Yunnan Road Food Street
Yunnan Road Food Street
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The area
Address
Neighborhood: People’s Square
People’s Square brings with it all the excitement you would expect from the town square of one of the biggest cities in the world. The area around People’s Square and People’s Park is always a abuzz with activity. Oceans of local and foreign tourists flow in and out of the area every day to see grand museums, go shopping and eat at some of Shanghai’s most storied food centers. Shanghai residents, meanwhile, live and work in the many residential and office high-rises. While much of Shanghai stays busy late into the night, this really is an area that never sleeps with glitzy nightclubs keeping people up until the wee hours of the morning.
How to get there
- Dashijie • 2 min walk
- Yuyuan Garden • 9 min walk
Best nearby
Restaurants
5,356 within 3 miles
Attractions
698 within 6 miles
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
4.0
44 reviews
Excellent
18
Very good
18
Average
5
Poor
2
Terrible
1
Ives5
Fleet, UK295 contributions
Feb 2014 • Family
We were staying at the New Harbour Service Apartments and this road is just one block away. This is where a lot of local people go to eat in Shanghai, and there are lots of Hotpot restaurants on the street. Some others specialising in sea food and fish ( with the live fish in boxes out front ), or in Duck ( up between Ninghai East Road and Yunan Elevated Road ). One we particularly liked was at number 15 ned to the Phoenix Hostel. They had an English menu and everything we had there was really good. We specially liked the spicy noodles, the cumin lamb and the meat sandwiches - all delicious. There is also a good bakery on the corner of Yunnan South Road and Jinling East road that did really good egg tarts and general pastry goods.
Written February 19, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
maryyeo
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam3,156 contributions
Nov 2018 • Family
This is the kind of place where you need to have the right cultural mindset/expectations before coming... most of the food stores here started out as street hawkers, which are extremely common throughout Asian countries through 1920s till present day (e.g. Taiwanese/Thai night markets). So come with the mindset to EXPLORE, not to nitpick on cleanliness.
Other than having the right mindset, I have to say, it really helps if you speak and read the language... or go with someone who does! Since most of them were or are still street hawkers, it's obvious that they speak mainly local languages.
There's a reason why not many non-Asians can truly appreciate this street. Even though I speak and read the language, but coming from clean Singapore, the vast variety of foods, prepared in all manners, and street hawkers calling out to us was a bombardment of our senses. And instead of getting lost in that, we chose to embrace and enjoy it. Of course, we also had to be wise too to choose the cleaner stores since we didn't want to risk getting food poisoning.
So, if you're game enough, here are the wilder stores to try:
- Fried creepy crawlies like scorpions, starfish, etc
- Roadside grilled lamb right at Ninghai East Rd's road sign. It was super delicious with the right seasonings and melt-in-your-mouth fats especially in the cold weather. Most locals ordered at least 10 but we only ordered one. Less than a dollar each.
- Charcoal hotpots with "ma la"/麻辣 broths. It's almost like cooking all your hotpot ingredients in chilli oil that's almost guaranteed to make you run for the toilets the next day (yes, even the locals will get the runs), but it is REALLY tasty if you like spicy stuff
- Numerous seafood restaurants selling fresh seafoods you may or may not have seen before. So exciting to try. But you'd better go with a local to prevent yourself from getting cheated since they always go by "seasonal prices" and you just never know what price is right!
Not so wild but still very famous stores with proper seating:
- Xian de lai/鲜得来: near the end of the road away from the Bund is this famous store opened in 1921 which sells pork chop with sticky rice cakes. They're also famous for their layered noodle dumpling soup.
- Da hu chun大壶春: The best pan-fried buns aka 生煎包 which are synonymous with Shanghainese cuisine. They've a few outlets across town. That's how famous they are.
- I'm waiting for you in Chengdu 我在成都等你: Yes this store with a crazy funny name not just sells hotpot with rather decent seating compared to the other roadside stores, it also has a street-facing store front at its side that is also famous for its "flying pancake" or "印度煎饼". That's "Roti Prata" in Singapore or "Roti Canai" in Malaysia. They actually use very good quality fresh durian for their pancakes.
YunNan South Road is the "street food" foodie street to try in Shanghai. To try those established restaurants and eateries in Shanghai as old as 300 years old!, you've to go to Fuzhou Road in Huangpu District. In other posts.
Other than having the right mindset, I have to say, it really helps if you speak and read the language... or go with someone who does! Since most of them were or are still street hawkers, it's obvious that they speak mainly local languages.
There's a reason why not many non-Asians can truly appreciate this street. Even though I speak and read the language, but coming from clean Singapore, the vast variety of foods, prepared in all manners, and street hawkers calling out to us was a bombardment of our senses. And instead of getting lost in that, we chose to embrace and enjoy it. Of course, we also had to be wise too to choose the cleaner stores since we didn't want to risk getting food poisoning.
So, if you're game enough, here are the wilder stores to try:
- Fried creepy crawlies like scorpions, starfish, etc
- Roadside grilled lamb right at Ninghai East Rd's road sign. It was super delicious with the right seasonings and melt-in-your-mouth fats especially in the cold weather. Most locals ordered at least 10 but we only ordered one. Less than a dollar each.
- Charcoal hotpots with "ma la"/麻辣 broths. It's almost like cooking all your hotpot ingredients in chilli oil that's almost guaranteed to make you run for the toilets the next day (yes, even the locals will get the runs), but it is REALLY tasty if you like spicy stuff
- Numerous seafood restaurants selling fresh seafoods you may or may not have seen before. So exciting to try. But you'd better go with a local to prevent yourself from getting cheated since they always go by "seasonal prices" and you just never know what price is right!
Not so wild but still very famous stores with proper seating:
- Xian de lai/鲜得来: near the end of the road away from the Bund is this famous store opened in 1921 which sells pork chop with sticky rice cakes. They're also famous for their layered noodle dumpling soup.
- Da hu chun大壶春: The best pan-fried buns aka 生煎包 which are synonymous with Shanghainese cuisine. They've a few outlets across town. That's how famous they are.
- I'm waiting for you in Chengdu 我在成都等你: Yes this store with a crazy funny name not just sells hotpot with rather decent seating compared to the other roadside stores, it also has a street-facing store front at its side that is also famous for its "flying pancake" or "印度煎饼". That's "Roti Prata" in Singapore or "Roti Canai" in Malaysia. They actually use very good quality fresh durian for their pancakes.
YunNan South Road is the "street food" foodie street to try in Shanghai. To try those established restaurants and eateries in Shanghai as old as 300 years old!, you've to go to Fuzhou Road in Huangpu District. In other posts.
Written December 27, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Carolyn H
Stow, MA21 contributions
Jun 2017 • Solo
I am thrilled I took this tour -- particularly early in my stay in Shanghai. I have a feeling this will be the high point of my trip.
As others have mentioned, Jim is a fabulous guide who knows and loves both food and Shanghai. I took the 1 p.m. tour, with very generous "tastings" at three different stops in an older neighborhood in Shanghai I would otherwise never have found. (Sadly, we learned that in rapidly changing Shanghai, many of these older neighborhoods are being bulldozed to make room for high-rise building developments. In just a few years, this neighborhood -- and the food sellers in it -- may no longer be here.) This is not just a taste, but also an immersion in old-world China.
Jim asked the three of us on the tour if we had any food allergies or dislikes and tailored the tour accordingly. Our first stop was sitting at the outside window of a small noodle shop where we had two types of noodles and pork cutlet. The noodles were superb. We were the only foreign patrons of the shop, and a bit of a curiosity for the other diners. Our second stop was for "soup" dumplings and wonton soup. Jim explained how to eat the dumplings -- otherwise we would not have done it properly. Our last stop could have been a full meal in itself -- a whole chicken, spicy green beans, and sweet and sour pork served with black tea. Since the shop that should have been our first stop for pan fried dumplings (what we would call Peking ravioli) had closed, at the last stop Jim went out to purchase some of these to try as well as other dessert items. No need for dinner that night!
In between our stops for food, we walked through a neighborhood I would not have had the knowledge or courage to find or explore on my own (thinking I might be considered rudely intrusive). Throughout the tour, Jim explained many things about living in China and Shanghai. It was wonderful to see a side of the city that isn't skyscrapers and neon lights.
Jim and his partner also offer morning breakfast tours and evening drink and dinner tours. I'm sure these are also excellent.
This was a wonderful three hours, and well worth the price.
As others have mentioned, Jim is a fabulous guide who knows and loves both food and Shanghai. I took the 1 p.m. tour, with very generous "tastings" at three different stops in an older neighborhood in Shanghai I would otherwise never have found. (Sadly, we learned that in rapidly changing Shanghai, many of these older neighborhoods are being bulldozed to make room for high-rise building developments. In just a few years, this neighborhood -- and the food sellers in it -- may no longer be here.) This is not just a taste, but also an immersion in old-world China.
Jim asked the three of us on the tour if we had any food allergies or dislikes and tailored the tour accordingly. Our first stop was sitting at the outside window of a small noodle shop where we had two types of noodles and pork cutlet. The noodles were superb. We were the only foreign patrons of the shop, and a bit of a curiosity for the other diners. Our second stop was for "soup" dumplings and wonton soup. Jim explained how to eat the dumplings -- otherwise we would not have done it properly. Our last stop could have been a full meal in itself -- a whole chicken, spicy green beans, and sweet and sour pork served with black tea. Since the shop that should have been our first stop for pan fried dumplings (what we would call Peking ravioli) had closed, at the last stop Jim went out to purchase some of these to try as well as other dessert items. No need for dinner that night!
In between our stops for food, we walked through a neighborhood I would not have had the knowledge or courage to find or explore on my own (thinking I might be considered rudely intrusive). Throughout the tour, Jim explained many things about living in China and Shanghai. It was wonderful to see a side of the city that isn't skyscrapers and neon lights.
Jim and his partner also offer morning breakfast tours and evening drink and dinner tours. I'm sure these are also excellent.
This was a wonderful three hours, and well worth the price.
Written June 19, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Travelove58
15,579 contributions
May 2016 • Couples
To get here, take Metro to People's Square station. It's about 5mins walk away.
Both sides of the street are filled with restaurants & small cafes selling local food/snacks. Some of these restaurants' staff were preparing raw meat on the outside, in front of the road. Some had dirty looking pots. The street itself wasn't very hygienic.
Decided not to eat here but bought some snacks from a shop selling local snacks delicacies.
Both sides of the street are filled with restaurants & small cafes selling local food/snacks. Some of these restaurants' staff were preparing raw meat on the outside, in front of the road. Some had dirty looking pots. The street itself wasn't very hygienic.
Decided not to eat here but bought some snacks from a shop selling local snacks delicacies.
Written May 19, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Austenbronte
Brisbane, Australia13 contributions
Sep 2015
the place to go to get a bit more authentic Shanghai style dinner, ended up going to yunnan lu, not far from jingle lu , authentic hardly any foreigners so not much English , most have pictures on their menus, my partner and I had a fantastic meal of roast duck, sizzling pepper beef and green veges,plus three giant bottles of beer for about 100 yuan Cheap ! TAsty! Lots of the restaurants have the traditional hotpot too in you are into that
Written September 11, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sonja410
Janesville, WI115 contributions
Jul 2015 • Family
First I'll say there is a really good mix of things here from HotPot to Seafood. But nothing earth shattering. In Shanghai I've found much better food and cheaper elsewhere. Second I'll say the guys on the corner of Yunnan South and Ninghai East Roads grilling Yang Rou (mutton) on a stick must be famous because locals were lining up and snatching it up as fast as they could cook it. It was simply amazing food.
If you are in Shanghai and have time to spare by all means give it go. It's worth it just for theYang Rou. But if your time is limited don't waste it here
If you are in Shanghai and have time to spare by all means give it go. It's worth it just for theYang Rou. But if your time is limited don't waste it here
Written July 23, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chris101111
Auckland, New Zealand1,104 contributions
Jul 2015 • Couples
Great street full of food stalls of all varieties, the prices are really cheap compared to a lot of other places in Shanghai.
If you want authentic local food, do yourself a favour and find this street.
If you want authentic local food, do yourself a favour and find this street.
Written July 10, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jamie B
26 contributions
Mar 2017 • Solo
The food is yummy and affordable. I went to #15 & the dumplings were so cheap I assumed appetizers, so I ordered two orders. In the end I got 30 of the best dumplings I've ever had and an entire pot of amazing tea for under $5USD! Couldn't finish the food. Wish I'd discovered this earlier in the trip rather than doing the high-priced tourist restaurants that don't taste any better.
Written March 26, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
GMW
Reading, UK155 contributions
Jan 2015 • Solo
I came here with a local and hence was able to wander up and down the road of 100s of food vendors and discuss what each one sold and what was good, recommended, bad etc. Just the walk along the street was a fun way to spend an hour in the evening. It was great having someone to translate as although I have very basic Mandarin the locals speak Shanghainese - a local dialect - which I could not understand at all. Also the menus of the interesting food vendors were in Chinese character set and not PinYin.
We ate at a Hotpot shop - 5 plastic tables, stools and food prep out in the street with no kitchen. But the food was excellent, the people watching first class and the locals as transfixed by a blonde tourist tucking in to self cooked mutton (you cook it in a broth which is set on your table) local greens, mushrooms and fish balls, as I was by them.
I would happily revisit the street every time I am in ShangHai
We ate at a Hotpot shop - 5 plastic tables, stools and food prep out in the street with no kitchen. But the food was excellent, the people watching first class and the locals as transfixed by a blonde tourist tucking in to self cooked mutton (you cook it in a broth which is set on your table) local greens, mushrooms and fish balls, as I was by them.
I would happily revisit the street every time I am in ShangHai
Written January 11, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nathalie H
Breda, The Netherlands58 contributions
Really nice. There weren't a lot of tourists when we were at yunnan road. We took pictures of the food we wanted to order. We loved it!
Written May 25, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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