I have a lot of friends back in New York who've never been to China, but if they were coming here and I gave them any one of the food recommendations Global Times has so (un)helpfully listed for "foreign visitors," they'd cock an eyebrow, mutter something impolite and go ask someone else. Honestly, kung pao chicken? Wontons? DUMPLINGS?! The whole point of recommending something is to give someone the chance to try something they haven't before. Rather than just rip to shreds this laughable article, however, I've had a quick brainstorming session with other China hands and come up with eight better recommendations. more ›

Not far back, Shanghaiist gave out the tip on Sofa Bar and Cafe – the hidden gem in the Xinhua Road community. We got a big surprise when a reader came on the comments section to also tip off the legendary Malatang stand just two doors down. Since the cat is already out of the bag, here are the details. more ›