Shanghai was a fun respite from Linyi and the uncertainty associated with Olympic security there. The highlight, of course, was all the delicious international meals we had.
The drive to and from Shanghai (8 hours on fairly good expressways) was a bit like visiting a foreign country. Watching the countryside pass by, I constantly had to remind myself that I was in the same China as before. The vistas were very different from Linyi. Closer to Shanghai, it is greener. There are many canals and fish ponds, kind of like a Chinese Netherlands. The houses are different, too. They seem larger, two to three stories with roof top decorations and they’re perched right on the edge of the canals. Back in the Shandong countryside, the houses are all one story and more humble in appearance and construction.
A few examples
Pagoda along the road
This trip was mostly about food. We started off the trip with a night out at a Japanese Teppanyaki restaurant. All you can eat Teppanyaki, including sashimi, drinks, etc. for 180 RMB per person. Our chef Jerry produced delicious grilled steak, shrimp, lamb chops and mushrooms. We had tuna sashimi and other little side dishes.
Delicious!
The DH & I happy with the food
The second night was all about luxury, as we ate at M on the Bund, an upscale Western style restaurant located front row on the Bund, the area of Shanghai that borders the Huangpu River. We had a posh multi-course meal, including wine, appetizers, main entrees and a dessert I will never forget – baklava and pomegranate ice cream. Sublime! We finished the evening with champagne (why not!? Decadence!) at Atica, a club also on the Bund.
The view from Atica’s terrace across the river to Pudong
The Pearl Tower & barge on the river
Day three found us wandering around the French Concession area, trying to avoid treacherous looking thunder clouds. We stumbled across an antique/souvenir shopping street, DongTai, and spent hours browsing. The market covers several streets and includes both proper shops and street booths. The shops are located on the ground floor of old two to three story buildings, the kind that the people of Shanghai have been living in for decades. The kind that are rapidly disapearing in favor of modern high-rises.
Juxtaposition – old & new
DongTai Street Market – typical view of man collecting recyclable material
A pair of DongTai residents
Street booths with houses behind
Bamboo poles are used for all construction here
For dinner, we found a great restaurant called The Spice Market, located close to DongTai road. The Spice Market features cuisine from India and Thailand. We were hungry and enthralled by the menu choices. We chose pakoras, poppadoms, paratha, palak paneer, lamb vindaloo, lamb madras and Thom Yam soup. I highly recommend the lamb vindaloo – an intensely colored red, vinegary sauce sure to awaken your tastebuds.
Day four was our final day in Shanghai and we decided to take the metro north of the city to a “cultural street” called Duolun Lu. The local government had decided years ago to reform the street to an example of a 1920s Shanghai neighborhood. Evidently a great deal of writers and artists lived in the area at that time. Now the street is lined with art galleries and souvenir shops. While not exactly a must-see, it is interesting if you are in the area. What is even better is the side streets off of Duolun Lu, where real life is happening among tiny lanes and small shop-houses.
DH in front of the Duolun Lu Gate
Duolun Lu View
Selling fruit
The street is lined with bronze statues of all kinds
A few street scenes:
Shanghai’s only Christian church done in a Chinese Temple style
Old Film Cafe – famous for showing old Chinese films
Good to know! Ha ha
Our final meal in Shanghai was, again, Indian. We returned to a great little Indian restaurant that I first ate at with my Mom, Sister and Sister-in-law, Kaveen’s Kitchen. We had pakoras, naan, paratha, chicken korma, lamb curry and lamb vindaloo. While we preferred Spice Market’s vindaloo, Kaveen’s Kitchen’s lamb and veg pakoras were top notch. My mouth is watering just thinking about them.
DH admires the menu under the watchful gaze of a Bollywood babe
Our time in Shanghai was too short, although our waistbands will probably appreciate the break.
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