s handmade fresh tofu (自制石磨豆腐, RMB 39) -- dipped in either chili powder or vinegar -- will instantly transport any homesick mengguren back to the Mongolian heartland.

Xibei Youmian Cun, 5/F, West Wing, Hongxin Plaza, 762 Tianshan Lu, near Gubei Lu 天山路762号泓鑫时尚广场西区5楼, 近古北路, +86 021 5875 2999, Monday-Friday: 11 a.m.-2 p.m., 5 p.m.-11:30 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday: 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m., 4:30 p.m.-11:30 p.m.

2. Zang minority: Zha Xi Da Wa (扎西达娲)

The main reason why we keep coming back to this Tibetan restaurant really has nothing to do with the food -- though it’s tasty; we come for the ethnic song and dance performance by the staff.

And even though we are right next to Shanghai’s huge indoor stadium, as soon as they blow the traditional Tibetan horn, we feel as though we’ve been whisked away to Lhasa.

The restaurant cooks classic Xizang grub -- which means lots of yak. Our favorite among the yak dishes is a plate of eggplant stuffed with the fibrous meat (牦牛肉酿茄子, RMB 38). The eggplant is delicate and tender and the meat rich, yet lean.

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In addition, Zha Xi Da Wa(扎西达娲) is one of the most hospitable restaurants on this list -- the staff is incredibly friendly, making us want to book a trip to Shangri-La for our next holiday.

Complete with Tibetan prayer wheels and flags, this gem is not to be missed.

Zha Xi Da Wa, 666 Tianyaoqiao Lu near Zhongshan Nan Er Lu 天钥桥路666号, 近中山南二路, +86 021 6426 5576, 11 a.m.-2 p.m, 5 p.m.-10 p.m.

3. Xinjiang: Yeshari (耶里夏丽)

China’s wild western Xinjiang Province is home to more than 40 minority groups, making the region’s cuisine rather difficult to define.

Our choice to represent the area is a true melting pot of the province, fusing together many specialties of the minority groups that live there.

Yeshari shows us that there is much more to Xinjiang food than just lamb. Decorated with lanterns and hookahs and with waiters dressed in brilliantly colored traditional costumes, this eatery is more than just a Xinjiang dining experience -- it’s a journey along the Silk Road into the colorful heart of that province.

And while lamb is admittedly everywhere -- served whole for a whopping RMB 1,388 -- the restaurant boasts plenty of other fare found along that centuries-old trade route from baba ghannoush (新疆烤馕, RMB 20) to marinated Chinese eggplants.

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A standout is the RMB 68 Chaiwopu peppery chicken (大盘鸡), which is as fiery as it is delicious.

Perfect for large groups seeking Xinjiang-inspired feasts and with tables sturdy enough to support dancing after knocking back a few black beers (新疆黑啤, RMB 16), this restaurant is also popular among Xinjiang residents who’ve made their own Silk Road trip to Shanghai.

Yeshari, Building 2, Jinzhong Mansion, 680 Zhaojiabang Lu near Wulumuqi Lu 肇嘉浜路680号, 近乌鲁木齐路, +86 021 6466 8388, 10 a.m.-10:30 p.m.

4. Dai, Wa, Yi, and Hani minorities: Legend Taste (滇道云南特色料理)

A high proportion of Yunnan’s population is comprised of a vast number of minority groups, and Legend Taste deserves some praise for representing the cuisine of more than one third of Yunnan Province so well.

A lot of dishes celebrate the preserved and salty Yunnanese ham, though we normally opt for specialties that are hard to find elsewhere.

The slow-roasted pork covered with chilies and garlic and then wrapped in bamboo leaves (蕉叶烧肉, RMB 38) in the typical Dai style is sublime.

Paired with Hai sautéed scallops(哈尼炝香扇贝, RMB 45) and Hani tree flowers (哈尼树花, RMB 32), we’ve got a meal that is as diverse as it is scrumptious.

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So while prices may be cheaper here, the tastes are still legendary, reminding us of past trips to the mountainous region.

Legend Taste, 1025 Kangding Lu near Yanping Lu 康定路1025号, 近延平路, +86 021 5228 9961, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., 5 p.m.-11 p.m.

5. Hui minority: Hong Chang Xing (洪长兴)

There is a lot more to Muslim Hui cuisine than those hand-pulled Lanzhou noodle stalls that seem to be everywhere in Shanghai, as Hong Chang Xing ably demonstrates.

Highly rated on dianping.com by diners, we can’t get enough of their lamb dumplings and addictive hot pot (we promise it’s addictive because it’s so good, not because of any added opiates … ).

But what we love most about this Yunnan Nan Lu institution is in the adjacent retail shop at the same address.

The shop sells all of the fixings for home-brewed hot pot; 400 grams of thinly sliced lamb goes for only RMB 30. Their pastries, however, cannot be skipped.

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Hudi su (butterfly pastry, 蝴蝶酥) are sweet puff pastries that are curled to look like butterfly wings and are reminiscent of the French palmier cookie.

Because their origins are disputed (France takes a lot of credit for creating them at the turn of the previous century), we’re going to go ahead and give the Hui recognition for now.

Hong Chang Xing, 1 Yunnan Nan Lu near Yan’an Dong Lu 云南南路1号, 近延安东路, +86 021 6328 1551, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., 5 p.m.-8 p.m.