Yang's Kitchen

Many Chinese are very patriotic but, unsurprisingly in a country the size of Europe, regional differences and loyalties are also marked. The most obvious differences being in language and cuisine. Every region has it’s own dialect and if not it’s own style of cooking then at least a few specialities. Shanghainese the language is unintelligible even to other Chinese, but thanks to Yang’s Kitchen the cuisine is much more accessible. Shanghainese is characterised by it’s greater use of soy sauce and sugar so is generally sweeter than other regional cuisines.

A large menu with English translations has a decent rendition of Shanghai’s speciality Xiao long bao. English menus can be a double edged sword, of course it’s more convenient, even experienced Chinese learners can struggle to master the huge variety of dishes on offer. But sometimes seeing the translations of what is on offer is enough to ruin an appetite. Yang’s Kitchen has all the old favourites, Braised Pig’s feet (28RMB) and Stewed Shark’s Lip and Crab Meat (118RMB).  Even if you’re not that adventurous there’s still plenty of tasty and reasonably priced alternatives although portions are on the small side.

 Yang’s Kitchen has a great location just set back from Hengshan Road, a fun neighbourhood with plenty of bars, and is an inexpensive way to get an authentic taste of Shanghai.