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2009/03/16

Why Does the New York Times Hate Chinese Food?

Okay, maybe the New York Times doesn't hate Chinese food, but every time they come out with a new version of their "36 Hours" segments on a Chinese city, they tend to go a long way to avoid Chinese food. The most recent Shanghai edition does a better job than the last time they checked out the city, but it still comes up a bit short. The restaurant recommendations are pretty uninspired including 100 Century Avenue (mediocre, overpriced western food), Crystal Jade (mediocre, overpriced dim sum), and Citizen Cafe (more mediocre western food). I do give them credit for bigging up Yang's Fried Dumplings (shengjian bao) which are amazing and unbelievably addicting. Lost Heaven is another crappy choice, if you have only 36 hours in Shanghai, why wouldn't you want to try some local Shanghai cuisine? That said, Lost Heaven, the overpriced (and again mediocre) Yunnan fare on offer is popular with the Shanghai expat crowd, so its not a surprise.

I can get with most of their sightseeing tips, including the Bund/Peace Hotel, the CCP's 1st National Congress site and, the Shanghai Art museum. I also definitely love the suggestion of a massage at Dragonfly, a local chain at a decent price point and very comfortable set up. The nightlife suggestions are mostly "meh", though I can see tourists wanting to hit the Bund for a drink and a night at Shelter is usually a good choice.

What would your ideal 36 hours for a tourist in Shanghai be?

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