Lost Heaven: Lost in Yunnan

One of the few Shanghai restaurants continually heaving with people, Lost Heaven is a true MSG-free sojourn of the traditional cuisines of the Dai, Hua Yao and Miao ethnic hill tribes along the ‘Ancient Tea Horse Trail’ from Lhasa through China's southern Yunnan province and into Burma and Laos.

Although a far cry from your standard Chinese food (if there is such a thing), don't worry about bringing picky eaters -- many dishes will remind you, in look and taste, of Thai food.

Southeast Asian-style curries pop with spice and funky mushroom varieties indigenous to the region feature prominently (don’t miss the jizhong mushroom salad or dai tribe beef with seven spices).

The upper floors of this multi-level space in a renovated French Concession villa are decked out in Buddhist sculptures and a wall mosaic made from pu er tea, while the much quieter ground-floor bar of Lost Heaven is a chilled spot to enjoy a pre- or post-meal drink on cushioned daybeds.