Foodicles: Shanghai!

My parents and I spent a few days in Shanghai. It was my first time in the city and in China. Shanghai is beyond incredible! The city has been getting ready for the 2010 Expo. Wow, they are truly showing off their city! It surpasses all metropolitan cities that I've visited so far. Shanghai is definitely a city you should go to if you have the chance.
For pictures of Shanghai, check out my Flickr

Sir Elly's Restaurant, The Peninsula Hotel, The Bund
I had the fortune to stay at the brand new Peninsula Hotel in Shanghai located along The Bund. On the first night, we decided to eat at one of the hotel's restaurant. At Sir Elly's you can have amazing views of the Pudong side.
The food was excellent with its modern approach. It took awhile, though, because of other banquets at the same time. To make up for us waiting, we were given complimentary desserts. I always appreciate it whenever a restaurant tries to make up for their shortcomings.
The Inside

The Wine Pairing
Riesling, Dr. Loosen, Mosel Germany 2008
Because my mom and I ordered seafood for our main courses, we chose a riesling to pair. Also, it was nice because this wine came as a half bottle, which are great for light drinking or for drinking a variety of wines throughout the meal.

The Bread
A raisin goat cheese bread, a brioche, and a mini baguette. All the breads were delicious and toasted. The baguette stole the show - super crispy with a nice light bite!

The Amuse Bouche
Egg custard, caviar foam, and caviar. A delicious start!

Peanut Butter & Jelly
Roasted Foie Gras, Kumquat, Port Reduction, Peanut Three Ways. A generous cut of foie gras! The peanut three ways was delicious. An excellent, hearty start.

Octopus
Grilled Octopus, Crispy Pig Ear. The grilled taste of the octopus was tasty, while the pig ear provided a nice texture.

Turbot
Poached in a Crustacean Butter, With Toasted Hazelnut Crust, Jerusalem Artichokes, and Truffle Jus

Roasted Quail
With Beets

Dessert Amuse Bouche
Panna Cotta with Raspberry Syrup. Creamy and a nice sample dessert.

Bananas and Chocolate
Layered Ice Cream on a Chocolate Cake topped with Bananas. The first of our complimentary desserts. The sugar decoration was candied white sugar and candied chocolate.

Mangoes and Meringues
Mango gelee, meringues, fresh mangoes, and lime mascarpone whipped cream. A nice fruity and tart dessert.

Tiandi, The Bund
For a late lunch, we tried this restaurant located along The Bund. It provided some beautiful views of Pudong. Unfortunately, the service was not accomodating. We felt as though they were pretending not to speak/understand English just so they didn't have to serve us better. The food was decent, but it didn't excite me. I knew the city had more to offer.
The Views

The Beer Pairing
Tsing Tao. The bottling is different here and the taste is fresher.

Hot and Sour Soup
It was definitely both hot (spicy) and sour. It was quite a kicking soup.

Lotus Stuffed with Glutinous Rice
Not a good start. This dish was too sweet, even for dim sum.

Xiao Long Bao
The dish I was looking most forward to eating this trip. Again, I was disappointed. The wrapper was way too thick.

Shrimp Dumpling

Fried Vegetable Roll

Steamed Fried Dumpling

Room Service, The Peninsula Hotel, The Bund
After a long day, we decided to stay in for the night and order room service. Because of the quality of the hotel, the food was pretty good.
The Beer Pairing
Suntory. A Japanese lager is so refreshing after a long day. Plus, it pairs nicely with most foods.

Century Egg wtih Jellyfish
The freshest jellyfish I have eaten - so fresh and crispy!

Hairy Crab Soup
The taste of hairy crab has such an intense crab flavor. The broth was excellent, too.

Grilled Salmon
With Maine Lobster and Spinach Gnocchi.

Lamb Lollipops
Nicely spiced with cumin, with a tart yogurt sauce to contrast the tastes.

Noodles
A plate of Chinese-style pan fried noodles.

Kumquats
We bought this at the local market. The kumquats here are so plump and tasty. They are definitely better than the varieties I've tried in the states.

Breakfast, The Peninsula Hotel, The Bund
As part of our stay at the hotel, breakfast every morning was complimentary at The Lobby. Unfortunately, I only remembered to bring down my camera for one of the mornings.
Tea
Green Tea to start my day with anti-oxidants.

Shanghai Breakfast
I felt like I had to order this breakfast since I was in Shanghai.

Won Ton Soup
A nice warm bowl of soup and won tons.

Fried Glutinous Rice Dumpling

Tea Egg
Nicely soaked and infused egg.

Xiao Long Bao
Mmm, xiao long bao to start the day! I could do that every morning.

Ding Tai Fung, Xintiandi
After one visit, this is one of my favorite restaurants in the world! I instantly fell in love with the place. In total, my parents and I each had 12 dumplings, plus side orders and dessert.
We had a hard time searching for the restaurant. If you happen to go, know that it's in the Xintiandi mall on the second floor. Also, if you're in the states and really want to go, there's a location in LA (Arcadia). Although, I'm pretty sure that the Shanghai outlet was superior as to suit the palate of locals.
The Outside

The Inside

The Beer Pairing
Tsing Tao

Sugar Pea Shoots
Fresh tasting!

Ginger
For the xiao long bao.

Steamed Pork Dumplings
The wrapper is so thin! The broth was so tasty!

Steamed Pork and Crab Dumplings
This was so amazing, too! I'm still having dreams of eating these dumplings. We ordered another round for a pre-dessert.

Inside the Dumpling
Look at the thin wrapper, the broth, and the filling - all so delicious!

Steamed Vegetable Dumplings
Another great dumpling. The vegetables weren't all mashed up inside.

Shrimp and Pork Shao-Mai
Shrimp on top and pork on the inside. Tasty!

Pork and Glutinous Rice Shao-Mai
Glutinous rice on top and inside. Tasty glutinous rice, but a bit too heavy for it to be on top and on the inside. A filling order.