By Sophie Steiner
Shanghai boasts an amazing array of global cuisine; from authentic Italian to genuine Korean, from unpretentious Colombian to dependable Turkish, we're spoiled for choice.So much so that we often find ourselves guilty of foregoing the abundant resident mainstays in favor of the new and exciting and overseas. But, that ends – here and now. Image by Sophie Steiner/That'sWe've made it a mission to re-discover our own backyard, celebrating the local cuisine in the country we live in. And what better place to start than glorious carb-laden noodles?We could easily list out over 100 regional Chinese noodle dishes without batting an eyelash. And so we did…Image by Sophie Steiner/That'sJust kidding (but close).To save you all from going into immediate cardiac arrest via noodle overload, we broke it up into multiple parts, sharing our favorite spots around the city so you can find your regional carb delicacies. Chao Mian Yi Ba 炒面一霸
Essentially a late night fried noodle cart with a roof over its head, Chao Mian Yi Ba (炒面一霸) is the spot for shamelessly satisfying all your greasy wok-charred noodle cravings during daylight hours.And, while there is something to be said for crushing a paper bowl chock-full of steaming noodles and mystery meat when you're three sheets to the wind at 4am, those fried noodles surprisingly still do hold up when your blood alcohol level is at zero. The majority of business is still delivery, diners preferring to eat in the privacy of their own space instead of soil their clothes with the smell of burnt oil.But for those who are willing to make the jaunt, they are rewarded with the same nostalgic clanging of metal spatula on wok, the hissing of propane, the savory aroma of sizzling garlic filling their nostrils, and the visual spectacle of carbs flying a meter into the air by the mere toss of a pan. Image by Sophie Steiner/That'sAt Chao Mian Yi Ba ingredients are still haphazardly strewn about, overflowing Lianhua bags of bok choy, chopped cabbage and sweet Shanghainese sausages stacked on every counter.A bonus of having a (mini) kitchen and two woks going at once is that you can also offer twice the toppings of the beloved street carts.Over 30 add-ons are listed on the everyday menu, with anything from braised pork belly to stewed duck leg, from seaweed strips to mushrooms added to basic fried noodles that start at RMB15, including a fried egg, bok choy, and scallions.If you're really pining for that smoky flavor, we can't recommend the Larou 腊肉 (RMB10) enough – the generous portion of cured pork boasts an innate fiery quality that further amps the wok's fragrance, as the meat is smoked during the preserving process.Another must-order that has become harder to come by in noodle shops around town is Lan Hua Gan 兰花干 (RMB3) – a type of anise-, tea-, and spice-marinated tofu puff, sliced lengthwise like an accordion, yet still connected at the base so that it sponges up the excess sauce in all of its puffy layers.Image by Sophie Steiner/That'sThicker wheat noodles with a circular cross-section tend to be most ordered out of the range of thick or thin wheat noodles, flat wide rice noodles, thin rice noodles, purple sweet potato noodles, nian gao rice cakes, or rice.Regardless of your base carb, it's hit with an incredible wok hei aroma, smoky and savory, with a smarmy splash of frying oil – making every gluttonous gulp all the more worth it. Chao Mian Yi Ba 炒面一霸, 116 Zhaohua Lu, by Anxi Lu 昭化路116号, 近安西路Chao Wei Wei Mian Guan 潮味味面馆
A Chaoshan style, literal hole-in-the-wall of a noodle shop, Chao Wei Wei Mian Guan (潮味味面馆) is one of the city's best kept noodle secrets.An unassuming entrance leads to an equally modest open kitchen (if you count bubbling cauldrons of soup, plastic bags full of assorted veggies, and a few jumbled stacks of bowls and chopsticks as a kitchen), where diners can pick their poison, so to speak. Choices begin with soup or dry, of which we highly suggest the soup – a warming bowl of clear yet rich chicken broth with diced celery for added freshness.Following is the decision of rice or wheat noodles. The rice noodles – the famed Chaoshan guo tiao (粿条), or flat, wide rice noodles, also known as hor fun, he fen, or kueh teow – are customarily stir-fried over a hot wok or bubbled in soup in the Teochew cuisine of Chaozhou. Image by Sophie Steiner/That'sHowever, the lesser ordered thicker wheat noodles are what we opted for on our most recent visit; less traditional in Chaoshan, but the shopkeepers personal favorite.Uneven alkaline noodle ropes are flash-boiled for an al dente finish, not unlike Sapporo-style ramen noodles, with a thicker, udon-like pull. Image by Sophie Steiner/That'sNext up is the matter of toppings, of which we respond dealer's choice. All manner of tofu puffs, fish cakes, beef balls, shrimp wontons, vegetables, meat cakes, and more are on offer, spanning prices from RMB2-15 per order.Your average bowlful will set you back anywhere from RMB23-46, depending on quantity and variety of add-ons.Regardless of what you add on, it merely serves as a backdrop to the glorious noodles themselves, amplified by the trio of sauces on every table – a fresher heat hot sauce, a saltier hot sauce paste, and a decadent shacha jiang sweet sauce.Following every visit, we vow to return to taste the more classic Chaoshan-style rice noodles, but are immediately swayed time and again by those addictingly bouncy wheat noods. Maybe fifth time will be the charm. Chao Wei Wei Mian Guan 潮味味面馆, #101, No. 1, Lane 28, Menggu Lu, by Xizang Bei Lu 蒙古路28弄1号101室, 近西藏北路Feng Ba Mian Guan 冯爸面馆
A bustling noodle house on Shanxi Nan Lu, Feng Ba Mian Guan 冯爸面馆 is open from morning until night, serving up one thing and one thing only: noodles.The diversity, however, is found in the accoutrement, of which there are more than a baker's dozen to select amongst. Image by Sophie Steiner/That'sEach protein is piled high atop a bowlful of thin Shanghainese scallion oil noodles – a local rendition we can really get behind, that just so happen to act as a base for all items on the menu here. Image by Sophie Steiner/That'sLess aromatic in the charred scallion category than many of our favorites found around the city (see the link above), this does leave space for the toppings to shine.Favorites include Spicy Meat and Scallop (RMB36), Scallion Pork Belly (RMB28), Red Braised Large Intestine (RMB38), Marinated Wheat Gluten (RMB24), and Fried Gluten Puffs (RMB24), pictured above. Diners can select all noodles dry or in soup, a clear broth fragranced with seaweed, scallions and egg shreds.Feng Ba Mian Guan 冯爸面馆, 29 Shanxi Nan Lu, by Jinxian Lu 陕西南路29号, 近进贤路Fu He Mian Guan 福和面馆
A famous Shanghainese noodle shop with locations in both Huangpu and Jing'an, Fu He Mian Guan (福和面馆) is most visited for its overtly fragrant frying oil that reduces down into a sticky glaze of sorts, coating each individual strand in a glossy sheen. Image by Sophie Steiner/That'sThe noodle in question is the classic Shanghainese thin wheat noodle, the same kind found in wet markets across town for a mere RMB3 a jin (500 grams), serving as a straightforward vessel for shoveling more of that pungent oil down your gullet. Image by Sophie Steiner/That'sThe toppings options – although abundant – don't matter; regardless of what you order, you can't go wrong with a base as solid as those oil-slick noodles.If you're curious however, there are over 80 varieties – every combination of meat, veggies, and seafood imaginable.The Pork Liver and Kidney Noodles (RMB38) are the most common order (the offal seared with an expert char to augment its natural minerality), followed closely by Braised Kidney and Large Intestine Noodles (RMB40). No worries, Shrimp and Beef Noodles (RMB45) or Mushroom and Vegetarian Chicken (素鸡) Noodles (RMB16) are equally viable contenders. If possible, aim to avoid peak meal times as lines regularly snake down the block, but they move quickly as these noodle ayis are seasoned noodle professionals.Fu He Mian Guan 福和面馆, #105, 838 Wanhangdu Lu, by Kanding Lu 万航渡路838号105室, 近康定路Lao Yu Jia Dongbei Renjia
老于家东北人家
An always busy Dongbei (Northeastern China) haunt, Lao Yu Jia Dongbei Renjia (老于家东北人家) covers all bases from sweet and sour pork (guo bao rou) to wok-fried potatoes, eggplant and peppers (di san xian), from boiled dumplings (shui jiao) to – the reason we are here – cold skin noodles, aka Liangpi 凉皮 (RMB28).Image by Sophie Steiner/That'sWhile liangpi varies greatly across the mainland, the Dongbei rendition sees clear and velvety jello-like rice starch noodles smothered in a thick sesame paste and served with julienned cucumbers, carrots, tofu skin, cilantro, meat shreds, and chilis for a full flavor and full color dish. Image by Sophie Steiner/That'sAnd Lao Yu Jia Dongbei Renjia's version is absolute tops, the slurpable strands clocking in at a solid centimeter thick.Thick is the name of the game on this plate, as the lockjaw-inducing sesame paste drowns all it comes into contact with, in the tastiest of ways.Lao Yu Jia Dongbei Renjia 老于家东北人家, 128 Yanping Lu, by Wuding Lu 延平路128号, 近武定路Shougan Bocai Mian 手擀菠菜面
We wrote about this ever-popular 24-hour Xibei noodle joint nearly a year-and-a-half ago, famed for its eponymous green hand-pulled-to-order noodles, owed to spinach thrown into the mix.The verdant hue, coupled with the springy freshness of the noodles, had us visiting this family-owned establishment on the regular. Image by Sophie Steiner/That'sA recent menu addition at Shougan Bocai Mian (手擀菠菜面), that continues to 'cash in' on those colorful carbs, Pitaya Noodles (RMB22-28/bowl) are pleasingly purple, a result of the ruby tones of dragonfruit (also known as pitaya, hence the name) blending with the wheat flour. The same four topping choices of tomato and egg, oil-splash noodles (with assorted chopped vegetables and potatoes), zhajiang mian, or saozi mian with lean meat are available, but sadly the pitaya noodle texture falls short, paling in comparison to their spinach noodle predecessor. Image by Sophie Steiner/That'sExceedingly soft, the pitaya noodle also lacks flavor, with a slippery texture more akin to a rice noodle than a wheat noodle.If it's al dente chew you're after, we suggest sticking to the classic spinach noodle; if milder rice noodles tend to be more your speed, then the newer pitaya noodle offering just might be what you're after. Shougan Bocai Mian 手擀菠菜面, 1370-3 Xikang Lu, by Aomen Lu 西康路1370-3号, 近澳门路Wenzhou Haixian Guangniu Guan
温州海鲜黄牛馆
While the days of Shanghai's wholly seafood dedicated street – Shouning Lu – are but a shadow of what they once were, there are still seafood-centric pockets around the city, if you know where to look.Tianmu Lu, not far from Shanghai Railway Station, is one of said pockets. Image by Sophie Steiner/That'sAlthough most frequented for their live seafood tanks and ample display of fish, crustaceans, mollusks, and all sorts of sea dwellers, the Fried Rice Noodles (RMB38) at Wenzhou Haixian Guangniu Guan (温州海鲜黄牛馆) are still their top-rated plate on Dianping, and for good reason.A heaping serving of hair-thin, rice-based noodles is wok-fried with mixed veggies, egg, tofu, and dried river shrimp for a mound of calorific carbohydrates that goes with just about any other orderable dish on the (non-existent*) menu. *Yes, there is a scannable QR code menu. However, the best way to order is still to walk down the water-soaked aisle of fresh and frozen ocean creatures and use the good ol' point-and-nod method for selecting what you want to eat.Image by Sophie Steiner/That'sEqually squiggly and stretchy, these noodles are best enjoyed paired with a Lazy Susan spinning spread of spicy clams, drunken shrimp, braised fish, garlic oysters, room temperature Tsingtao, four packs of cigarettes, seven shots of Maotai, and a table full of Chinese men with their shirts tucked up to their armpits looking up where the closest KTV is.Wenzhou Haixian Guangniu Guan 温州海鲜黄牛馆, 335 Tianmu Lu, by Jinyuan Lu 天目路335号近, 近圆路READ MORE
[Cover image by Sophie Steiner/That's]
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