Life on Nanchang Lu, Shanghai – Interview with Fiona Reilly

Today I’ve the honor to interview Fiona, the soul of Life on Nanchang Lu, the place where you shall go if you want to learn more about food – especially street food, – in Shanghai.

Food

Fiona, you define yourself as a Foodie, Writer, Photographer and Expert dumpling taster. I want to start with the most important question: What is, in your opinion, the best dumpling’s fanguanr of Shanghai?

I have a soft spot for The Humble Room at 601 Nanchang Lu. Now it’s opposite the bright and shiny IAPM Mall so it looks even more humble, but it has some of the very tastiest (and cheapest) xiaolongbao in the city.

In your series about Shanghai Street Food, you list 36 different kind of street foods. Let’s say I’m in Shanghai only for a day and my goal is to learn as much as I can about the topic. Where should I go and what would you suggest me to taste?

The great thing about street food is that you can begin your education at any time of day!

Early morning until 10am – walk along Xiangyang Lu between Changle Lu and Fuxing Lu. Loads of great breakfast foods including jian bing (big pancake folded into a small package) and you tiao (fried breadsticks) as well as noodles, dumplings and congee. Lovely little Xiangyang Park between the two with early morning tai chi and dancing.

Lunchtime – Sipailou Lu, near Fangbang Lu – short walk from Yu Gardens (by the way there is a great foodcourt at Yu Gardens where you can try loads of local foods cheaply without a word of Chinese, and can see them all on display including GIANT xiaolongbao with straws in them).

Evening – Kunshan Lu/Zhapu Lu area in Hongkou, from about 5pm onwards lots of vendors set up. This is a really great local spot.

Huanghe Lu north of People’s Square, on Huanghe Lu you’ll find the famous Jia Jia Tang Bao and across the road Yang’s fried dumplings – so two of Shanghai’s most famous street foods in one spot.

Southeast of People’s Square is another little food area I like for snacks: Yunnan Nan Lu south of Yan’an Lu, lots of little street food eateries.

If you don’t feel that keen heading out on your own, my good friends at Untour Shanghai do street food tours in small groups (usually less than five) and are great fun.

Do you know how to cook Chinese food?

I spent a lot of time hanging around kitchen doors in China, just watching. I still have a lot to learn, but I can reproduce simple dishes and make dumplings. My Chinese cooking is very homestyle, but my kids love it! We’re also slowly introducing Australia to the concept of Chinese hotpot – every Sunday night is hotpot night at our place and we have a bunch of friends, a lot of cold beer, and a steaming pot full of tasty things.

Life

Click here to view the video on YouTube.
Source: http://www.saporedicina.com/english/life-on-nanchang-lu-shanghai-interview-with-fiona-reilly/