97 Huanghe Lu, near Fengyang Lu
21/5375-1793
HOURS: Daily 6:30 a.m.-8 p.m.
COST: Entrées less than ¥100
METRO: People’s Square (Line 1, Line 2, Line 8), exit 9
Try some Shanghainese favorites at this Huanghe Road staple. Yang’s Fried Dumplings has several branches across town, but this is one of the most popular and arguably the best.
Xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) and shengjianbao (pan-fried pork buns) dominate the menu, served in 50-gram portions called liang. One liang equates to around four dumplings.
Pork buns are one of the most popular breakfast foods in Shanghai and are sometimes called shengjian mantou. They are cooked in huge flat pans by industrious, white-clad cooks and are sprinkled with chopped onions and sesame seeds.
Peak times see the queues snaking out of the door at Yang’s, so get there well before midday if you don’t want to wait. Most people take their dumplings away to eat on the go or at their desks, but there is limited seating on plastic stools if you want to eat in.