[Shanghai] Toriyasu 鳥やす

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[Shanghai] Toriyasu 鳥やす

Toriyasu 鳥やす

Add: 890 Changning Lu, near Huichuan Lu / 長寧路890號，近匯川路*
Tel: 5241 1677
Hours: [lunch] 11am-3pm [dinner] 6pm-2am
Price: 100 RMB/person
Visit: Oct 2010

Generally recognized as the best Japanese yakitori restaurant in Shanghai. Once you manage to find and enter the door to this discrete izakaya, you’ll see the menu on paper slips all around the walls, a crowd of chefs behind the grill, and waitresses rushing here and there to deliver yakitori and dishes like ramen, cold soba noodles, onigiri, ochazuke, etc., etc., etc. Noisy, squashed tables, and always packed. Reservations highly recommended.

*Second location in Gubei: 1/F, Peace Plaza, 20 Shuicheng Lu, near Hongqiao Lu / 水城路20号1楼 和平广场， 近虹桥路 (6295 8286)

Here’s a list of things we went through (plus sake and ice-cold beer, of course): chicken skin (6 RMB/skewer) and king oyster mushroom wrapped with pork (12 RMB/skewer).

Grilled mackerel (25 RMB) and salad (25 RMB).

Chicken heart (6 RMB/skewer).

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[Shanghai] Din Tai Fung 鼎泰豐

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[Shanghai] Din Tai Fung 鼎泰豐

Din Tai Fung 鼎泰豐

Add*: 3F Super Brand Mall, 168 Lujiazui Lu / 陸家嘴路168號正大廣場3樓
Tel: 5047 8882
Website: www.dintaifung.com.tw
Price: 100~150 RMB/person
Visited: Oct 2010

For many people, Din Tai Fung needs no introduction. This Taiwanese chain, with its remarkable consistency in quality and well-trained service, has been rated one of the top 10 gourmet restaurants in the world by NY Times and now operates in 9 different countries. Their soup dumplings (xiao long bao) are simply the best and easily make Shanghai’s famous local 南翔小籠 (Nan Xiang dumplings) look ridiculous in comparison. This place is always packed so be sure to make reservations.

*Multiple locations available in Shanghai, check website for details.

Some of my favorite starters include 辣牛筋 spicy ox-tendon (35 RMB),  辣味小黃瓜 sliced cucumber with chili and garlic (23 RMB), 什錦豆干絲 shredded bean curd with seaweed and bean sprouts (19 RMB), and 香干馬蘭頭 chopped wild vegetable and bean curd (22 RMB).

Din Tai Fung soup dumplings are made with great care – they have exactly 18 folds on the skin, which is translucently thin but never breaks at the squeeze of the chopsticks. After dipping the dumpling in vinegar, put the whole thing in your mouth, give it some pressure with your palate, feel the delicate skin burst and let the soup fill your mouth. The soup doesn’t burn, and it makes the meat and skin taste exponentially better.

My favorites are 蟹粉小籠 (steamed pork and hairy crab roe dumpling, 86 RMB/10 pcs) and 特色小籠 (steamed pork dumpling, 58 RMB/10 pcs), and if you order both, eat the steamed pork dumpling first because these are lighter in terms of flavor. There are some other variations on the menu, such as 黑松露小籠 (steamed pork and truffle dumpling) and 魚翅小籠 (steamed pork and shark fin dumpling), which I’ve never tried.

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[Shanghai] Yang’s Fried Dumplings 小楊生煎

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[Shanghai] Yang’s Fried Dumplings 小楊生煎

Yang’s Fried Dumplings 小楊生煎

Add*: 97 Huang He Lu / 黃河路97號
Tel: 5375 1793
Hours: 6:30am~8:30pm
Website: www.xysjg.com
Price: 4 RMB/5 dumplings
Visited: Oct 2010

Even though it’s most definitely not a personal favorite, I feel obliged to blog about Yang’s because this place is reputed as having the best fried dumplings (sheng jian bao) in Shanghai.

*50+ locations available in Shanghai, check website for detail.

So this is what you do. 1. Go to the window pay for however many dumplings you want to buy (4 RMB/5 dumplings). 2. With your ticket, go line up for the window where you pick up the dumplings. 3. Head over the the window right next to it to pick up the sauce. For first timers, this might be a hectic experience especially if you don’t speak Chinese.

So what are sheng jian bao anyway? A specialty of Shanghai. Puffy pork dumplings, shallow-fried in round black pans for a crispy bottom, thick skin sprinkled with sesame seeds and chopped green onions, contains hot soup that burns.

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