We seriously LOVE some of the things we hear about going on in our city. Yes, some of the people we meet here can be harsh and mean, but this story goes to show that humanity still exists in Shanghai. Two weeks ago, Rebekah Pothaar, an executive with Ctrip.com, found that her ayi's husband was in a serious motorbike collision. They went with her to the hospital and found that surgery was going to cost......

Someone told us recently that there was a new Mexican burrito place called Cal Kitchen that opened up not that long ago on Dagu Lu, and being long-time residents of California, we decided to see if it lived up to its billing as place for authentic Californian/Mexican food. Long story short, it doesn't. We ordered a big chicken burrito that in better days, might have been a contender—but as it was, it was a soggy......

Okay, Shanghaiist has got several hundred blogs on his RSS that he scans through everyday. Some things scream at us, others are quickly forgotten and yet others are hidden in some corner of our brain for (mostly useless) information ready to be used at some future point in time. There are all these bloggers that you've never met personally that you can form an impression of only after a long period of reading their blogs.......

During our times in the suburbs of New Jersey (don't hate), the American restaurant chain Applebee's was always a friendly place for meals with family and late night gatherings with friends. All of those nostalgic feelings came rushing back as Shanghaiist read some rumors on the internets about the opening of the chain's first outlet in China. With our curiosity peaked, we decided to go check it out. As Shanghaiist and accompanying guest entered the......

Gll Wonton has nearly 80 restaurants all over Shanghai, all open 24 hours, they also deliver. Convenience is the key word here. The wontons are stored frozen, so this isn’t fine cuisine. The surroundings are moderately dirty, the ambience dull, and the staff inconsistent. Without much style, no English menu, and no real buzz the reason we're writing about Gll Wonton is simply about the Wonton. Despite their wonton being frozen, they taste pretty good.......

The North West Food Court is a casual sit-down spot – highly local, moderately clean, poorly staffed – with a rather varied menu. Prices range from 1 RMB (for a Fried Crispy Pancake) up to 58 RMB (for a Big Plate Of Chicken). The person who recommended this restaurant said the qí shān sào zǐ miàn (岐山臊子面), pictured above, are a must-order. The name is poetic rather than descriptive, one possible translation is ‘shy mountain......

We told you about the "man-eating catfish" (which was actually a whale shark), the man with the world's largest hand, the two-headed freaks in China, the world's tallest woman Yao Defen, the world's tallest man Bao Xishun (who has since been overtaken by a Ukrainian) and the moment he met the world's shortest man He Pingping. Oh, and how could we have forgotten the world's hairiest man Yu Zhenhuan (who is also a rock-and-roll singer!).......

Back in April we did a post on the top ten books favored by the users of Douban.com, a book review and recommendation site. Since that time, tastes have changed and new books have been released so it's about time to take a new look at the site's top ten: JK Rowlings - "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" (Does this need an explanation?) Han Han - "The Glorious Day I" (Magical realism from Shanghai......

For this Shanghaiist, lunch during the work week typically consists of lukewarm slop served downstairs in the company canteen. So, when we get a rare chance to take a day off from work or telecommute, we like to venture out and take advantage of the many lunch specials that are offered by Shanghai's popular restaurants. Boonna 2 has already earned its reputation as a hipster favorite with its cozy and laid back vibe. It's now......

This restaurant deserves awards. Lots of awards. The menu is essentially Chinese food, but it’s been inspired by the best influences of the West. The concept is described beautifully in the name. Lǎo Kè Lè is a phonetic transliteration which in English means “Very Colourful”. But Lǎo Kè Lè has another meaning too. This is Shanghainese dialect used to describe a group of Chinese people in Shanghai’s glorious age between the 1920s and the Cultural......

Xingfu Lu is the cozy little street off to the side of busy Huashan Lu that is home to both Pirates, Logo Bar, and now the best cooked fish we've had in Shanghai, thanks to Chongqing eatery Xingfu 131. Shanghaiist loves indulging in roof-tingling food followed by cold Tsingtao at many a Sichuan restaurant. But it's 131's delectable roast fish, which comes in a handful of spiced flavors and ranges between 68 to 128 RMB......

If "burger" can be defined in the simplest terms as meat crammed in a bun, then we think Macau-Portugese restaurant chain Lisboa can throw their hat in the ring for next year's Shanghaiist Burger Grill-off. Their pork bun (pictured) is one of the many affordable delights that keep us heading back to Lisboa when in need of some Asian-style comfort food. And comfort food it is: uncomplicated, substantial, and (in the case of this Shanghaiist)......

Every now and then we get an email from a reader that is just too bizarre to keep to ourselves. Just today, we had a reader who found himself so inspired by the controversy surrounding Chinabounder that he decided to write about his own experiences and send it in to us. We couldn't resist sharing it with you! WHY FOREIGNERS HAVE SUCH A HARD TIME TRYING TO BE LOYAL IN RELATIONSHIPS? "Just because something is......

What does $205.6 million in cash look like? Here are pictures of the cash and guns seized from the Mexico City residence of Zhenli Ye Gon, who is one among six Chinese suspects from a gang, which prosecutors say illegally imported n-acetyl pseudoephedrine. Now, just imagine 205.6 Demi Moores rolling around in it.Low-key vibe to Shanghai festival. Despite Sharon Stone's presence, the opening frames of the Shanghai Film Festival were unashamedly local and curiously low......

Sichuan food addicts beware! China’s food safety inspectors have found some startling news (well, actually it’s not that startling at all, as you can see here, here, and here), 13% of recently tested chili products have been found to be unsafe. The reason for the health concern is too much preservatives and improper labeling. The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (say that 10 times fast) tested 48 different chili products from 12......

The hostage crisis at the Putuo KFC two nights ago was a shining triumph for the Shanghai police, who managed to kill the bad guy and save the migrant worker's little four-year-old girl. Now, you can relive the glory with this account of the proceedings (in Chinese). Although we would have preferred to see Samuel L. Jackson or Kevin Spacey handle something of this danger, there was some local talent on hand. One of the......

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It seems that the TIME Magazine China Blog has been blocked by the Great Firewall of China (GFW), or "GFW-ed" to use the industry nomenclature. The blog normally covers a full-range of issues, including topics and analysis that local media wouldn't touch with a 10 meter 棍, and as a rule, TIME tends to "err on the side of free speech." However, evidently the blog took things a step too far for China's censors, when......

The best two reasons to eat at Fēng Yù Fried Dumplings (Fēng Yù Shēng Jiān - 丰裕生煎) are the fresh shēng jiān, and huge glasses of cold soy milk. You’ll also get an authentic Chinese experience, friendly staff, central location, cheap prices, and fast service. The shēng jiān are fresh because they sell fast, so new ones are continuously being made. The soy milk comes - somewhat unusually for Shanghai - in a beer jug......

A quick update on what you are doing Saturday afternoon and evening. We are happy to announce that the Shanghaiist Happy Hour at ENO will feature food prepared by the wonderful people at iiiit!. They have come up with a special menu (with special prices) for the party: Mexican Tacos with Salsa – 10 RMBHot Dogs – 15 RMB½ Ham & Cheese Sandwich with Salad – 15 RMB½ Latin Chicken Sandwich with Salad – 15......

Shanghai in hot debate over pets "The anti-pet brigade, angered over noise and mess from domestic cats and dogs, is lobbying the authorities for tougher restrictions on pet ownership, as the number of people keeping them without a license increases." FedEx plans new domestic China service "FedEx's domestic China service will flow from its hub at Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport in east China's Zhejiang province. ... Domestic carrier Okay Airways will provide air transportation,......

Potatoes grown from seeds that mutated in space while aboard a Chinese spacecraft are the newest culinary fad in Shanghai. This potato, dubbed the Purple Orchid Three, is supposedly going to be popular choice for upscale Valentine's Day dinners: Several Shanghai restaurants have developed dishes using Purple Orchid Three 'space potatoes,' claiming that the unusual colour of the vegetables represents the 'nobility and romance' of Valentine's Day, the official Xinhua news agency said. Hong Kong......

The New York Times Magazine has an interesting story about General Tso's Chicken, probably the most famous "Hunanese" dish that most people from Hunan Province (or anywhere else in Mainland China, for that matter) have never heard of: General Tso’s chicken is named for Tso Tsung-t’ang (now usually transliterated as Zuo Zongtang), a formidable 19th-century general who is said to have enjoyed eating it. The Hunanese have a strong military tradition, and Tso is one......

Shanghaiist was browsing around on SHExpat Forums yesterday, and came across a thread discussing the loss of one of Shanghai's renowned cheap eating establishments — Turk's. To our recollection, Turk's Restaurant was last seen on Xiangyang Road's restaurant strip during the final days of the old fake market's death-throes. The row of shops that occupied the western boundaries of the old market was soon reduced to rubble along with the remainder of a big portion......

Despite the Rumors, iPhone is Not for China "This, ladies and gentlemen, is the perfect example of how an otherwise intelligent person can make a huge, expensive mistake in China." Shout Out! Winopete, Now Available in Shangers "Its author, the often wily and sometimes wobbly Winopete, has now relocated to Shanghai and turned his pen and liver loose." Not your grandma's Antiques Roadshow "What distinguishes Collection' from those other shows is that Wang destroys......

We were leafing through the latest City Weekend* over breakfast this morning when we realized we forgot to tell you something very important: We love Southern Barbarian (南蛮子). It's a Yunnan restaurant that opened in the fall (we have mentioned it briefly twice before). It is easily one of our favorite restaurants in the city, Chinese or non-Chinese. The food is fantastic — tasty and plentiful — and it is cheap (especially when compared to......

Perhaps emboldened by our recent Beijing safari, Shanghaiist decided to venture into the Heart of Darkness to Pudong--OUTER Pudong, no less, to the Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Zone of Line 2 fame. (Unlike other Line 2 stations, its name has not changed in recent weeks.) Why venture into such wilderness? We wanted a new place to work on our MBA essays (also known as our own personal black pit of despair) and House of Flour seemed the......

GigShanghai/GigLive: We never left!...

Colonel Sanders has found his conscience: after being threatened by lawsuits in the US, Kentucky Fried Chicken announced that come April of next year, all of its restaurants in the US will cease using oils containing the harmful trans-fats that have been linked to heart disease. Earlier this year, McDonald's ran into some trouble when it was discovered that there was one third more trans-fats in their fries than previously thought. This was the result......

Want to be the devil this Halloween? Or maybe you’re more the Snow White type. We all know where you are going to be this Halloween (actually, Oct. 28) -- but what are you going to wear? Whatever you’re looking for, Shanghai’s specialty costume shops have a plethora of fun and affordable options. For do-it-yourself types, there are tons of great accessories including wigs, tattoos, face paint, colored hair spray, fake asses, fake breasts, pitch......