Shanghai Evening Food Tour

In 1936 half of Shanghai was controlled by foreign powers, and over decades the city experienced a negative birth rate alongside millions of immigrants, making the true cuisine of old Shanghai accessible only to select insiders. On this walking tour, guests will explore the clandestine food culture of the French Concession, sampling at least ten dishes across four sit down restaurants and one craft beer bar. Highlights include Shanghai’s famous soup dumplings, or xiaolongbao, prepared with techniques that rival Michelin recommended spots. Guests will also enjoy labor intensive pan fried buns recognized as Local Intangible Cultural Heritage, scallion noodles, local curry, and other carb heavy delights. The tour reveals hidden restaurants and quaint lanes of the French Concession, giving participants a glimpse of the neighborhood’s unique history, markets, cafes, and bars that remain largely unknown to outsiders.

The experience continues with classic Shanghainese dishes such as the famous pork belly, prepared fresh to showcase quality ingredients and meticulous technique, and ends with sweet treats like chilled sago cream with fresh mango and pomelo crafted by a neighborhood dessert shop owner. Guests also visit a small craft beer taphouse to experience China’s evolving microbrewery scene. This tour highlights the preservation of local culinary traditions in a rapidly modernized metropolis, offering an insider perspective on Shanghai’s hidden food culture. Participants gain a deeper understanding of Benbang cuisine, its delicate presentation, refined ingredients, and its significance as an art form that has endured despite foreign influence.