Photos courtesy of Jellymon’s Wok Walk
Exploring Shanghai’s overwhelming culinary findings, starting with an introduction to the city’s vast and overwhelming variety of foods available, each month we’ll report on our best culinary findings which are likely to include putrid shellfish and meats deep fried in sewage oil. This month it’s all about the pork and the sandwich.
1. Tsui Wah (AKA T-Dubs) – Pork Chop Sandwich
This sandwich is like all your collective memories of fast food eating, both good and evil, rolled up into one delightful snack. The famous Hong Kong chain takes a fresh, in-house baked, crusty white roll and fills it with a fried porkchop, crisp lettuce and a magical mayo. The fries are also damn good, crispy and hot. The ketchup is like heinz but much more tasty… it definitely has crack in it or shit loads of MSG. In fact, this sandwich appears to be held together by dreams and MSG and little more… it slips down in an instant and when it’s gone you can barely believe it ever existed.
Tsui Wah
A Mansion, 291 Fumin Lu, near Changle Lu
富民路291号， 近长乐路
2. Cha’s – Scrambled Egg & Luncheon Meat
Hardly the star of the Cha’s menu but definitely a star in the world of alternative Shanghai sandwiches. The combination of buttery scrambled egg, butter fried post-war style luncheon meat, buttery butter and the most synthetic white bread on earth covered in butter makes this a delicious and healthy treat.
Cha’s
1/F, 30 Sinan Lu, near Huaihai Zhong Lu
思南路30号1楼， 近淮海中路
3. 文兴烧腊茶餐厅 - Porkchop Sandwich
This one is like a combo of the first two but has its own distinct personality. A thin fried pork chop sits nestled in between soft, sweet white bread (crusts removed of course! Who has time for such distracting nonsense), on top of which swims a small amount of sweet sweet grilled onion in a pool of melted butter (are you sensing a theme here?). The sum of the parts comes together wonderfully and turns any heavy lunch into a disgraceful banquet of sorts.
文兴烧腊茶餐厅
1219 Changde Lu, near Changsho Lu
4. The Wulumuqi Special – This requires hitting at least two different establishments
First stop off at one of the shops located on the disgustingly gentrified Anfu lu, (I believe you are still allowed on the road if you are not pregnant or on foot, but being pregnant and/or in a Porsche certainly helps). I recommend Baker and Spice or FeiDan (definitely not Sunflour bakery but Pines will do in a squeeze). From here please purchase one baguette, the fresher the better. The next step is to hit up the fried chicken strip guys on Wulumuqi Lu near Fuxing Lu, they have a little stand that opens around 3pm and goes till they are out of chicken (this happens pretty quickly, like 6ish if you are lucky). Order a large portion of the fried chicken strips (how to order – Wo yao zhige… da de / wo ya-owww jigggggga… DAH dehh – then point at the chicken strips). If all goes well you will be delivered some delicious, hot, crispy, spicy chicken. Now walk away with your spoils. I suggest hitting up the little park on the other side of the street (if you walk in the Hengshan Lu direction) to assemble your sandwich. To combine, cut baguette open (use brute force or a knife if you have one) and add the chicken to the center of the bread. If you want this sandwich to taste really good… add ketchup, you can steal some from McDonalds or even better from KFC.
This sandwich is a very accurate representation of Shanghai’s past, present and future in edible form. If you fancy getting a little artisanal on this bitch I recommend stopping by at the Avocado Ladies Store on Wulumuqi lu near Wuyuan Lu. Here you can purchase vegetables, cheeses and maybe even some paté to create the ultimate “My Fair Lady” style sandwich.
5. Southern Barbarian – The Yunnan Pizza
Not really a sandwich I know but very tasty none the less…
Created by myself and friend of Jellymon Jan Lo aka Lomang. The Yunnan Pizza requires ordering three separate items from Southern Barbarian Yunnan Restaurant, they are as follows:
1. Crispy Potato Pancake thing
2. Eggplant with tomato thing
3. Yunnan fried goat cheese
You must combine the items yourself (this is not a menu item, ordering a “Yunnan pizza” will only result in baffled looks, embarrassment for all parties and possible ejection from the restaurant). Once combined, eat quickly for it is very delicious.
Southern Barbarian:
2/F, Ju’Roshine Life Arts Space, 169 Jinxian Lu
进贤路169号2楼, 近茂名南路
Guest Column:
MSG
by Jellymon
