R. W. Apple Jr. has a very nice round up of Shanghainese food in “Shanghai, a Far East Feast” … “Foods from afar compete with heaping helpings of first-rate Chinese dishes, from Guangzhou, Sichuan, Hunan and of course Shanghai. Local river prawns, slow-cooked pork rump, hairy crabs (in season) and above all xiao long bao, the soup dumplings beloved in the United States, are all on offer in classic form.” … “steamed, pork-filled soup dumplings” …
… sheng jian bao … “delicate cong you bing, or scallion pancakes, and ji dan bing, a kind of breakfast burrito” … “beef noodle soup, lightly curry-flavored” … “amazingly tender, custardlike tofu, a reproach to the flannel-like stuff often served outside China, topped with coriander and chili oil” … “Ti pang, the fabulously fatty Shanghainese pork shank, was luscious as foie gras.” … “Crystal river prawns, bathed in egg whites before stir-frying, and yu xiang qiezi bao, spicy caramelized eggplant” …
… “heavenly tofu, served with salted duck egg yolk and clam strips; thin-shelled river shrimp, roe still attached, steamed with ginger; whole pomfret braised in soy (with plenty of Shanghai’s beloved sugar added) and the pièce de résistance, giant snails whose meat had been removed, then chopped, mixed with pork and spices and reinserted into the shells.” …
… “‘To be born in Shanghai is a great privilege,’ Dr. Shen mused. ‘You get better education, better economic opportunity, better health care, better everything than elsewhere in China.’ To which I added, ‘and some of the world’s best food.'” …
which reminds us of what a friend said after eating a wonderful dinner in NYC’s Chinatown: “Thank God I’m Chinese!” …
Even if you’re not Chinese, you can still thank God for good food when eating in some of NYC’s best Chinese and Asian restaurants … Sanur … Chatham Restaurant … Wu Liang Ye … Nyona … and many more …