China and Back in 48 hours
Natasha Stokes catches a really early flight to Shanghai.
In Shanghai, they deep-fry glutinous rice and dip it in sugar. They have six different colors of taxi, three of which will rip you off. Shanghai is like Hong Kong, but extra. There’s extra architectural marvel, extra pirated designer goods and extra mainlanders walking around with T-shirts rolled up to their pits. It’s extremely awesome, and a total headspin to the unprepared slacker. Like me, you’ll spend your first six hours being ripped off, lost on the world’s most garishly lit road, and being uncomprehendingly stared at because it turned out you couldn't really wing it in Putonghua. Unless, that is, you peruse this five-point itinerary for a swindle-free, amusement-filled Shanghai weekend.
Eat and eat and eat
Like Hong Kong, one of Shanghai’s main selling points is excellent fine-dining restaurants. Unlike Hong Kong, these restaurants are disarmingly cheap. Our recommendations:
Yong An
4/F, 600 Jiu Jiang Lu, 6351-5757
Food: Chinese gourmet. Dinner comes with traditional opera every Thu-Sat, if you're into that sort of thing. If not, the old Shanghai design is worth checking out – the owner restored the place from a massive 1918 house and some pieces, most notably a weighty wrought-iron gate, remain.
Bill: USD$75 and up, per person.
Sun by Aqua
2/F, 6 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, near Fuzhou Lu, The Bund, 6339-2779
Food: Fine-dining Japanese at its best. Incidentally, you’ll find the best toro in Shanghai here. With minimalist concrete walls, private bed booths and rock pools, it’s all painfully stylish. There’s even an aquarium with bonsai sharks, which are apparently the new must-have wall hanging.
Bill: USD$75 and up, per person.
Franck
376 Wukang Lu, French Concession, 6437-6465
Food: Top-notch French bistro with a contemporary edge. It’s kind of casual, as much as white asparagus and veal tongue can be, and the wine list is exclusively French.
Bill: USD$105 for two, with drinks.
Haiku
288 Taojiang Lu, near Hengshan Lu, Xuhui, 6445-0021
Food: California-inspired, modern Japanese – very fresh sashimi, with traditional dishes that have a dash of playful innovation. There’s even a fried spicy tuna roll called a "moto-roll-ah." Har har.
Bill: USD$30 per person, more with drinks.
Dumpling, Be Mine
Shanghai’s best xiao long bao