One very important part of life is eating (more important to some!), and is no less important here. Shanghai is a very large and densely populated city, and the phrase "Chinese food" covers such a huge gamut that saying "I had Chinese food for dinner" means nothing specific. For example, did you dine in a large, popular, very visible restaurant? If so, you may have overpaid for your pan of fried dumplings, bowl of dumpling soup, pot of tea, or plate of spring rolls. Tea is typically served free of charge here. Maybe you visited a street vendor who was pushing a steaming cart selling ears of corn, steamed buns stuffed with vegetables or meatballs, or craw fish (they're in season!), in which case you probably spent $0.50 for a very satisfying meal (questionable sanitation, however). Next up there's the small, out of the way restaurant that may or may not have a sign on the door. I ate in a place like that a couple of nights ago: only 4 tables but there wasn't a wait, comparatively clean, and they offered free napkins(unusual) and tea (usual). These are the places where you fill up with 4-5 distinct ethnic dishes, brought steaming and delicious to the table, for only $1.50 per person!
What if you prefer to eat prepackaged food from the grocery store or convenience store? Some have pots with hot liquid that store meatballs or ears of corn, or there's a hot case filled with dumpling-type objects near the register, or there's some individual-sized containers of scrambled eggs next to rice, long rolls of sushi, and the list goes on and on.
Last but not least, there's adaptations of foreign restaurants, especially those originating in the U.S. Pizza Hut, Papa John's, McDonald's, Burger King, and don't forget KFC!
You'll find it all here in Shanghai.
No comments:
Post a Comment