Now that I’m leaving Shanghai in a few days it’s time to spill the beans on places we recommend to eat. First cab off the rank is Xi Bei (West North) – some of the freshest cuisine from the north-west area of China you’ll ever have.
Delicious, fresh, and cheap are the three things you [...]
Ahh Friday’s. What would they be without a good monkey story?
About a month ago I was sipping, as elegantly as one can at 10pm, on a margarita at Cantina Agave on Fumin Lu (which is the best Mexican in town by the way) when a monkey came up on the bench and started begging. It’s [...]
Last weekend we headed over to what is being hyped as the next cool area of Shanghai: Cool Docks. Located at the southern end of the bund at 479 Zhongshan Nan Road, near Fuxing Road, one could easily drive past and not really notice the new area – its right next to a whole heap [...]
Well, it’s yangmei season once again in Shanghai. Known as the Chinese Strawberry, yangmei can be found in the fruit stalls and street vendors all over town this time of year. The furry-looking fruit looks similar to a lychee at first glace but is dark red in colour. Tasting somewhere between a strawberry and a [...]
Some days I think I’ve come so far in talking and getting around in Shanghai and China. And then sometimes, things turn out like this recent cooking event:
Jenni: Can you pick up sweet potato?
Me: Sure. Beer/Wine?
Jenni: Not tonight.
Me: Me too. I could murder one. I’ll grab a couple.
[Meanwhile...back at the house]
Jenni: Err is that [...]
“I could eat the arse out of a low flying duck”, a visiting friend said before we jumped a 15 minute cab ride to Qibao Ancient Town in Shanghai’s Minhang District.
Neither of us knew we’d actually be squaring off more peculiar dishes than low flying duck arses for lunch.
This was actually back in January [...]
While the world press fixates itself on the future of China in the world economy there’s been a bit of a stir back home that’s hit the front page news: China eating our Kangaroos.
Okay, I know what you’re thinking: poor old skippy, one minute he’s jumping around the countryside, having a great time reproducing at [...]
One of the constant grumblings of lush expats in Shanghai (guys like me, I’m a guy like me) is the lack of decent ‘drink now’ red wines available for a reasonable cost. The casual bottle you can regularly buy and pour a cheeky glass or three for dinner, or, swill with a visiting neighbour. Unfortunately, [...]
In the last week bushfires (forest fires for the yanks) have ripped through the state of Victoria in Australia. It’s been the worst natural disaster the country has faces in over 100 years and so far has claimed the lives of more than 180 people with many more injured.
The fires have destroyed over a [...]
Homes was the first Shanghainese restaurant I visited when arriving off the boat. After eating their delicious local food, especially the pork in brown sauce, I was hooked. The sad truth was that at the time I had no idea what side of the city I was in or where Homes was located.
By good [...]
