Shanghai Nights

The food at Liquid Laundry; it's good to share since everything
is so amazing!

        Since Songjiang district, the district that I live in, does not have much to offer, I have been venturing out into the heart of the city with some friends! Here's a list of places I have enjoyed during my time in the city both of restaurants and sights to see. So, without further adieu, I'd like to introduce some of my favorite western food places I tried while exploring Shanghai first!

Look at this gorgeous salmon plate;
There's even a runny farm fresh egg
hidden inside

            I've been away from home for a very long time, and I've been craving western food: burgers, burritos, brunch, you name it. So whenever I go into the city, I always indulge in foreign food. One of my favorite spots I find myself returning to again and again is Liquid laundry, a deceivingly swanky brunch place with relatively affordable, very tasty brunch food. I always get the salmon board (I mean, look at it, why would you get anything else). In addition, my friends who know me well know that I don't eat sweet things, let alone sweet breakfast foods, but their waffles are to die for.

I would be happy to get a meal like
this in the states!

     Another restaurant I thoroughly enjoyed was called Cantina Agave. I stopped in on their brunch service on a whim, and was blown away; their salsa bar was extensive and tasty, and they served the best burrito I've ever had in China by far. It cured my hangover and my cravings for western food, which is all I could have asked for.

This place is so small we got a rando
lady lurkin in the back

   

     Lastly, I'd like to introduce Bowl Shakalaka, a small poke place with big flavors. I stopped by this place whenever I was craving something light with lots of veggies and salmon (is it obvious to y'all that I really like salmon or what), and it never left me disappointed.  It's a little spendy, but hey, when you get that craving it's hard to hold back, and since they make such a mean bowl, it's definitely worth it for any poke lover.

   Other good places to eat:

   Saigon Mama
   Simply Thai
   Colca
(This is definitely not an exhaustive list)

The Pearl Tower is hidden behind that
layer of fog I promise 

     Now to induce some of the sights! One popular spot that's high on any tourist's list has got to be the Bund. I did mention that I visited the Bund in an earlier blogpost, so I thought I would highlight some of the things there are to do around the Bund besides taking a classic pic with the Pearl Tower. In general, it's a great place to walk around, soak up the bougie, over the top consumerist culture and see the more "quintessential" parts of Shanghai; In this area, it's impossible to escape the hustle and bustle, as well as the fine shopping and dining Shanghai has to offer. Store after store, mall after mall line the streets in the area, along with examples of impressive architecture, such as ritzy hotels, the Pudong Development Bank, along with the other larger than life buildings that make up the skyline along the Bund. Shanghai, especially the area along the Bund, is truly a testament to what man can create and consume.

Me and my worm friend

     If that little worm in the picture to the left looks familiar, that's because it is! In an earlier blog post, I mentioned the Line Friends Park in Nanjing, and there's another Line Friend's park in Shanghai, full of unique, cute displays to explore and take pictures of! It's always a ton of fun sitting and hanging out among the many Line Friends characters, sipping a cup of coffee and enjoying the afternoon.



        If consumerist culture isn't your cup of tea, then may I suggest taking a walk through Century Park! There are many sections and things to see in this extensive park, from paddle boating to fishing, or even just stopping and smelling the flowers; Visiting Century Park makes for an ideal outing for the even most indecisive of friends (there's something for everyone!).



Other places to visit:
Jing An Temple
Square Enix Cafe
Disney Land
Dongiri Republic

This concludes my blogpost for this week! Please feel free to comment with any questions or observations you have below. Next time, tune in to a post about saying goodbye to Nanjing!