stewed or braised with
vegetables. The unique
n ame c ome s f r om t h e
meatball’s shape, which is said to
resemble the head of a lion with the vegetables serving as its
mane. The meatballs are made with a mixture of lean and fatty
pork, scallions, ginger, tofu, and eggs, with chopped water
chestnuts giving them a bit of a crisp texture. They can be cooked
plain, stewed or steamed with napa cabbage and vermicelli, or
they can be braised in a deep, brown sauce with cabbage, bamboo
shoots, or tofu.
>Xindalu China Kitchen
Located on the lobby level of Hyatt On The Bund in the historic Shiliupu
area, Xindalu China Kitchen offers authentic regional Chinese cuisine,
including pyramid-style braised pork and lion’s head.
/
Xindalu%E2%80%93ChinaKitchen.html
WESTERN AND FUSION DINING
Jade on 36
Located on the 36th level of the Grand Tower of the Pudong
Shangri-La East Shanghai, the aptly named Jade on 36 offers a
selection of European–Asian fusion cuisine with a family-style
concept amid breathtaking views of Shanghai and the Bund. The
chef’s creations combine Eastern and Western elements, such as
the Jade on 36 Garden, a salad made with edible soil and
vegetables arranged to look like a plant garden.
jade-on-36/
Table No. 1
Experience contemporary European cuisine in an elegant, casual
setting at Jason Atherton’s Table No. 1 on the ground floor of
The Waterhouse at South Bund. If you can’t decide what to
order, the restaurant offers an eight-course sharing menu for the
whole table. Or opt for one of the signature dishes, such as the
raw Fin de Claire oysters, or the charcoal roasted wagyu brisket
with shaved onion and house pickle. For those with a sweet
tooth, the feta cheesecake with spiced filo pastry, orange sauce,
granola, and dates can’t be missed.
/
W
ith a population of over 24 million, Shanghai is China’s most populous city and a center of finance and transportation. One of
the nation’s most popular styles of Chinese cooking, Shanghai cuisine is strongly influenced by surrounding provinces Jiangsu
and Zhejiang. Also known as
Hu
cuisine, it involves the use of braising, stewing, steaming, deep-frying, and baking to prepare
food. Many dishes are flavored with sugar and soy sauce, or enhanced with preserved vegetables and salted meats. We take a look at some
of Shanghai’s must-eat foods and restaurants.
XIAOLONG BAO
Named for the
xiaolong
, or the small bamboo steaming baskets in
which they are traditionally prepared, the Shanghai style of
xiaolong bao
was invented in Nanxiang, in a suburb of Shanghai,
at the Nanxiang Bun Shop, located in the famous Yuyuan
Garden. It’s commonly enjoyed throughout the day as a type of
dimsum or snack. The steamed buns are usually filled with
ground pork and gelled pork aspic, which melts into liquid during
steaming, creating a soup-filled dumpling. Xiaolong bao are
traditionally accompanied with a clear soup and served directly
in their steaming baskets along with ginger slivers and Zhenjiang
vinegar for dipping.
A similar variation,
shengjian
bao
is a ubiquitous breakfast
dish in Shanghai. However, the breading is thicker and doughier
thanks to a bit of added yeast. Filled with ground pork and
gelatin, the buns are then sprinkled with sesame seeds and
chopped green onions and pan-fried in a shallow, oiled pan —
resulting in a crispy-bottomed bun with a succulent pork filling.
>Nanxiang Bun Shop, Yuyuan Garden
Established around 1900, the Nanxiang Bun Shop was founded by the
original inventor of Nanxiang-style xiaolong bao.
218 Anren St, Huangpu, Shanghai
RED BRAISED PORK
According to legend, Mao Zedong’s favorite dish was red braised
pork, and it is so well-known for this that many restaurants call
their offering “The Mao Family’s red-braised pork.” Today this
classic Chinese home-cooked dish is popularly featured as a
flavor of instant noodles. The traditional recipe is prepared using
pork belly with a larger proportion of fat to lean meat, cooked
together with rice wine, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and spices until
the meat and fat are extremely soft and tender. The resulting taste
is both sweet and salty, with a texture that melts in the mouth,
and best served with steamed rice. Many regions have their own
variety with different ingredients and cooking methods. While in
Taiwan “red braised pork” refers to a version that includes deep-
fried pork, in Shanghai the dish includes tofu skin that is braised
and seasoned along with the meat.
LION'S HEAD
A part of Shanghai’s local cuisine since migrants brought it to
Shanghai in the mid-19th century, “lion’s head” are a type of
large (approximately 7–10cm in diameter) pork meatball that are
PHOTOGRAPHY: TOP PHOTO GROUP / HYATT ON THE BUND / TABLE NO.1
27
enVoyage
