Chinese Foods That Aren't Terrible

 

I don’t love Chinese food. It can be too spicy, a strange texture, or if you have ever smelt stinky tofu, you would have immediately lost your appetite. However, there are some solid Chinese foods you should try. This is only Shanghai focused since I did not travel to many other places to have a strong opinion on different parts of China’s cuisine. But from what I am told, South China is more exotic and flavourful; West China is spicy and adventurous; East China is delicate and traditional; North China Cis tasty and wholesome.

 

Let’s start with my favourite Chinese food:

 

Street eggplant

 

I don’t remember ever enjoying eggplant before eating on the streets of Shanghai. The fact that the eggplant was warm with different flavours and seasonings made me fall in love. Eating this food after a night out also might have helped the deliciousness factor. Unfortunately, the number of people selling street food in Shanghai decreased dramatically but if you ever get the chance to try this, go for it.

 

My top breakfast choice:

Jian Bing

Most Asian countries do not excel in their breakfast choices but you can usually find something to fill you up in the morning. Not only is Jian Bing delectable, it’s super cheap.

Best dumplings:

Xiaolongbao

I crave this Chinese food the most since leaving Shanghai. There was a little restaurant right next to my apartment where I would order some extremely cheap Xiaolongbao, drink a Sprite, and plan for my next Couchsurfing arrival.

Tomato and egg stir fry

I don’t know why this works. Tomatoes are not the best but something about putting them together was a genius move.

 

Best soup:

Beef noodle soup

There was a great beef noodle place near my apartment that was blissful and affordable. I’m not sure if my opinions on food is being skewed by my low income and lower social status but this will fill you up.

Spicy cumin lamb skewers

I was reluctant to try these because I heard rumours that some of the meat might not be what you think it is but a friend assured me it was legit and this was a tasty treat after finishing lacrosse.

 

Chinese hamburger Rou Jia Mo

There was a Halal restaurant that served this and while it was delectable, just make sure you were close to a bathroom shortly after finishing this snack.

Or order up some spring rolls, chicken balls, and a fortune cookie from your local Chinese restaurant and tell them Bert sent you. 

“Enjoy yourself. It’s later than you think.” Carl Sigman

Shanghai Report Card

 

I’ve written report cards on Thailand, Poland and New Zealand. This report card will only be Shanghai focused because it’s basically the only place I visited during my time in China. I loved my time in Shanghai. I initially did not want to go and it took me a few months to warm up to the city but I feel like it was the right place for me for that period of my life. Was it a mistake leaving? Possibly.

 

Food: C+

 In general, I was not a fan of Chinese cuisine. There are many different regions with different specialties.  The mainstay is hotpot. It isn’t good. I might do a specific post about Chinese foods I enjoyed.

 I didn’t see one chicken ball or fortune cookie in 2.5 years.

 

Activities: A-

If you can think of an activity, Shanghai probably has it. Ultimate Frisbee? Check. Lacrosse? Check?  Mahjong? Triple check.

While Shanghai has lots of activities, they aren’t always easy to get to and normally don’t involve too much nature which is one of the downsides to living in hill-less shanghai. Also, many activities involve drinking so if you don't love getting after it, it will be harder to find sober friends and activities.

Architecture: A

Many different neighborhoods will tons of history and different buildings; something Seoul lacks. 

 

Nightlife: A-

Shanghai is certainly a party. If you want to wild, Shanghai is wiling and able. You can buy alcohol 24 hours a day, towers of whiskey, all you can drink brunch; if you like drinking, Shanghai is for you. From Chinese clubs to foreigner filled zones, Shanghai is not lacking in the booze and getting wild department. Things have been getting stricter and occasionally establishments that might not be following the rules get punished as well as people who frequent those places. Random drug testing is rampant and can result in being deported. There is definitely a place for Shanghai elite to get wild at but a commoner such as myself does not have access to said institutions.

Cost: A-

Some people might disagree but almost any city can be done cheaply. Yes, Shanghai can be crazy expensive. From fancy restaurants, expensive penthouse and Tesla Ubers, the bill can add up. But if you eat noodles, take the metro and are conscious about how and what you spend, saving in Shanghai is possible. My apartment was about $800 a month and was in a decent part of town. Utilities are cheap, phone bill low and having a cleaning lady was definitely worth the low cost. 

Women: C+

I hope this doesn’t get me banned from China. I personally just don’t find Chinese women attractive. Some certainly are. On a random weekend in Shanghai I might see 3 which is not a great ratio considering 24+ million people live there. I’m sure they are quite kind and generous but I never got into it and don’t get the appeal.

 

Pollution: D

It might look life fog but it’s smog. China is not the only country that has air quality issues. India, Thailand, Mali and many other countries also have real issues with their pollution levels. It is certainly a reason I did not want to spend too much more time living in China.

Safety: A

This one is a little tricky. Let’s say safety from random people on the streets of Shanghai you have nothing to worry about. There are literally cameras everywhere that are tracking your every move which potentially could be seen as a negative. I never felt unsafe wandering the streets of Shanghai at night. With greater safety comes a certain lack of freedom that some people are for and others are against. I just read that Shanghai has over one millions CCTV cameras.  

Location: B+

Asia is what’s up. Close to Korea and Japan. Not super close to Canada but Air Canada has direct flights that really takes the edge off of the trip.

Overall grade: B+

While these are the categories I feel are safe to debate about, other categories that tend to get people into trouble have not been discussed here. Is China perfect? No. With more than a billion people to govern, certain ways of governing have enabled China to become a superpower that seems more organized and more thoughtful than another superpower I can think of. The future is Asian. I’m grateful for my time in Shanghai and I am really disappointed that I haven't been able to go back and visit. Slightly jealous of those still living in Shanghai. 

 

 

“Better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.” Chinese proverb.