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lancesidecar
FooJay
Joined: Jan 07, 2005
Posts: 1631
Location: Hitsville, PRC
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 Posted:
May 17, 2005 - 09:17 AM |
 
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| Post subject: Ask Shanghai Expat: Solo Dining |
I would like for the posters here to kindly recommend great restaurants in Shanghai that are single diner friendly. Thanks in advance! |
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carrol
PopStar
Joined: Oct 11, 2004
Posts: 1122
Location: East of Eden
Status: Offline
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| Posted:
May 17, 2005 - 09:19 AM |
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Kevens Cafe on Hengshan Lu. Grab a mag, and hide in the corner ....  |
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Carrol |
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lancesidecar
FooJay
Joined: Jan 07, 2005
Posts: 1631
Location: Hitsville, PRC
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May 17, 2005 - 09:24 AM |
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Thanks, Carrol. I should also clarify that I'm looking for dinner places. |
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carrol
PopStar
Joined: Oct 11, 2004
Posts: 1122
Location: East of Eden
Status: Offline
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May 17, 2005 - 10:31 AM |
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They do serve dinner. And the food is good. I don't really understand what kind of place you're looking for .. surely one can dine 'solo' absolutely anywhere .. ? |
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bleucheese
Veejay
Joined: Aug 01, 2003
Posts: 1994
Location: this side of the tracks
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May 17, 2005 - 01:12 PM |
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Agree with Carrol: what kind of food? What price range? Almost all the restaurants Ive visited have singles seated somewhere, even the local joints. Only problem with some places is you might be sharing a table, which I prefer not to do.
When I eat out solo (nearly every night), I want a nice small corner table to eat and read my book with some occasional people watching.
I dont know of to many local joints in Shanghai as I eat local for lunch and thats about all I can stomach.
My usual haunts that serve the purpose and are luckily within a 10 minute walk:
Element Fresh. Im there around 3 dinners a week. Lots of solo diners. Decent, clean, healthy food.
Wagas. Same.
Also, T8 at the bar when Im in the mood for something shmancy. |
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jenming
FooJay
Joined: Dec 20, 2002
Posts: 1675
Location: Right where you wanna be
Status: Offline
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May 17, 2005 - 01:12 PM |
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most places who cater to wester customers understand that some people like to eat alone. but if you're going to a big name chinese restaurant, like Xia Nan Guo, Jade Garden, or Mei Lin Ge or something, they won't have a clue what to do with you if you go alone. You have to stick to small places. Ajisen Ramen can handle it, and most little hole-in-the-wall chinese restaurants won't blink an eye. |
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valleygourmet2
Talker
Joined: Apr 25, 2005
Posts: 77
Status: Offline
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May 17, 2005 - 06:14 PM |
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Valley Gourmet (821 Nanjing Xi Lu / Shi Men Yi lU) is quite relaxing, most people come for dinner by themselves and read a book or surf the internet. They also have a new 180 gram snack, burger and beer deal for 65RMB |
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Kiwi
Post Boaster
Joined: May 07, 2003
Posts: 4763
Status: Offline
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May 17, 2005 - 07:01 PM |
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The nature of Mainland Chinese food can make eating alone a hassle. Chinese restaurants in the Mainland are still more group oriented than their counterparts in HK, Taiwan or SE Asia.
The little local 'Jiachang Cai' places are just not the greatest for dining alone. I find the 'dishes on rice' (盖饭) and noodle selections in the average local restaurant are just not tasty. Those Dongbei dumpling places offer a great and cheap alternative, but a man can only eat so many shuijiao before he says "Enough! No more F*****G Shuijiao!". I experienced that particular epithamy some time ago, with the result that my life has improved immesurably.
Personally I find Cantonese places a good option. HK style restaurants in particular cater to single diners very well, with a good selection of quality noodle and rice based dishes. Chris Cafe and Xinwang have reasonable HK style food. Chris Cafe (on Nanhui Road - behind Westgate Mall) would be my pick for the single diner, with tasty food, superb HK-style drinks, a nice decor and comfy sofas.
Boduoji & Xinboduoji are more Chaozhou style than Cantonese and have various branches around town (menus and signs only in Chinese). The roast meat on rice dishes are good and cheap. I occasionally help out there as an English language waiter, and they pay me with free mango puddings. Atmosphere isn't so great, not really a place to linger unless swilling cheap beers with friends.
For Taiwanese try Bellagio and the various (cheaper) imitators like Charmant and xiaozhengushi. I think they all have a range of meal sets that are perfect if dining alone (Charmant certainly does). Good noodle selection (beef noodles!). Nice atmosphere too.
I also like Singaporean places like Crossroads. The one inside the Kerry Center on Nanjing/Tongren is OK.
And what about those conveyor belt sushi places? They were just made for solitary figures sitting wordlessly hunched over a beer, chopsticks silently flashing, a tragic picture of 21st century life.
I agree with the Element Fresh, Wagas and Valley Gourmet suggestions. The Valley Gourmet burger is now BIG. Could also add Rendevous Cafe to that list. |
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lancesidecar
FooJay
Joined: Jan 07, 2005
Posts: 1631
Location: Hitsville, PRC
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May 17, 2005 - 08:31 PM |
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Thanks for the responses, y'all.
I got just the answers I wanted...a mixture of Western and Asian places, all ranges of the price spectrum. |
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izanami
PopStar
Joined: Jan 27, 2004
Posts: 1037
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May 17, 2005 - 09:34 PM |
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Chatea at Xintiandi is an option. I was there today and I saw several people eating alone.
Another good option is Japanese restaurants. I have Japanese food about 3-4 times a week, and I never fail to see people having a meal alone. Usually these are salariman with their little comic books or shinbun (I always help to tip their gender ratio by an exponential rate). Those little hole in the wall Japanese yakitori places are especially good. On Maoming road, there is one option beside house of blues and jazz and another one near blue frog.
I agree that Cantonese HK diners are a good option. My latest discovery is Charme Restaurant (Xin Wang) at 6th floor of Raffles City. If you are lucky, you can grab a copy of the South China Morning Post. They do main HK style dishes as well as some fusion and western style dishes. Service is always excellent and they have water with fresh lemon in it. Average cost is 25rmb per head without a special drink.
Other places I like: Cafe Montmarte (and the creperie beside it), Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, Wagas (?), Coffee Club |
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Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are.-- Brillat-Savarin |
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Anniboodk
Fire-eater
Joined: Feb 27, 2004
Posts: 2787
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline
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May 18, 2005 - 11:27 AM |
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Izanami, there's a XinWang in Raffles? Fantastic! Wish I didn't pack my lunch today. Do you have to take the lift by the Cinema to get there? |
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Who was the first person to say, "See that chicken over there? I'm going to eat the next thing that comes out of its butt." |
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izanami
PopStar
Joined: Jan 27, 2004
Posts: 1037
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May 18, 2005 - 11:15 PM |
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it's on the same floor as Megabite. And it is rather packed during lunch time despite the massive space they have! do you work in the vicinity. we should meet for lunch. |
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Tell me what you eat, and I will tell you what you are.-- Brillat-Savarin |
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Anniboodk
Fire-eater
Joined: Feb 27, 2004
Posts: 2787
Location: Shanghai
Status: Offline
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May 19, 2005 - 08:39 AM |
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Izanami, I work one block from there! Should definately meet for lunch soon. PM'd you. |
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Who was the first person to say, "See that chicken over there? I'm going to eat the next thing that comes out of its butt." |
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cks69
Ranter
Joined: Aug 06, 2004
Posts: 562
Status: Offline
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May 19, 2005 - 09:45 AM |
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Arch and rendevouz are two that pop into my head...
Arch is a perfect place to be alone, pop open the laptop, have a great meal and a drink...i go there when i want to "get away" |
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