Restaurant reccomendations: Shanghai and Beijing

[Jenise]

Will be travelling thereabouts soon and would appreciate any recommendations for great food, be it hole in the wall joints or grand dining.

Jenise, never been to China but I took the liberty of forwarding this message to a friend who has worked there for a while. I hope he responds.

[Jenise]

Otto, thanks, that's so good of you!

I've forwarded your note to a friend, Graham Radstone, who is married to a woman from Shanghai -- he's been full of great suggestions.

[Jenise]

Bob, thanks! That's very kind. Oh, and just in case the what part of town are you in thing comes up, we'll be staying at the Westin in old Shanghai and the Grand Hyatt off Tiannamen Square in Beijing.

I spoke with Graham, Jenise, and he will be delighted to help. I've sent a introductory email to you both. Regards, Bob

Jenise, If you get tired of the local fare there is actually a pretty good German restaurant in Shanghai. It's called Pulaner Brauhaus (I think) and it's in the Luwan district. Good food and live music.

** Restaurant Xin Ji Shi, Shanghai

When in Shanghai one should dine on Shanghaiese cuisine. Five of us went to Xin Ji Shi in the fashionable Xin Tian Di area. Xin = new, Tian = heaven, Di = earth. This area has many types of foreign restaurants. Xin Ji Shi means new luck. Any restaurants that can operate successfully in the disparate political climates of China, Hong Kong and Taiwan must be doing something right. The decor is that of a couple hundred years ago, complete with a high thread hold which used to indicate the status of the household.

We had

- Chicken soup. A whole chicken is put in a tall clay pot and the pot is steamed for hours. The flavor of the soup is intense and the chicken very tender.

- A mound of chilies hiding chunks of chicken and jumbo shrimp. Interesting presentation and fun digging for the morsels.

- Tofu stew, not very good.

- Shrimp cooked in hot oil. This was a sub par presentation of this signature Shanghai dish.

- Greens, the serving was so small I never got to try it.

- Tung Por Pork. Named for one of the leading poets in China, this is chunks of fatty and lean pork stewed for a long time to marry the flavors. It was everyone's favorite.

A good meal with the total damage coming to only RMB 557 (US$67.84).