Da Hu Chun 大壶春
Even if you are not a bread lover, these buns (bao) are hard to resist.
It has that perfect thickness of a bao with a crispy base. The first bite is a surprise. The savoury soup flows right out and the minced meat inside the bao is tender yet the flavour is not overwhelming.
On each table, you will find ceramic teapots which contain their own signature black vinegar and also a jar that contains chilli. Shanghainese adore sweet flavours. Hence, even the black vinegar has a slightly sweet aftertaste.
After the first bite into the bao, you can dip it into the vinegar so that vinegar gets into the fillings inside.
A bowl of soup will be comforting and goes well with the buns. We had a vermicelli soup which was very savoury.
A serving consists of four bao at CNY 6 which is perfect to satisfy my craving and suppress my hunger. And if you’re not full yet from the bao, have some pork cutlet (阿宝猪扒) at CNY 10, just right beside the restaurant. The pork cutlets are fried on the spot and cut into strips, easy for takeaway. It is again served with black vinegar that has a sweet aftertaste.
I would say this is local food at its best. I had bad and touristy bao experience before so I know this is delicious.
Address
71 Yunnan S Road, near Jinlin E Road 云南南路71号 (近金陵东路) Alight at Metro Line 8 – 大世界 Da Shi Jie
