Shanghai street food is some of the most rewarding eating in China, built for people on the move: crispy soupy buns from a sizzling pan, noodles slicked with fragrant scallion oil, warm rice rolls handed over in wax paper before work. Shanghai's flavours lean a little sweeter and richer than other Chinese regions, and the city's stalls have been perfecting these snacks for well over a century. Here are 10 dishes you have to try, whether you're wandering a lane in Shanghai or looking for the real thing closer to home. If a dish has a link, that's one you can order at SuSuBao here in Vietnam.
The 10 Shanghai Street Food Dishes
1. Sheng Jian Bao
The undisputed king of Shanghai breakfast. Sheng jian bao are pan-fried pork buns with crackling golden bottoms and a mouthful of hot broth hidden inside. Look for a stall with a wide cast-iron pan and a queue of locals. Bite a small vent in the top, sip the soup, then eat the rest with the crispy base still warm.
2. Xiao Long Bao
Shanghai's world-famous soup dumplings. Delicate, thin-skinned parcels of pork are steamed in bamboo baskets until the jellied stock inside melts into a spoonful of soup. Lift one gently with chopsticks, rest it on your spoon, nip the skin and slurp. A dip of black vinegar with fine ginger is the classic finish.
3. Scallion Oil Noodles
Cong you ban mian is proof that simple can be spectacular. Spring onions are slowly fried in oil until deep brown and sweet, then tossed through noodles with a little soy and sugar. There's no meat and no broth, just glossy noodles and pure savoury-sweet depth. It's the taste every Shanghai kid grows up on.
4. Wonton
Shanghai does two kinds. Big wontons (da huntun) come filled with pork and green vegetables in a light broth, while small wontons (xiao huntun) are tiny, silky and float in a clear soup with seaweed and egg. Both are a favourite quick breakfast or late snack, and every family has an opinion on which is better.
5. Crab-Roe Dishes
When autumn arrives, Shanghai goes crab-mad. Hairy crab roe turns up everywhere, from crab-roe soup dumplings to crab-roe tofu and noodles glossed with that rich golden paste. It's luxurious, buttery and deeply seasonal. If you visit in October or November, follow the locals and order anything with xie fen (crab roe) in the name.
6. Ci Fan Tuan
The ultimate grab-and-go breakfast. A ball of warm sticky rice is pressed flat, stuffed with a crunchy fried dough stick, pickled vegetables and often pork floss, then rolled up tight and handed to you in paper. It's filling, portable and made to be eaten one-handed on the way to work.
7. Youtiao
Long golden sticks of fried dough, crisp outside and airy inside. Youtiao are a Chinese breakfast staple across the country, but in Shanghai they're best dunked into warm soy milk (doujiang) or wrapped inside a ci fan tuan. Simple, hot and impossible to eat just one.
8. Stinky Tofu
The dish that announces itself before you see it. Chou doufu is fermented tofu deep-fried until crisp, then topped with chilli sauce and pickles. The smell is famously pungent, but the flavour is mellow, savoury and far gentler than you'd expect. It's a rite of passage for any adventurous eater on a Shanghai street.
9. Nian Gao
Chewy rice cakes with a satisfying bounce. In Shanghai, sliced nian gao are stir-fried with pork, cabbage and a sweet-savoury sauce, or dropped into soups. They're especially loved around Lunar New Year, when their name, which sounds like "higher year," is a wish for good fortune ahead.
10. Tang Yuan
A sweet way to finish. Tang yuan are glutinous rice balls, often filled with black sesame or sweet peanut, served warm in a light syrup or ginger soup. Soft, sticky and gently sweet, they're a comfort food eaten year-round and a must during the Lantern Festival.
How to Try These Dishes
In Shanghai, the best street food is found early. Head to a breakfast lane, join whichever queue is longest, and eat standing up like the locals do. Many of these snacks are morning dishes, so don't wait until lunch to go looking for sheng jian bao or ci fan tuan. Carry small cash, point at what looks good, and be ready to eat on your feet.
You don't need a flight to Shanghai to taste the real thing, though. At SuSuBao our founder was born in Shanghai, and we've been hand-making these classics fresh every day since we opened in 2021. Our sheng jian bao come straight from the pan with that signature crispy base, and there's plenty more on the menu to explore. Browse the full menu and come hungry, because Shanghai street food is always best eaten hot.
