Back (in the very recent past), when it was named Daojianghu, this little Japanese izakaya restaurant quickly became one of my favorite spots on Sinan Lu. It boasted a snazzy interior, a decently priced menu and 20rmb Asahi drafts. It's now been renamed Shoga (perhaps it thought its previous moniker was too confusing), but it retains all those things that made it great, only... the drafts have become even cheaper! more ›

On the eastern stretch of Guyang Lu, straddling the border between Gubei and Xuhui district, is a somewhat hidden block of Taiwanese and Japanese restaurants. We've tried a handful, all of them worth writing about it at a later date, but the standout for us so far is Yamatoya, which, while retaining some izakaya-ish features (there is a separate shochu bar and plenty of Japanese business folk talking shop), is popular because the food is pretty damn good. more ›