8 must-visit 100Years-Old Restaurants in Shanghai
The three words ‘old’, represents a long time and inheritance, if you are coming to Shanghai to play or come to Shanghai to work, it is recommended that you must go to the local 8 ‘hundred years old’ taste, are Shanghai locals from childhood to the big, but also the Shanghai people! The most classic flavour in the memory of Shanghai people.
1.Freshly Done(since 1921）
The first, Freshly Done, in the flowers of the Freshly Done pork ribs rice cake, Bao always love to eat, Miss Wang love to eat, the teeth are not very good ‘Old Hakkan’ uncle also love to eat, in fact, ‘Freshly Done’ in reality also exists, was founded in 1921, has been 103 years.
Rice cakes fried to a pleasing golden brown fish out, repeat the process of deep-frying, so that the taste of crispy outside and tender inside, ribs crispy tender, rice cakes soft and smooth, in addition to ribs and rice cakes, deep-fried squid, scallion oil Kailai Yang mixed noodles, 80 after the tenderloin skewers, fried gizzard skewers, Xiang Gui Milk Dew Blood Glutinous …… are all worthy of a taste of the food!
2.Dapu Chun shengjian(since 1932）
The second, Dapu Chun shengjian, founded in 1932, the main shop in Sichuan Road, a road are older shops or tobacco and auto repair shop, ‘Dapu Chun’ classic sign in the sycamore dappled shadow is quite a flavour.
The shop is also relatively large and ancient style. After looking at the menu, I ordered the ‘Special Small Pot Shengjian’ and Beef Vermicelli Soup. The clerk said that it is the same as normal shengjian, that is, put three kinds of shengjian ten in a small pot, which can be understood as a set meal.
Firstly, the classic shengjian (生煎), the classic shengjian (生煎), is the one with the folds facing upwards. I remembered that there was no green onion, but looking at the green onion sprinkled on top, I took a bite with the thought of ‘no green onion, right’!
The second type: prawn shengjian, prawn shengjian is made to sell, it’s a pleat-side down, round one, again with a hairy surface shengjian. It is filled with whole prawns and fresh meat.
3.International Hotel(since 1954)
The third, the International Hotel, opened on 1 December 1934, has a history of 87 years, when the hotel opened the name of the International Hotel, after 1954 changed its name to the International Hotel, known as one of the six major hotels in Shanghai.
Later, the International Hotel recruited some experienced pastry chefs (De Da, Red House) to make butterfly pastry. The butterfly pastry production skills of the International Hotel have been inherited and innovated through generations, integrated into the Shanghai culture, formed a unique taste that Shanghai people like, and is already one of the masterpieces of Shanghai pastry!
The butterfly pastry of the International Hotel is not sold in the hotel, but in the bakery of the International Hotel on the Yellow River Road on the side of the hotel.
The two ‘wings’ of the butterfly pastry of the International Hotel are fluffed up, modelled like a butterfly with its wings lifted, which makes people understand the origin of the name ‘butterfly pastry’ at a glance.
The queue to buy butterfly pastry has become a scenery on the Yellow River Road every day.
4.Xiao Shaoxing(since 1943)
The fourth, Xiao Shaoxing, white chopped chicken, founded in 1943, Shanghai eating chicken is crispy skin and tender meat, blood in the bone, original flavour, cooking without any seasoning, so it is called ‘white chopped chicken’.
The name ‘Little Shaoxing’ is familiar in Shanghai, as a Chinese old shop, has Discount Coupon, it represents the flavour of white chopped chicken in the memory of Shanghai people in the last era.
The signature white chopped chicken was almost a handful, the meat was tender and very chickeny, and did everything that was asked of it as stated above. The biggest surprise was his dipping sauce, which was sweet, salty and savoury with a very Shanghainese twist.
Chicken congee, this price is really shocking well! You should know that 3 yuan is not enough to buy a bottle of water in Magic City! What many people don’t know is that Shaoxing started out with chicken porridge.
As a house product, it’s really good value for money. The chicken oil has a great flavour, and is perfect in the congee to neutralise the greasiness of the congee itself. One mouthful of congee and one mouthful of chicken, you just can’t stop.
5.Shen Dacheng（since 1875）
The fifth, Shen Dacheng, Shanghai Chinese Restaurant, founded in 1875, Shen Dacheng Nanjing East Road shop, as the old Chinese, carrying several generations of Shanghai’s dim sum memories, has become an integral part of the city, whenever the time comes, his family’s green dumplings will always become a hot spot. However, Shen Dacheng is known as the ‘King of Shanghai Dim Sum’ not only because of its long history, but also because of its rich variety of dim sum and authentic flavours.
The Spring Three Fresh Green Dumplings are the most recommended of the five flavours! The spring bamboo shoots and shiitake mushrooms stuffed with capers are vegan! It tasted full of spring and very fresh! The ingredients were fresh and tasted fresh, it was hard for me to queue for so long!
Common rice ball with pure meat filling! The inner filling is very Shanghainese in approach, kind of like Xiao Long Bao in flavour, sweet, a bit oily and slightly greasy to eat, but the ingredients are really filling, but not too bad, just mediocre.
Malantou fresh meat green dumplings, I personally like the taste of Malantou, this green dumplings to eat is also good, Shen Dacheng family of this added fresh meat, I personally think it is a little bit added to the snake, the meat taste will destroy part of the fresh taste. Malantou is delicious!
Bean paste green dumplings, a classic flavour that never goes out of fashion! Sweet but not greasy, one bite of the batter
6.Gu yi Yuan（since 1871）
The sixth, Nanxiang xiao long bao in Gu yi Yuan, was founded in 1871. As the saying goes, every turnip and green vegetable has its own favourite, and every diner will have the same answer to the preference and evaluation of xiao long bao of different regions and flavours. However, when it comes to Shanghai xiao long bao, the famous Nanxiang xiao long bao should be a popular choice.
Nanxiang xiao long, also known as ‘Nanxiang big meat steamed buns’, is known for its thin skin, tender meat, juicy, fresh taste and beautiful shape.
The secret to savouring steamed buns (beware of scalding your mouth) is: lift gently, move slowly, open the window first, suck the soup later, dip in the vinegar and savour!
7. Kung Tak Lam（since 1922）
The seventh, Kung Tak Lam, was founded in 1922 and is a famous vegetarian restaurant! Note that all the dishes are vegetarian, even if the name on the menu has words like ‘crab’, ‘fish’, ‘meat’ and so on, they are all ‘fake’! It’s all ‘fake’!
Scrambled crabmeat: actually eggs. It’s a mouthful of colour and flavour!
Sliced Fish: actually flat mushrooms.
Sweet and sour pork strips: actually lotus root and groundnut. The sweet and sour seasoning is quite heavy, wrapped in a layer of batter on the outside, the bite is really ‘meaty’, the texture is glutinous, very satisfying, fresh and sweet flavour, delicious.
8.Tak Hing Pavilion（since 1878）
The eighth, Tak Hing Pavilion, Shanghai Chinese Restaurant，founded in 1878, first to spit out the Tak Hing Pavilion service, probably because it is a hundred years old shop is very hot, the service I think the general, even the free tea are not, remember!
Gluten Assorted Vegetable Pot, the dish has gluten, bamboo shoots, fungus and vegetables, a must for gluten lovers! The taste is savoury and slightly sweet, and the gluten is wrapped in a soup full of flavour!
Beef with stale skin is delicious at first! The beef was tender and chewy, it was just a bit too sweet and I was put off after a couple of bites
For more information about Shanghai, please refer to the Shanghai Travel Guide. and Shanghai Restaurants Map.