For our first night in Shanghai, we couldn’t wait to try some pan fried buns (生煎包). There were so many options to choose from!
Our first stop was Da Hu Chun at 123 Middle Sichuan Road (Dian Ping). We found Da Hu Chun by watching Andrew Zimmer’s Bizarre Foods episode about Shanghai. There are lots of Da Hu Chun locations; this one is also flagged by the Michelin Guide as a Bib Gourmand restaurant.
We tried three different types of buns: foi gras, pork, and shrimp. The outside of each bun was crispy on the bottom and fluffy on the sides and top. The stuffing was well seasoned, salty with a bit of sweet, juicy but not oily at all. I liked the foi gras buns the best because the foi gras gave the stuffing a smooth texture and a natural sweet taste.
Their vermicelli and fish ball soups were bit bland for my taste.
We also tried Xie Ke Huang (蟹壳黄) and turnip pancake (萝卜丝饼), but we didn’t find them impressive either.
Another well known pan fried bun restaurant is Xiao Yang Sheng Jian (小杨生煎). Compared to Da Hu Chun, we found the outside of the buns at Xiao Yang Sheng Jian was softer, and the stuffing was juicer. It was a bit too oily for our taste.
This Da Hu Chun location is very close to the Bund, so definitely worth a visit if you are around the neighborhood. My husband still remembers it all the time.
