Don’t forget these babies, the best breakfast crepes ever, on Mudan Lu, close to Pujian Lu.

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Joanne Yao, City Weekend Dining Editor’s Must Eats List
Vegetarian – Wu Guan Tang (try the carrot and potato faux crab roe, it’s amazing; the bags of fortune for a milder palate, the 8-plate appetizer set if you’re with lots of people, and knife-cut spicy mushroom noodles).

The crab place - must tries here are the dan dan crab noodles and the “yin-yang” pastries in the dim sum section (they’re fried halves of yummy glutinous rice, one stuffed with curried crab the other with lotus paste). They also have normal food (non-crab) too, if you’re on a budget.
for photos: http://www.dianping.com/shop/2093833

Cute cafes with actual good coffee have been popping up all over the place lately, so for coffeehouses, check out the last dining cover story. Out of these, my personal favorites are the Living Room, GZ Cafe and Cafe Dan for coffee and ambiance.

There’s Jesse’s for Shanghainese, which is a must try for anybody coming here. This is a good time to try their hairy crab tofu, which is delicious. If you want to splurge, then definitely get the wine marinated crab (it’s around RMB250). It’s freaken delicious, has lots of roe (it’s bigger than hairy crab) and can be split among 2-3 people. Also try the glutinous rice stuffed dates, the grandmother’s hong shao rou and if you are going with at least two other people, the fish head cooked in a canopy green onions (order this in advance, and always make a reservation).

The best sushi buffet in town is this place in Hongqiao. It’s around RMB220 for all-you can-eat sushi and all you can drink too (they have hot and cold sake, iced plum wine, milkshakes, etc.) For quality in a buffet setting, this place is the best. They have fresh oysters on the half-shell and sea urchin, steak, etc. They don’t skim on the good stuff.

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3. A Boston Epicure’s Photo Dispatch from Shanghai, China

I had a baller meal at Gourmet Dumpling House last night, photos and commentary to come! I will also instruct you on how to eat a Chinese meal.

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1. How to pick a date restaurant: advice from food writer MC Slim JB
2. Whine and Dine: You Whine, I help you Dine.
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Pick up a copy of the next City Weekend for my “I’ll regret this in a few months, but this is still pretty hilarious” appearance in the cover story. The genetically-blessed male specimen on the left is the boyfriend of the editor’s friend, who appears as one of my wingwomen (if wingwomen to short Asian girls are always so Amazonian) in the photos.

I had no part in writing the story and merely lent a pair of high heels and a permanently quizzical facial expression to ham up various portions of the sad, sorry tale of the mating dance. The kind that begins with 43 year old married bankers to whom gravity has not been kind and ends in the male being eaten alive. Oh wait, that’s in the animal kingdom. Or is it? Stay away from that serpent, Adam.

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1. Asian wives and girlfriends

The Langham, a boutique hotel near People’s Square, did a very nice lunch before the photoshoot. Witness:

Appetizer…

Here’s the chef’s signature dish – a pan seared turbot with vanilla (the stuff on top), dark chocolate, and eggplant puree. An interesting flavor pairing that worked.

A white chocolate mousse made with olive oil rather than cream, and with some tomato embedded inside, since tomato and olive oil is the classic Italian pairing.

Then the next day was the Hyatt’s chef, this time, no three course lunch, but some amazing views from their restaurant:

Here’s my favorite photographer, Mao Dou, who is really a big sweetheart and a great food photographer.

The main event: rolled veal carpaccio stuffed with goat cheese, side salad of artichoke, red onion, pea shoots, hazelnut dressing. Very fresh, simple, delicious.

Here’s the chef getting test shots taken. He eventually agreed to wearing a hat, but before giving me a heart attack when he refused at first. He hammed it up nicely for the camera.

Now, I’ve gotten the copy written up, talked to the designer, and I’m extra excited for it to appear in the next issue of City Weekend. Yay! If you’re in Shanghai, be sure to pick up the most recent copy of the magazine with the “expat evolution” cover – there are tons things I wrote in it.

Now, for a cultural aside,

Also, just for good measure, this is the proper way to wear your backpack to ward of sticky-fingered thieves in China.

The problems I have with China are usually these frustrating moments when the bus driver starts driving away as I have one foot on to board – and is blatantly apathetic to my rage. Or when I realize I’ve gotten ripped off since I’m not well versed on what things are supposed to cost here. Or like this morning, when I hailed a motorcycle cab, agreed to a price before I got in, then the driver suddenly jacked the price up 2 yuan. I tried to negotiate down a yuan, but he angrily demanded his full 6 yuan. Finally, we ended up in a screaming match, where I finally relinquished the last, pathetic yuan he demanded.

I was overcome by my linguistic paralysis – I know next to no curse words in Mandarin.

And well, a yuan is all of 15 cents USD.

I guess, despite my unpleasant experiences and daily near-deaths from aggressive traffic (no such thing as pedestrian right of way here), I’m lucky that I can afford to get ripped off a few dozen yuan and never really feel the pain. But that doesn’t make me resent that motorcab driver any less.

Related posts:

1. The Genius in the Kitchen: Behind the Scenes of Fine Dining at Crabtree’s Kittle House
2. The Best Hairy Crab Roe in Shanghai, or, a Shanghai Dining Editor’s Must Eats List
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