Dear reader (yes, you!),
Thanks for sticking around! Rent aside, our readership is the reason we roll out of bed each morning with the aim of curating and creating content that is equal parts entertaining and enlightening.
Of all our pillars, food and drink content often performs the best — hobbies like thrifting or tech might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but our mortal coils demand being fed, and we love the ‘chore’ of doing it well!
As detailed in the graphic above, 2024 saw an explosion of Chinese bistros and other casual concepts — basically less white tablecloth dining and more bakeries (croissant-cookie hybrids and fermentation-focused sandwiches, anyone?), convenience store ice cream and day drinking. Who says that wealth is commensurate with enjoyment? Not our broke but happy asses.
Love,
Time Out Shanghai
01
Chinese Rice Desserts
📍 Bake No Title, 232 Panyu Road, Changning
📐 Bakery temporarily transformed into a cafeteria by Be Station Design
With 3 Malaysian ringgit (approximately 4.88 Chinese renminbi) in loose change jingling in my pocket, I strutted around my school cafeteria with the self-assuredness of a millionaire. For a fussy seven-year-old formerly accustomed to eating whatever my parents put in front of me, finally being entrusted with my own food purchases was a formative experience that felt extraordinarily freeing...
A time capsule of an experience, my most memorable meal of 2024 was a tasty and thought-provoking pop-up conceptualised by Be Station Design.
Participants were directed through several ‘cafeteria’ stations in order to pile our trays high with snacks and sips spun out of rice. Suddenly, I was (mentally) back in my school pinafore, subjected to the rite that is dafan (打饭) or the self-service meal.
From fish (cookie) over rice (pudding) to a refreshing tea perfumed with osmanthus flowers, every dish and drink came together to showcase the versatility of mifan (米饭) and its prevalence in Chinese culture.
The two-week-long event that unfurled from August 26 until September 13, 2024 is precisely the sort of thing I hope to see more of from Shanghai’s creative sector in the near future.
Sammi Sowerby
English editor, fledgling farmer
and go-go dancer with a GoPro
02
Spicy Fish Roe and Maw
📍 Xiangjiao (湘椒), 1117 Xikang Road, Putuo
🌶️ Hunanese eatery hailing from Shenzhen that has set up shop in Hongshoufang, Shanghai
Hands down one of my favourite food discoveries of last year was the spicy fish roe and maw dish at Chinese bistro Xiangjiao.
Pairing firm fish roe with ‘QQ’ or bouncy fish maw, the dish sees a beautiful balance of textures and flavours, and the whole thing is simply amazing with a bowl of rice.
This Hunan speciality originating from Changsha packs a serious punch. The spice builds gradually, so be warned! Xiangjiao (see video above for a list of our favourite Chinese bistros) has become one of my regular dinner spots just to indulge in this dish’s fiery goodness.
Eugenia Mok
Runner and resident
‘bread-ophile’
03
Crayfish feast
📍 Egg, 12 Xiangyang North Road, Jing’an
🦞 Breakfast hub and bakery by day, Chinese wine bar by night, incubator for monthly chef residencies
Call them crayfish, crawdads, whatever! Summer is xiaolongxia (小龙虾) season and it’s one of the best seasonal foods in Shanghai! I count down the days until I can eat a whole pot by myself with beer.
On a related note, Egg, one of my favourite haunts, opens its kitchen for pop-up dinners every month — a show of founder Camden Hauge’s signature generosity. This year there were amazing meals by the likes of Jamie Pea and Jack Lee/Benji Bistro, but the crayfish party in June was the best in my books!
Hosted by chef Chris Zhu (watch throwback video showing another collab between Egg and Zhu), the tables were protected with red plastic covers and everyone pulled on plastic gloves to pull apart their ‘ocean bugs.’ The selection was amazing, the portions were huge, and you could choose a side dish. An amazing night with some of the best crayfish ever.
Coquina Restrepo
Writer, urban explorer
and events organiser
04
Squid with Green Pepper
Sauce and Century Egg
📍 Alors, Tianzifang, 120 Taikang Road, Huangpu
🍷 Chinese food and wine bar with French inflections
Chef Bingjia got his start at a Michelin seafood restaurant in France. As a result, it’s no surprise that the seafood dishes here, from the refreshing red prawns to the flaky fried fish burger, are exceptional. In my opinion though, the squid with green pepper sauce is the undeniable star. In fact, I gave it a special shoutout in my article on alleyway eats in Tianzifang (also see video highlights below).
Think tender squid cooked to perfection, a sauce with a spicy kick, and a welcome alkaline touch from century eggs. I recommend that groups of more than two diners order more than one portion.
Sharing most definitely is caring — unless it’s this particular seafood dish.
Michael MacLaren
Food writer, beer guzzler,
and Ghibli fanatic
05
Mapo Tofu
📍 Sichuan Citizen (龙门阵茶屋川菜馆), 2/F, Ferguson Lane, 378 Wukang Road, Xuhui
🥢 ‘Foreigner-friendly’ Sichuanese eatery with dangerously delicious Basil Drop cocktails
I would be gatekeeping if I didn’t mention that the Mapo Tofu here is the best that I’ve found in the city.
The rich sauce over the silken tofu has a balanced heat and the numbing Sichuan peppercorns provide a delightful tingling sensation.
Another dish that keeps me going back is the eggplant and green beans stir-fry — the taste is garlicky with just the right amount of spice and an addictive contrast of soft and crunchy. Pair these with some steaming rice and perhaps some Gongpao Chicken or the crowd-favourite steamed fish, but definitely get a round of their signature Basil Drops.
With walls plastered with hand-painted posters, CCP memorabilia and self-moving wooden fans at the in-house bar, Sichuan Citizen offers a paradoxical view of the modern world and China’s past.
This glorious, red-embellished restaurant is the perfect place to introduce your foreign friends to Sichuanese cuisine, with a few intriguing fusion dishes added to the menu.
10/10 recommend.
Khushboo Khanna
Writer, IT extraordinaire,
and timepieces enthusiast
06
Yuzu Kosho Cheese Ciabatta
📍 BREAdFAST, 112-113 Building 9, Lane 60, 273 Jiaozhou Road, Jing’an
🍞 A new-ish bakery partially responsible for Shanghai’s ciabatta craze
As Time Out Shanghai’s “resident bread fanatic,” I couldn’t possibly leave out this incredible ciabatta from my top food picks of 2024.
While anything mentioning yuzu usually has just a hint of citrus, this bread carries a punchy, peppery zing from yuzu kosho, a Japanese condiment made with fermented yuzu zest, chili peppers, and salt. The result? Subtle, savoury heat balanced by creamy cheese, all tucked into one perfectly baked ciabatta. It might sound like a strange combo, but trust me, it works.
The best time to enjoy it is fresh out of the oven in the morning while it’s still warm. BREAdFAST’s ‘regular’ bread alone is top-notch, but this truly is one special bake.
Eugenia Mok
Runner and resident
‘bread-ophile’
06
Bread of the Forest
📍 Narisawa, 1000 Trees, 7/F, 600 Moganshan Road, Putuo
🌳 The only international outpost of the namesake chef’s Japanese fine dining restaurant outside Tokyo
If chasing experiences over possessions is wrong, I don’t want to be right.
And at Narisawa, which specialises in ‘innovative Satoyama cuisine,’ the signature bread starter alone is an experience if any.
Resembling a miniature Eden, a mobile stage with a stone bowl ceremoniously set upon it is rolled right up to your table before green, gloopy, dough is transferred to said vessel.
Mere minutes will slip by in the blink of an eye as you sip your premium sake and drink in your surroundings, and before you know it, voila... fresh bread baked tableside.
In keeping with Narisawa’s devotion to seasonality, the bread’s ingredients often vary, but its key component — wild yeast from the Shirakami Mountains — is what helps it rise upwards towards a state of seraphic inspiration.
Sammi Sowerby
English editor, fledgling farmer
and go-go dancer with a GoPro
07
Smashburgers
📍 GOODMAN, 4 Xiangyang North Road, Jing’an
🍔 Burger spot hawking American-style smashburgers and shaking up solid cocktails too
As an American, I’m no stranger to burgers, and while this city has no shortage of them, I’m not that easy to please.
Brought to you by the same friendly faces behind Yaya’s and BASTARD, a couple of my other favourite spots in town, GOODMAN is home to some of the best burgers I’ve found in Shanghai.
Smashburgers, named after the technique of ‘smashing’ patties against the griddle to condense flavour, are the speciality here, but don’t overlook the patty-free offerings.
One of my go-tos is the ‘All-Day-Breakfast.’ Whether I’m nursing a hangover or looking for something hearty to start my day, this is a tough one to beat: fluffy scrambled eggs topped with caramelised onions and smothered in bacon jam? Hello, heaven in a bun.
Michael MacLaren
Food writer, beer guzzler,
and Ghibli fanatic
09
Old-school Teppanyaki
📍 Fe3 (立方铁), multiple locations
🍖 Dependable and affordable chain offering teppanyaki with a touch of old-school theatrics
While everyone is always on about what’s ‘hot’ and ‘new,’ here’s ending with a rebellious pick to remind everyone that old-school is cool too.
Intimate yet inviting with industrial-chic vibes, Fe3 is a gatekeeper of teppanyaki-style cooking which exploded across the USA after World War II.
Each chef expertly juggles a culinary performance for up to eight guests, keeping you hooked on fire performances while delivering perfectly cooked dishes straight to your plate.
Though not the initial focus, the vegetarian options are surprisingly sophisticated in flavour. The stir-fried udon, simple grilled mushrooms and even dessert — fried bananas, ice cream and a raspberry coulis — are tinged with wokhei, and it’s hard not to marvel at the chefs’ remarkable endurance throughout their shifts. Respect!
Khushboo Khanna
Writer, IT extraordinaire,
and timepieces enthusiast
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All images are courtesy of the writers or sourced via the restaurants. This article is not to be reproduced without prior consent.
