Shanghai: version 2009 (Traditions)

This is the third installment of my travel series. You can find the first two articles here and here. As fast as Shanghai has developed in recent years, some traditions still manage to survive the onslaught of Western cultural influence. Dining habit is a good example of such.

Even with all the countless brand new restaurants opening around the city, you can still find places where they still use these traditional “calling menus”. Instead of a server bringing you a copy of well organized menu after you’ve been seated, you go to a clipboard with hand-written “menu cards” to see what’s being served on the day.

An even more popular way to serve food is these street food vendors. Food is prepared right behind the counter where you order and pay. The food is not flashy but delicious (and cheap!). You’ll have to bear with the sometimes long line and the lack of seating but the experience is unmistakably Shanghai. Be sure not to afraid to try them out next time you visit the city!