i don’t know if the rest of the world has already seen this, but i’ve just stumbled on the most brilliant website, and it’s making me rethink the way i look at food (especially sodas).
it’s called sugar stacks, and what it does is basically show you how much sugar the food portrayed has, using stacks of white sugar cubes (4g). like so:
1 serving of carrots: 4g of sugar
can of cola: 39g of sugar
small bottle: 65g of sugar
1L bottle: 108g of sugar
starbucks mocha frappuccino + cream: 47g of sugar
jell-o, 1 serving: 19g of sugar
of course, not all sugar is created equal, but still it gives you a very different perspective on the things you’re eating. i mean, i’d never put that much sugar in my tea/coffee, so i’ll definitely think twice next time i reach for a cola in the office… many more at sugarstacks.com
i always have trouble spelling cappuccino. 2 sequences of 2 p’s and 2 c’s? that’s just asking for trouble. plus, i don’t know of many decent cappuccinos in shanghai (it’s not you, mr. barista, it’s the coffee you use).
now, meet this cappuccino:
a real work of beauty, isn’t it? look, look:
*happy sigh*
also, there are milkshakes, some pastas, paninis and other simple things. and a cat. oh, and pizzas. with carrots in it.
all mingled in a strange bohemian/cozy decoration, that you don’t see too often around here. the ceiling is wallpapered with newspapers that have gone yellow, the cat has scratched all the sofas…
and yet, it feels right. i believe i could spend my days here, marveling at the photography books and magazines they have, working quietly, enjoying the soft brazilian music, patting the cat and sipping cappuccinos.
tired of the sterile cafés in shanghai too? the marienbad is on 55 wukang road (but really, it’s on the beginning of anfu road). enjoy!
i bet you were all thinking i was going to talk about beijing duck… et non! i introduce you the donghuamen night market!
i believe we were lost or looking for something else when we stumbled on the donghuamen street market… but we were instantly converted, and came back every day at dinner. food is one of the (main) reasons we travel, and so it was impossible to resist the temptation!
here’s how the tested snacks ranked, according to the “yummy or meh” classification:
crunchy dry yellow thing: meh. quite tasteless, and hard to eat with the mini-sticks they gave us!
stewed meat on bread bun: yummy! this was excellent! perfectly spiced & stewed, with lots of fresh herbs, and lots of sauce from the stew.
squid: meh, not that good. the sauce they covered it on was a bit too sweet for our liking…
fried “banana” balls: yummy! but banana? these things tasted nothing like banana! a fluffy favourite nonetheless :)
meat on wrap: meh. not good.
strawberry/pineapple stick: yummy yummy yummy! those strawberries were gigantic and thus a little lacking in flavor, but the pineapple is sooo tasty… it more than makes up for the rest. you can also have these in other combos (just strawberries, strawberry/melon, strawberry/kiwi…).
meat kebab: yummy! although we didn’t quite get which kind of meat it was, but probably lamb. very tender.
there were also lots of strange things, like snakes, starfish, sea horses or crickets… they must be popular among foreigners, since all the vendors waved them at us… but i’m not that much of a fan.
that’s it! i would highly recommend this place if you want to taste a bit of everything, and i have to say my belly had absolutely no complaints (this being street food and all).
a little advice though: more than 20rmb is probably too much for anything here, so raise an eyebrow and be ready to speak out if they ask you for more than that. don’t be dumb.
lately, i’ve been obsessing over stationery. all kinds of small envelopes, writing tools, letter sets, stickers, postcards… i love them, i just can’t stop myself! i found a nice shop on fuzhou road called keyroad (very close to dunkin’ donuts) that is filled with korean goodness, and well, disaster ensued. some of the stuff in the picture is actually for a swap but the rest is just sitting here, waiting for an excuse to write a letter :)
speaking of recent korean discoveries, when browsing for video podcasts on itunes store, i found maangchi who makes cooking traditional korean food look fun! in small funny episodes, she will make you a master of kimchi or bibimbap. i can’t wait to try the egg side dishes, simple and yummy!
