Shanghai Food guide 🇨🇳🥢

Shanghai’s food scene is a vibrant mix of tradition and innovation. Key highlights include xiaolongbao (soup dumplings), shengjianbao (pan-fried dumplings), and dishes featuring crab roe sauce. I’m surprised that dining in Shanghai is generally more affordable than in Singapore, making it a great destination for food lovers.

🥢 HERE ARE SOME OF THE PLACES THAT WE ATE:

-📍RADISSON COLLECTION HYLAND

we stayed at Radisson Collection Hyland, one of the best hotels I’ve stayed so far.

- 💰price about SGD $130 per night

- note that they have old and newly renovated rooms at different sides, asked for the new rooms

- good location; walkable distance to the bund, and right smack at Nanjing shopping street

- spacious & clean bed & bathroom

- we had a sumptuous feast at the breakfast buffet, wide spread of pastries, English breakfast, and Chinese cuisine.

Rating /⭐⭐⭐⭐: 4.5/5

-📍来来小龙 Lai Lai Snack Dumplings; our first stop had to satisfy our XLB cravings. At one of the renowned Michelin restaurants with many 小红书 reviews, we ordered several dishes; including pork XLB, crab & pork XLB, dumplings, fried pork chop, & crab roe porridge. Everything was so delicious, but my favorite was definitely the crab & pork XLB - it was bursting with flavor, and the broth was absolutely savoury! The fried pork chop was tender, and the porridge had a delightful old-school flavor, though it was a bit pricey at around SGD $30 for a bowl. Still, I highly recommend this place!

Rating /⭐⭐⭐⭐: 4.5/5

-📍Xie San Bao

Honestly, I’m not sure why we only thought to visit this place on our last day, but I'm so glad we did since it was conveniently located near our hotel & it’s just right across Lai Lai snack dumplings. I had heard many good reviews about their famous crab roe sauce on 小红书. We ordered everything with crab roe sauce, including the cabbage and XLB, and every dishes tasted fantastic! The sauce was thick & savoury, & you won’t get sick of it. I’m craving it as I’m type this, & honestly it was one of the best meals I had in Shanghai! Highly recommended!

Rating /⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: 5/5

- 📍小杨生煎 Yang’s Fried Dumpling

Another place that came highly recommended during my food research was Yang’s Dumpling. The menu doesn’t offer much variety, as mostly are all beef & my family doesn’t take beef. Hence the only standout dish we ate was the 生煎包 pan-fried pork dumplings, perfectly crisp on the outside while maintaining a juicy filling that bursts with flavor. Each bite offers a harmonious blend of savory pork and fragrant green onions, making them utterly addictive.

Rating /⭐⭐⭐⭐: 4/5

-📍佳家汤包 Jia Jia Tang Bao

Another renowned place for its crab roe sauce noodles, pork chop and xlb. The crab noodles is delicious, however if you were to ask me, I still prefer xie san bao. Other than that, the pork chop and xlb were quite a disappointment. For pork chop & xlb, Lai Lai Snack Dumplings is still my favourite!

Rating /⭐⭐⭐: 3/5

- 📍Butterful & Creamorous

If you're a bread lover, Shanghai Butterful & Creamorous is a must-visit! This bakery is a pastry paradise, renowned for its delicious offerings, and I discovered it through many reviews on 小红书 and TikTok. With multiple outlets across China, I was thrilled to check out two in XinTianDi area. We indulged in an array of pastries that I honestly lost track of what we ordered! 😂 My favorite was the savory pork croissant, which definitely deserves its spot among the top three recommendations in the store. Buttery, flavorful, and utterly satisfying, it’s a must-try! Oh, & the cheese bagels too! If you’re in China, don’t miss out on this delightful bakery.

Rating /⭐⭐⭐⭐: 4/5

- 📍Mi Thai

Along Anfu Road, we were pleasantly surprised to discover a Michelin-rated Thai restaurant that was also featured by LV. We were thrilled to find a Thai place in China, especially since the set meal was incredibly affordable—under $30 SGD for a three-course meal. 😱 Each of us chose different dishes to share, and everything was so delicious. Their red curry was my favourite dish. Highly recommended!

Rating /⭐⭐⭐⭐: 4.5/5

That’s all for my food recommendations & thank you for following. Next, I’ll be sharing on my shopping recommendations in Shanghai. Stay tune!

Don’t forget to click on ❤️ if you like my content & follow me for more travel related content! 💁🏻‍♀️

#sameltravel #china #shanghai #foodguide #Lemon8SG