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David Kao
Shanghai
Well, flying into the international Pudong airport in Shanghai was not a
really enjoyable experience! I did it to myself the night before, by
wining and dining with some of my friends well into the morning. Must
remember not to do this again!
I decided to try the 'Maglev' which is a magnetically elevated train
that has a top speed of 430 kph (258 mph!) taking the 40 km (24 miles)
trip in a mere 9 mins! It was really impressive! Not having any
experience traveling at over 200 mph in a train, I was a bit anxious!
The trip is definitely too short but it does bring you to the connecting
station which is very close to town. I think this is highly
recommendable and a unique experience for all!
A
relatively new hotel/service apartment was chosen because of its
location. In Shanghai we arrive in an area known as XinTianDi
(which means new heaven and earth!), it is full of restaurants,
shopping, entertainment all within walking distance. You don't have to
go far to look for some activities. The choice for cuisine went from
traditional Shanghainese to Asian fusion. The room is very well appointed,
with subtle colors and you can find little Chinese touches in the furniture
and decorations.
We choose Noble House for our first dinner and what a gem it turned out
to be! located in a gated compound with several old colonial style
houses, the ambiance is terrific. Traditional Shanghai dishes prepared
with a little European flare and the plates were 'sensible' size which
will allow us to sample many dishes. Foie Gras was on the table,
pan-fried to the perfect doneness, it melted in my mouth. Drunken pigeon
and fresh water shrimps.......Yum!
One of the 'must see' sights in Shanghai is the 'Bund' (river front). At
night, the whole area is lit up and when you look at it, it naturally
lifts your spirit as well. Well, we booked a table by the window, at
Jean Georges French Restaurant, arguably one of the best in town.
Walking in, I just had to stop at the bar area! I love bars! Had a few
drinks waiting for my dinner companion to show up! absolutely beautiful
place. Now, they have receptionists from Switzerland and France. A lady
sommelier from Singapore who really knows her wine. Rack of lamb done to
perfection, roasted pork loin with wild berries.....no complaints there!
I took a tour to Suzhou (the oriental Venice), an 'average' city in
China with 6 million people! It is also full of canals and beautiful
garden houses which is definitely worth a visit. It is also famous for
silk and a visit to a silk factory lets you learn the whole process from
the silk worm to the final fabric and dresses. Then, we are off to
ZhouZhang, a 900 years old town which was painstickingly preserved to
retain its authenticity. We got a chance to ride in a Chinese Gondola
down the canals and the rower sang for us as well.
 I joked to my fellow
travelers that the ones in Venice sang much better but the Chinese
version was much cheaper!
Back
in the city, we went to a restaurant that specializes in 'dim-sum', the
Chinese version of 'tapas'! very authentic dishes that are not easy to find
these days were available and of course, I promptly over-ordered. They also
have a 'tasting menu' which we will definitely take on our next visit, it lets
us try more than 10 different types of 'dim-sum' including very yummy desserts!
Shanghai also has a 'Grand Theater'! when I was there, they have the
Lion King playing and also, the world famous Soprano Jessie Norman is
due to perform there as well. If our timing is right, we might be able
to attend some world-class concerts during our visit. I will keep an eye
out for this!
Shanghai is a 'must-see' city in China and the selection of cuisine
rivals any major city in the world. It is not cheap especially when you
look at their wine lists! And, there are the traffic jams....I guess
they come as a package in big cities all over the world these days! If
you have never been to Shanghai before, it will shock you a bit by its
sheer size, population and especially its desire to regain its previous
reputation as being the world's most cosmopolitan city. I think it is
getting close!
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