yay! dunkin’ donuts is finally here, and the donuts are delicious! the service was a bit clumsy, but we forgive them since it’s the first day…
shanghaiist is right though, there seems to be somewhat of a donut war going on at the moment, with so many donut shops opening in shanghai. the more the merrier, i say! this dedicated reviewer shall visit them all and report back.
ever since moon river diner closed its doors, we’ve been “on the market” for another place to hang out and work a couple of hours. our only requirements: a quiet place with simple food and internet.
we did indeed find it. it’s called munchies and it sits on the corner of wuding road and jiaozhou road. munchies has all the ingredients to be good. it’s not pretentious, since the place is small and lacks the fancy furniture. the walls are painted with colorful flora, and orange lampshades hang from the ceiling, making the place rather funky i think (opinions vary).
the menu is a collection of american favourites, including hamburgers, hot dogs, cincinnati chili, sandwiches, ice-creams, smoothies and milkshakes, and also some mexican dishes. we’ve tried a bit of everything and apart from the chili (everybody raves about it, but we just don’t find it such a big deal), the rest of the dishes are great. tasty, fresh and yummy.
our lunch today, a mushroom burger with pasta salad, chicken quesadillas and cosmic charlie smoothie (apple+pear+raspberries):
they deliver in the neighborhood, their prices are decent and the service is fast and friendly (people actually speak/understand english). what else could you ask for? :)
this has been on our to-do list for far too long. after yesterday’s rain, today the day seemed quite clear, we could see well into pudong from our balcony, so we decided to take the chance and venture to climb the lupu bridge. besides, the bus number 36 starts right outside our house and stops exactly on the base of the bridge. how’s that for convenience?
the entrance to the bridge will set you back 68 rmb, and you’ll be guided around by the young people who serve as staff here. they send you to an elevator to the bridge platform, and after that… stairs. lots of them, since this is the longest arch bridge in the world, according to wikipedia.
along the way, you’ll notice the construction frenzy on both sides of the river. expo 2010 is coming, and you can already see the china pavilion taking shape!
once you’re up on top… wow! you get a 360 degree view of the city that is just breathtaking. all the buildings in the distance, the sand carrier ships, the cranes, the cars speeding under your feet, and the crazy wind… it’s all worth it.
a cool field trip for a lazy sunday! will definitely climb it again in 2010, when (if) we return to shanghai for the expo, to see how the city has changed in the meantime.
But despite the fanfare, Shanghai is hardly an international city (anyone who has been to Kuala Lumpur will immediately spot the difference) and a curious absence of creative energy can make this fast-changing city seem oddly parochial and inward-looking.
from the lonely planet guidebook on china (which is banned around here).
a year and some months ago, this was the view from our tiny 1 bedroom apartment – the first we rented in shanghai. :)