Foodle

Jia Jia Tang Bao (佳家汤包) - Shanghai (China)

Perhaps the most well-known of all Shanghainese dishes, Xiao Long Bao (XLB) can be found in any corner of the city.

And in a place with so many shops selling these steamed soup dumplings, Jia Jia is probably the most famous of them all.

One may not be too convinced about Jia Jia’s quality at first, as they are no longer a mom-and-pop shop, but a chain that is very popular among tourists. I confess that I did doubt it myself, during initial research stages. But make no mistake about it, Jia Jia Tang Bao prepares an outstanding XLB.

Is it the best in town? That is not for me to answer, and it is something that will vary according to personal preference. But it is definitely up there with other institutions specialized in this local delicacy.

With a light and thin dumpling skin, they offer a variety of flavors, but the classic pork one is unbeatable.

Even with so many people in line at different stores around town, Jia Jia both wraps and steams each dumpling to order, something that completely distinguishes it from many shops on the more commercial side.

As with any other Xiao Long Bao shop, the only word of caution is for customers to be careful and follow a technique in order not to burn themselves with the soup inside the dumpling.

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Da Hu Chun (大壶春) - Shanghai (China)

It is often said that Shengjian Bao is Shanghai`s number two dumpling, behind the Xiao Long Bao.

They are basically round pan-fried buns that have a golden-brown bottom while keeping the upper half fluffy. This contrast between soft and crunchy in a single bite, coupled with the savory and porky filling, makes Shengjian bao one of the ultimate types of dumpling.

With several branches across Shanghai, Da Hu Chun is one of the most well-known and consistent brands for Shengjian bao in the city. It is made with leavened dough, resulting in a puffy skin, and has a sweeter filling.

While the influence of the XLB in the Shengjian bao is clear, the amount of soup inside the bun is different from shop to shop. At Da Hu Chun, there is very little juice inside. Having that said, a side of beef curry soup is also a good order of business.

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Zhang Shifu Zaocan Dian (張師傅早餐店) - Shanghai (China)

Back in the day, a good breakfast in Old Shanghai used to mean a combination of four
items, who would collectively mean the Four Guardian Warriors of Shanghainese breakfast.

This name may sound odd at first, but it is actually a buddhist reference to the gods from the Han dynasty.

Although all of the 4 Warriors are still popular, not only in Shanghai but across China as a whole, they are not so easily found together anymore. However, a few places still specialize in all of them, and Zhang Shifu Zaocan Dian is where I headed to in order to try this dying local tradition.

Without further ado, the aforementioned items are:

Ci Fan (粢饭), a glutinous rice roll that can be stuffed with a variety of fillings. Pork floss and pickled vegetables are usually a winning combination.

Dou Jiang (豆浆), or Soy Milk, is fresh and can be either sweet or savory. It has absolutely nothing to do with the packed version that the rest of the world is used to.

Da Bing (大饼), which consists of a flaky sesame pancake that also has sweet and savory versions.

Finally, the You Tiao (油条) is a fried long strip of dough that is chewy and absorbs well any liquid that it is poured into.

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Yi Gui He (逸桂禾面馆) - Shanghai (China)

When eating at a new place in a party of two, it is common sense for each diner to order a different plate so that both can sample more than one dish.

This is precisely what we did when having lunch at Yi Gui He, a noodle house known for its firm wheat noodles and for making their own aged soy sauce that seasons most of the menu.

With a side of pickled goodies that included mustard greens, two beautiful bowls quickly arrived: Cong You Ban Mian, or scallion oil noodles (葱油拌面), and Yangchun noodles (阳春面).

The first, which I had not previously tried elsewhere, was very fragrant, caramelized and savory-sweet.

The latter, on the other hand, shined in its own pureness. Served in a clear broth, it was light and simple, with a subtle umami flavour.

After finishing both, I could not help but appreciate their differences and nuances, which made my overall experience at such an iconic shop as Yi Gui He much more complete.

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Recommended bowl: Clear Tonkotsu

This shop is for those who want something a bit lighter than the standard richness that abounds in this part of the country. The soup is a clear, 100% tonkotsu pork broth, with Hakata Seimen Dokoro noodles. Extremely minimal toppings of thinly sliced pork chashu, with diced chives and fresh kabosu on the side. Butasobaya Tsukiya has seven branches and counting (as of late 2020), with one in Tokyo since July 2020. This Nakasu flagship has been open since 2018. Only open at night, 6pm-1:30am. This is the second brand of Shinasoba Tsukiya Fukuoka, open since 2012. Less

I realized I've actually posted on-feed only once about Sushi Sanshin, which feels a bit strange since it definitely is approaching the level of my most-visited sushiya in Japan. After repeated visits, I am convinced that Ishibuchi-san is a creative genius. At this point, the list of "signature" items served here is notable and growing - in spring, giant-sized hokkigai, torigai covering a paste of its "miso", or hotaru ika chopped into "paté". In fall and early winter, iwashi negimaki, or buri wearing a "jacket" of daikon, pressed into stout squares like tiny houses. Nothing is overly sweet, heavy, or overseasoned, but the flavors are refreshing and emphasize the natural ingredients. Like many forms of art, mastery is a prerequisite for innovation, and it is indisputable that has been proved here.
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The pic above is the first half of the sushi course from this past November, which is always served on a mirror-polished black stone geta. Notable seasonal items were nitani kujira and taka ebi, something I had never tried before. Ishibushi-san mentioned this shrimp is exceptionally rare, and that he's only served it twice in the past 9 years. Less

Recently, the course progression at Sanshin has been as follows:
- sip of nihonshu
- tsumami
- micro-greens + katsuobushi temaki
- sushi (black geta)
- intermission tsumami
- sushi (bizen-style plate)
- tamago + okonomi

I'm not sure if bizen is the correct description of the ceramics style in this picture, but I tried my best (I know even less about ceramics than sushi). It's all very artistic. Less

I tried to make a collage of the many unique signature items in the course here. I've posted on several of these in the past. These aren't all served every season. But it gives a sense of just how much creativity has gone into the food here. From left to right, starting at the top:
- buri pressed sushi, wrapped with pickled daikon
- butterflied and "rare" kuruma ebi, with miso and head meat on the shari
- round-shaped shari mixed with nori powder - used as the base for uni nigiri
- iwashi "negimaki", with an emphasis on chives
- "rounded" cut, large hokkigai
- palate cleanser of micro-greens + katsuobushi
- hotaru ika "paté"
- otoro sliced into thin ribbons, topped with coarse salt Less

Recently, Ishibuchi-san and his team went to Bangkok for a collaboration event at a local sushiya. These sorts of events are becoming more common as the exclusivity and unbookable nature of many top restaurants in Japan has attracted international attention. For many foreigners, the only opportunity to eat with top Japanese chefs may be through such an event. This is certainly a way to cash in on this exclusivity with wealthy customers who have zero price sensitivity - to wit, some of these collaborations I've seen in NYC have charge 2-4x the normal course price of a meal with these chefs, with ingredients that are unavoidably of lesser quality for logistical reasons. On the other hand, international collabs are an opportunity for many chefs to reach a new audience, honor their students and friends, and promote their craftmanship to new audiences.
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For the Bangkok event, Ishibushi-san debuted several neta prepared with Thai flavors, and for a limited time offered these completely original creations as okonomi when he returned to Osaka. I don't remember what all five were, but I had enough stomach space to try two this past November: kohada in a sujime that included copious amounts of makrut lime leaf, and buri zuke in lemongrass oil. All I can say is wow. These are absolutely non-traditional sushi flavors, but in many ways fit exceptionally well in the format of a sushi meal. Vegetal and aromatic notes are typical of many seasonings associated with sushi (shiso, ume, negi, etc) and the "Thai" additions primarily added fragrance that enhanced the natural flavors of the fish rather than changing or "flavoring" them. A truly brilliant innovation, and a sign of deep respect for the opportunity to serve sushi in a foreign country. Less

The tsumami reflect seasonal ingredients. But they are total flavor bombs. Even from pictures it is obvious that these aren't dainty slices of fish and vegetables. This collage represents a variety of some items I enjoyed over the last few years, over a few different seasons. From left to right, top to bottom:
1. Chunks of ankimo in a sweet tsume thickened with kuzu starch
2. Wara-smoked modori katsuo with a sticky mix of grated daikon, chives and ginger
3. A soup with hamo, matsutake and mizunasu "noodles"
4. Grilled tachiuo and matsutake over sushi rice, topped with ankake sauce
5. Preserved asari clam with sweet miso
6. Hamaguri liver in a porridge with generous amounts of grated chive Less