It's been a while since we wrote about the Avocado Lady but for the benefit of new arrivals to Shanghai, we took a trip to the beloved grocer and are re-sharing. Somewhat of an urban legend, the "Avocado Lady" (also sometimes known as the "Arugula Lady") is Shanghai local business owner Jiang Qin. Her claim to fame is the selection of imported foods she stocks at her small grocery store on Wulumuqi Lu which undercut prices at Cityshop and the like. Now, it's easy to overlook the place (actually, the number of foreigners shopping in the place is a big hint to finding it and the store's been so successful it's doubled in size) but step inside and you'll find a good range of imported cheese and rare finds (Do you like Sichuan pepper in your cheese? She's got it.), meats and fish, herbs, spices, olives, mustards, jams, the list goes on and of course those famous avocados for 10RMB per piece. Today, we walked away with a 12 pack of large flour tortillas for 10RMB, a 250g container of ricotta cheese for 35RMB, and a nice bottle of Australian chardonnay for 45RMB. What's not to love? more ›

We pass this billboard (almost) every day, between Shanghaiist headquarters and the gym. For a long time it featured Barack Obama on the cover of the Chinese version of Men's Health. Recently a Twitter user named Shaquille O'Neal has taken the president elect's place. It's an ad for Li Ning basketball shoes, Shaq's brand of choice for a couple years now. (You might remember the real Li Ning from such Olympic opening ceremonies as Beijing 2008.) more ›

Got photos of this morning's storm or the flooding that followed it that you'd like to share? Email them to photos@shanghaiist.com and they will automatically show up on our Contribute Page. Flickr users, simply tag your photos "shanghaiist". more ›

Just because we’re on the other side of the world from Ireland doesn’t mean that there won’t be plenty going on for St Paddy’s Day over here in Shanghai. This year, March 17th — the date when all of us are a little bit Irish — inconveniently falls on a Monday but fear not, the Emerald Isle’s Shanghai contingent are celebrating early with a bunch of events this weekend. more ›

Shanghaiist recently stumbled upon a couple of little, somewhat inconspicuous spots that seem perfect for hiding away from the obnoxious cold of Shanghai’s deep winter. We’re planning on being regulars at these places not because the food is mind-blowing, but because they’re cozy and warm and, well, we’re softies like that. more ›

Photo from Tim Wieringa taken today on the corner of Dongping Lu and Wulumuqi Lu. more ›

Yes, it's hard hitting reporting like this that has people wondering how we avoid the censors. But we recently found ourself in need of an ACE bandage, known in some parts of the world as an elastic bandage. Back home, we would have just headed to the local drugstore to buy one, but we had heard some people having trouble finding them in Shanghai — so we figured we'd tell you how we found ours yesterday. more ›

We are not fruit experts, nor do we play one on TV, so we have no idea why these oranges look like they do or if they happen to be a Jiangxi specialty. We do know we have not seen oranges like this before. And we also know that simple Google search tells us that oranges are an "economic staple" of Jiangxi's capital, Guangzhou loves oranges from Jiangxi, and allegedly so did Stalin, calling them the "King of Orange". more ›

In a former blogging life we crowned Vegetarian Lifestyle the best vegetarian restaurant in Shanghai. That may very well still be true — we just got an email from a vegetarian who agreed with our assessment — but we don't go there much anymore since we moved from the neighborhood ... and because we discovered a new vegetarian place right around the corner from our new apartment. Call us lazy, call us fickle — or better yet, call us French Concession loyalists. more ›

A new organization called the American Craft Beer Partners (ACBP) has a mission statement you don't need to be drunk to rally behind: "[T]o bring some of the best craft beers in America to China and make them readily available to beer drinkers in Shanghai." These guys are the early front-runners for Shanghaiist 2007 People of the Year. more ›

We never really noticed the villa at 39 Taojiang Lu, directly across from O'Malley's. Perhaps because it used to be home to the Xuhui District Taxation Bureau. But the place was hard to ignore on Sunday as we left O'Malley's (it was dog adoption day) — a fresh coat of paint, grand wooden gates, lots of lights and a big sign reading "Castle Oktober." Through the open gate we could see big copper beer kettles. Our interest piqued, we went to check it out last night. We discovered it's not open for business yet, but we got to walk around their big garden and take a couple photos. The old house is beautiful and the outdoor seating area looks like it could be a great place to down a few pints when the weather gets a little warmer. Given the location, we would have to think Castle Oktober won't be cheap, however, and while we're all for "brew restaurants" (that is what their business card says), we're not really sure if Shanghai was in desperate need of more German cuisine (which is what we assume will be on the menu) — Paulaner Brauhaus on Fenyang is just a short walk away. more ›

In case you have missed -- and really, how could you -- we have been asking daily Aussie trivia questions in a build up to tonight's Shanghaiist Dinkum Drinks Happy Hour at Senses. The winners of these daily contests get a free drink at the party (if they can find us in the crowd). more ›

Only 26 hours to go before you get to drink cheap Coopers beer while wearing your Drizabones and listening to Regurgitator's "Kong Foo Sing." And no, we have no idea what any of that means. more ›

Today's Shanghaiist Dinkum Drinks Happy Hour reminder comes with another chance for you to have Shanghaiist pay for your first drink at the party Friday night. more ›

We're sure you are all marking the days off on your calendar, but just in case, here's a reminder: Three days and less than two hours to the Shanghaiist Dinkum Drinks Happy Hour! more ›

We're not sure what prompted us to buy a bottle of REEB Antarktik Beer the other day. We don't normally buy beer at Shanghai convenience stores. We don't normally buy Chinese beers. But it was exceptionally hot and humid on Saturday. We were thirsty, and perhaps got suckered in by the photo of ice caps on the label. Or maybe we just thought it was cool the way they used Ks in the word "Antarctic." (Apparently, REEB used the Bosnian and Serbian spelling of the word -- another creative coup form the people who brought us "beer spelled backwards.") more ›

Spin-doctors claim that four Finnish groups touring China will perform for a “potential audience in each city from 4 to 17 million.” It may seem a little ambitious to expect the entire population of each city to turn out for the wacky electro performers, but despite the hype it’s worth checking out, especially since entry is free. more ›

He was a wise man who invented beer. -- Plato more ›

At approximately 1:30 this morning, a section of Huaihai Zhong Lu was flooded by what Shanghaiist suspects was a broken water main. Local residents -- Shanghaiist included -- trudged up the sidewalk in waist-deep murky brown water to higher ground. The area affected seemed to begin around the corner of Wulumuqi Lu, by the old US Consulate building, and continue past Ambassy Court down to the Shanghai Library. At least one Dazhong taxi was stranded in the center of the street where the water was about one meter deep. Police cars blocked the street as officers looked on in bewildered amazement. more ›