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Top Ten Taste Experiences in Shanghai

Regardless of their passion for politics and economy, Shanghainese have a hot pursuit for delicious flavors of foods. Shanghai is a city which integrates various flavors from all over the world, which is a paradise for those food-obsessed people. Here is a list of the top ten foods flavors in Shanghai that you cannot miss.

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1. The Most Authentic Spanish Reataurant

Martin Restaurant

Why this young restaurant, with less than a year’s history, claimed itself as "the best Spanish restaurant" in Shanghai, or even "the best foreign restaurant" in Shanghai? The name with golden tooling on the plaque outside the restaurant provides us a clear answer – it is a restaurant "by Martin Berasategui". Martin Berasategui is a prominent Michelin-three-starred chef, and one of the top four celebrity chefs in Saint Sebastian in Spain. One of the 50 world-recognized dream restaurants in Spain is named after him.
Now Mr. Berasategui opened a restaurant in China and sent his chief apprentice to take control. All dishes are authentically Spanish with menus regularly handled by Mr. Berasategui to make sure the replacement frequency and diversity of dishes synchronize with restaurant in Spain. What’s more, the perfect culinary skills and delectable taste win numerous customers, and even the Spanish consulates attendance at the restaurant few times a week.

Specialty: Goose liver, and cod fish cooked by chef’s recipes.
Address: Martin Restaurant (马丁餐厅) in Hengshan Road, inside the lawn of Xujiahui Central Plaza. (徐汇区衡山路811号徐家汇中心广场绿地内马丁餐厅)
Contract(s): 021-64319811 64316639

2. The Most Delicate Tempura

A Speciality in Karaku Restaurant

"Karaku" is not a general Japanese restaurant which appeals some customers who are so fond of Japanese cuisine and Japanese diet cultures to ignore the high cost. The chef of the restaurant is the fifth generation of the time-honored Japanese restaurant – Ippoh which has preserved the traditional Kansai flavor of tempura for over 150 years. "Karaku", from its decoration to its service, is delivering an original Japanese culture to his customers.
Karaku is a set meal-based restaurant, but you can order the dishes separately on your favor. The specialty is tempura which inherits the best flavor from the past. Besides there are some special foods, namely cold dishes, sashimis, consommé, roast Japanese beef, ect. The set meals in restaurant consist of cuisines using the freshest seasonal produce which provide customers the superlative taste of crispy and light of foods.

Specialty: Tempura set meal
Address: Karaku restaurant (花乐) in 2421 Xietu Road, near South Wanping Road.( 徐汇区斜土路2421号4号楼（近宛平南路）花乐)
Contract(s): 021-64383822 64688922

3. The Most Delicious Double-Stewed Soup

The Manchuria Chinese Restaurant

The Manchuria Chinese restaurant, in the upstairs floor of the Club Vietnam, is a Cantonese cuisine-based restaurant, which provides delicate and exquisite luxurious foods. The chef is an experienced cook from a renowned luxury hotel in Beijing.

It announces to produce "unmixed Cantonese cuisine", and the double-stewed soup tastes unsurpassed dainty. The Manchurian Chicken in Red Skin, a toasted chicken with crispy skin and tender meat inside, and Conch Flesh Tossed with Mango which is ample in your mouth with sweet flavor otherwise palatable.

Specialty: Manchurian Chicken in Red Skin, and Conch Flesh Tossed with Mango
Address: Manchuria Chinese restaurant (满洲中华料理) in 889 Julu Road, near Changshu Road. (静安区巨鹿路889号11-12幢3-4楼（近常熟路）满洲中华料理MANCHURIA@F.C.C.)
Contract(s): 021-64458082

4. The Most Tasty Spiced Chicken with Chill Sauce

Nanlu and Zheli Restaurant

Furnished with no antique Chinese furniture of rosewood and presented non-Jiangnan conception decorated with water flow and little bridges, the restaurant is just like a western dining room for family party in the Middle-Ages, with sofas of European style furnished, heavy and complicated classical droplight hanging, and retro candlestick and western porcelains set on the table.
Chef Pan, a luminary of cooking Hangzhou foods, is served in the restaurant. He claims that the feature of Hangzhou cuisine is to preserve the original flavor of the foods and maintain the salty and fresh taste of it. What Zheli restaurant produce is the Hangzhou cuisine of traditional flavor mixed with creative cooking.

Specialty: Spiced Chicken with Chill Sauce
Address: Nanlu and Zheli Restaurant (南麓 . 浙里) in Floor 2, Tycoon Building, Julu Road , Shanghai. (静安区巨鹿路768号巨富大厦2楼（近富民路）南麓.浙里)
Contract(s): 021-62477677 62477877

5. The Best Capital Soup

Tiandi Yijia Reataurant

The restaurant is a branded restaurant in Beijing, but it has been made some localization since it open whose furnishing presents a sense of Old Shanghai. The head chef Mr. Kong said the special dishes in "Tiandi Yijia" is a self-initiated cuisine "goose liver soaked with fine rice wine" and a special soap "capital soup".
The rosy-liked goose liver, soaked with fine rice wine, is just like a fat of sweet, savouriness, and tenderness melted in your mouth when taking a bite of it. Meanwhile, the Capital Soup, with long history, is a traditional representative cuisine of Old Shanghai which is extremely yummy.

Specialty: Goose liver soaked with fine rice wine and Capital Soup.
Address: Tiandi Yijia Reataurant (天地一家) in 3 floor 6 of the Bund in East Zhongshang Road No.1. (黄浦区中山东一路6号外滩6号3楼（近广东路）天地一家)
Contract(s): 021-63297333

6. The Best-tasting Italian Cuisine

Lobster Pasta

The comfortable atmosphere of 3.Top Restaurant & Bar is an attractive point other than the delicate cuisine. The whole layout of the restaurant, applied the design of glass house, shows a beauty of purity and warmth and provides a transparent visions effect to the diners. Sitting and eating at the 3.Top Restaurant & Bar is rather an enjoyment on soul than on tongue.
3. Top Restaurant & Bar is an Asian restaurant; the most splendid one is Southeast Asian dishes. The specialty recommendation from the chef is Fried Crab with Thai Curry Sauce. What makes it yummy is to add some milk and coconut, said the chef Mr. Hu.

Specialty: Malacca Stir Fried Crab Meat, Lobster Pasta, and Vietnamese Roasted Big-head Shrimp with Grills and Butter
Address: 3.Top Restaurant & Bar in 47 Xin Le Road, near Xiangyang Road. （徐汇区新乐路47号（近襄阳路） 3.Top Restaurant & Bar）
Contract(s): 021-5438625 54038896

7. The Palatable Berry Juice with Cheese Pudding

Napoli pizza

Located in the bustling dining area in Shanghai, but Issimo is so low-pitched that the general diners cannot take notice of it. It is only for those who have pure love to spend their mouth on Italian foods. Issimo will provide a feast and pure satisfaction for those food-obsessed diners who are attracted by his authentic Italian flavors.
Cooperated with a famous Italian chef Salvatore Cuomo, Issiomo conceptualizes the cuisine and dishes. The traditional Italian flavor plus the spacious and comfortable design inside the restaurant give a real sense of sitting and eating in a restaurant of a small town in Italian countryside to customers.

Specialty: Italian appetizers, Napoli pizza, and Berry Juice with Cheese Pudding.
Address: Issimo in West Nanjing Road. （静安区南京西路931号2楼Issimo）
Contract(s): 021-33024997

8. The Top One Lobster Bisque

VUE Restaurant

VUE Restaurant is a restaurant, whose space separation is accordingly designed based on the separation of a house, has comfortable living room, the study and kitchen, all the round with family-life atmosphere. The difference is that you can take the whole sceneries of the Bund in a glance when eating in VUE.
Recently, VUE brought out a set that one can spend only 588 yuan to taste all the typical dishes of the restaurant. The special dish I’d like to recommend is the delicacy lobster bisque, with big lobster inside. What the most attractive part is that you can enjoy the show of the cooking when you sitting by the cooking set. Another palatable dish is a creative dessert that you can’t miss called Chocolate Fountain.

Specialty: Lobster bisque and Chocolate Fountain.
Address: VUE Restaurant, in Floor 30-31, west building in Maoyue Hotel, the Bund in Shanghai. （虹口区黄浦路199号上海外滩茂悦大酒店西楼30-31楼（近武昌路) 非常时髦餐厅VUE Restaurant）
Contract(s): 021-63931234-6328

9. The Best Clam Chowder

The Clam Chowder

It is a miracle that PIER 39 achieved high public-praise from all class of the people, which can also refer its popularity on the other hand. PIER 39 is the name of a fishermen’s wharf in San Francisco, a best place full of joy and happiness in San Francisco. The keeper’s uncle had a restaurant there too. The flavor of San Francisco has been brought in Shanghai accompanied with the old gentleman’s return. The authentic coffee is what impressive me, not to mention the toothsome "American Cuisine". The main dish of the restaurant is the Clam Chowder. Served in the bowl made by bread, it tastes thick and yummy.

Specialty: The Clam Chowder and Wharf Salad.
Address: PIER 39 in 172 Jinxian Road, Luwan District. （卢湾区进贤路172号（近陕西南路） PIER 39）
Contract(s): 021-62581939

10. The Tasty Business Meal

Vietnamese-style Health Beef Pho

With an orientation of being a high-ranking restaurant of business meal, the owner of Pho Asia and Thai loft has open it at the first floor of the business center. The most interesting part of the restaurant’s design is the two entrances which all faced the office buildings. Getting in the restaurant from different entrances one may have different feelings and different choice of meals. The left one is the entrance of "Pho Asia", supplying Vietnamese Cuisine and the right entrance is of "Thai Loft" supplying Thai meals. The special dish is the Health Beef Pho and Thai-style BBQ Pork with Honey Sauce Rice which are ordered constantly by diners. Mixed with the cooking culture of China, Thailand, Malaysia and France, the light-based Vietnamese dishes win numerous fans in Shanghai.

Specialty: Vietnamese-style Health Beef Pho and Thai-style BBQ Pork with Honey Sauce Rice.
Address: Pho Asia/Thai loft in 105B Jiali Business Center Mall, West Nanjing Road, Jing’an District. （静安区南京西路1515号嘉里商务中心商场1楼105B单元（近铜仁路） Pho Asia/ Thai loft）
Contract(s): 021-62891016