Wilder Shanghai Street Food

Posted by Mary Luz Mejia Jun 11, 2008

I’ve been hilariously reminded about less “common” food stall choices in Shanghai. China is a country in which precious few edibles are wasted. So if that means you can marinate a pig’s snout in a soy and sesame sauce, braise it and serve it to happy, hungry customers, you will.

And our flavour-seeking crew comprising of Chef Shaun Anthony (who worked for Gordon Ramsay in the UK), Patrick McMurray of Starfish Oysterbed and Grill restaurant (he of world champion oyster shucking fame), host Rudy Guo, Chef Michael Blackie (of Ottawa’s Brookstreet Hotel) and sommeliers John and Zoltan Szabo (no relation- John is Canada's first Master Sommelier) tried it all.

In the words of Patrick McMurray (aka Dr. Seafood), “You forgot to add - if your pig’s snoot lands on the grimy old town Shanghai street, the 5 second rule still applies, but only if the food item is washed off with cold Tsing Tao beer!” And then Shaun Anthony wrote me to say, “How come you didn't add that Tsing Tao is an excellent disinfectant for any and all street food situations -say for example that you want to eat a boiled pig's snout and your mate drops it on the ground...” Good question- HOW could I forget? Maybe I inadvertently blocked it out of my mind’s eye.

But this adventurous lot also ate mystery, burnished brown little birds (beaks, brains and all), stinky tofu with hot sauce (oh the smell- this link had me laughing hysterically!), a clay-cooked chicken (brain and all- way to go Shaun) and a few questionable but I’m told delicious “pie” creations. And all in all, the boys fared well, not one of them (to my knowledge) spent serious face time with a toilet!