Bright and early on a Wednesday morning, our 5-day culinary trip in Shanghai begins. After the COOK SNAP WIN 2019 crew (winners Chawalit and Sarah with their travel buddies Carmel and Nathan, and Mei-Fern from Asian Inspirations) touch down at Shanghai Pudong International Airport, we make our way to the grand and luxurious Renaissance Shanghai Yu Garden Hotel, steadily weaving our way through the incredibly busy Shanghai traffic while passing by the hundreds of modern buildings dotted throughout this sprawling city.
After checking in and dropping our bags off at the hotel, we’re off to explore what Shanghai has to offer. But first, we need some food (the airplane food just didn’t do it for us)! Our Shanghai guide Kiana takes us to a local eatery called Old Shanghai Wonton Restaurant. We try out their signature wonton soup which had two very distinct textures of wonton skins—soft and the other with an al dente texture. The pork-filled wontons are delicious and super juicy. We’re satisfied now, and we’re itching to get out and about.
It’s free and easy time, so we all split up and explore the local area on our own, and get adjusted to Shanghai.
Fast forward to dinner time!
Tonight, we’re dining at Old Jesse Restaurant, known throughout Shanghai for its classic flavours and delicious homecooked Shanghainese food. While everyone gets acquainted and chat about COOK SNAP WIN 2019, we try out some of Jesse’s signature dishes, including the legendary roasted cod fish head served under a blanket of deep-fried spring onions.
Also on the menu are other classic Shanghainese dishes, such as cold salted chicken, succulent braised pork belly and xiefen (basically a super delicious mix of the meat and roe from the hairy crab, with egg whites and fried tofu sheets). It’s easy to see why they’ve been awarded Bib Gourmand status in the Michelin Guide for the past few years.
With full stomachs, it’s back to the hotel we go for a good night’s sleep to rest up for a big day in the morning.
