The first time I walked into Ryan Noreiks’ bar, a friend and I had just finished a larger-than-necessary meal at Sinan Mansions. My friend was really stuffed and, at the time, Ryan was tending bar for The Alchemist, a fantastic place to get cocktails inside Sinan Mansions. Noreiks is a tall, slender, humble SHEXpat from Brisbane, Australia. He also has a shaven h...

Some expats never get out of the "expat" bubble, frequenting the same Western places in the French Concession, Xintiandi and Pudong over and over again. To them, those Chinese faces – they're just there, to serve you at overpriced bar venues, to gape at you on the subway, and to hassle you on the streets to buy their junk. Those expats never get to see the real si...

It is always refreshing to meet someone who takes such obvious pride in their work; who talks of what they do with passion and excitement. This is rare in many cases, as the daily grind can often ware down the initial zeal that is felt by the prospect of an exciting or challenging vocation. Jacky Wong has been a bartender for over five years. It would appear that his dr...

Noodles are a large part of Chinese food culture and are a consistent presence in culinary creations, regardless of region or ethnic influence. Noodle dishes are delicious, surprisingly varied and one of the cheaper dining options available in the city of opulence and excess. ShanghaiExpat delves deeper into the noodle options available in Shanghai, to come up with the ...

What categorizes the British? A penchant for afternoon tea and scones; a certain air of sophistication as legitimate as hard felt emotion after a delightful dream; football (the real kind); rain; Indian food. You whaaaaat?! Yes, that’s right; ye who jibe and mock, despite your best efforts to circulate around the globe the urban myth that British food is rubbishâ...

One indication of a booming economy is the demand for luxury consumer items, like designer apparel, expensive cars and fine cuisine. The reason is because as average incomes rise, people tend to spend their money on things that may have been unattainable for them in the past. It makes sense if you think about it: Why spend money on fancy Japanese Kobe Beef when you can ...