Dish of the Day: Pine nut spare ribs @ Shanghai Uncle

Every few days our team will scour Shanghai’s dining scene for scrumptious dishes that’ll fill your belly without emptying your savings. Not to discriminate, we’ll search everywhere from bicycle carts to chic venues with twenty-course tasting menus, knowing that any spot could have the next Dish of the Day.
When the December cold makes your face feel like it’s pressed up against the side of a walk-in freezer you need some warming, stick-to-your-ribs tucker. And what’s more stick-to-your-ribs than, well, ribs – specifically the pine nut spare ribs at Shanghai Uncle (68RMB).
You know Shanghai Uncle’s spare ribs are good before the plate hits the table. They’re husky and gleaming with oil, and when you do finally thrust your chopsticks in, the meat tumbles apart like a piece of moist cake. There are no dry bits. The brown sweet and sour sauce moistens the meat while adding savor, and the swaths of fat melt like thin layers of frost when bit into, juicifying things even further.
We’d say they’re rich enough to share amongst two people, but after the first bite you’re not going to want to.
Shanghai Uncle – 211 Tianyaoqiao Lu, near Nandan Lu (天钥桥路211号, 近南丹路, 地铁1号线徐家汇站). Tel: (0)21-6464-6430. Hours: 11am-2pm lunch, 5:30pm-10:30pm dinner.
Last time on Dish of the Day: Yang rou la mian (lamb noodles) @ Fu Chun
See a complete list of our Dish of the Day series here.
Have a recommendation for Dish of the Day? Let Shanghaiist’s food editor Benjamin Cost know at [email protected]!

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