Restaurants - Explore Shanghai - page 260

Shanghai's favourite haunt for its trademark pan-fried snack, sheng jian mantou dumplings.
Be prepared to queue at busy times but you can watch the dumplings being made while you
wait. Filled with pork and hot broth, they are shallow-fried in wide black pans. There is an art
to eating these: take a small bite of the skin first to let the steam escape and carefully suck
out the scalding soup before dipping in black vinegar and popping the whole dumpling in
your mouth.
OLD TOWN
Lubolang
115 Yuyuan Road, near Mid-Lake Teahouse, Yu Garden; tel: [phone] 7509; $$
This rambling, old-school Shanghainese restaurant has prime views of the Mid-Lake Tea-
house, curt but efficient old waiters, and a menu filled with Shanghainese favourites, includ-
ing lion's-head meatballs, red-cooked pork and steamed pomfret.
Nan Xiang
85 Yuyuan Road, near Mid-Lake Teahouse, Yu Garden; tel: [phone]; $
A packed three-storey venue with a reputation for serving the best steamed xiaolongbao
dumplings in town. There's a takeout on the first floor, a sit-down diner on the second
serving basic dumplings, and more elaborate variations (eg crab roe) on the top floor.
Reserve ahead so you can enjoy the dumplings in the setting of the third floor.
XINTIANDI
Crystal Jade
2/F, South Block, Lane 123 Xinye Road; tel: [phone]; www.crystaljade.com ; $$
Crystal Jade, of which this is one of several branches, features Shanghainese and
Cantonese offerings served in an upscale setting. Try the excellent dim sum treats , dan dan
mian (spicy noodles in peanut sauce) and jie lan (a steamed southern vegetable).
Din Tai Fung
2/F, No. 6 South Block Xintiandi, Lane 123, Xingye Road; tel: [phone]; $$
The house special is Shanghai's signature dumpling, xiaolong bao , steamed dumplings
filled with pork, ginger, garlic and a scalding broth. The New York Times hailed the original
in Taiwan one of the world's 10 best restaurants.
Soahc
Bldg 3, South Block, Lane 123 Xingye Road; tel: [phone]; $$