Three words: BOOK THIS TOUR. Two more: COME HUNGRY.
This was my second time in Shanghai as well as my second time taking a food tour. The one I took last year was fabulous and fun, so my expectations for this night food tour were very high. My tour guide was Jasmine and not only was she knowledgeable about Chinese cuisine and history, she was great company! I know youre reading his review to learn about the food, but let me establish that I am a food tour junkie, and the personality of a food tour guide has a huge impact on your overall tour experience. There were only three of us on the tour, all of us touring Shanghai solo business trips, and Jasmine fostered a very social atmosphere and forged a personal connection with each of us. This helped a lot because in order to share new and strange meals such as rabbits head yes, delicious Sichuan rabbits head, there needs to be a level of comfort around the table. No earpieces, buses, flags, or stilted tour guides the whole evening felt more like a couple of friends restaurant-hopping around a Shanghai neighborhood.
The food is incredible, and there was so much of it! Our small group had a range of palettes which Jasmine gauged prior to starting the tour and remembered to cater to throughout. I made a promise to myself that I would try a bite of everything because the restaurants are well-vetted and the dish probably wouldnt be included in the tour if it werent worth trying. I encourage anyone who takes this tour to do the same, save for allergies or religious dietary restrictions. Everything that was placed in front of us was delicious! Sometimes it did not look appealing to the western eye, but Id start with a small bite, then load more onto my plate! The most exotic item we tried was Sichuan rabbits head which had been brewing in in a spicy stew for many hours. Jasmine walked us through how to eat it with good humor and understanding after some dissecting work, I had to try it, and it was my favorite food of the tour!
Other favorite items I got to eat: pineapple bun, beef noodles, dumplings, and Kim Kardashian lamb. I was the lucky one who got to take home the bag of cookies at the end of the night my tour-mates declined and they were very handy and tasty for breakfast during the rest of my stay. I would recommend this tour to everyone who visits Shanghai! Simply traveling to Shanghai is a test of any westerners comfort zone, if youre coming out this far, be sure to BOOK THIS TOUR and COME HUNGRY