A Chinese breakfast

The hostel served fresh and cooked breakfasts. The prices were cheap for visitors, but high by Chinese standards. I pored over the menu and thought: I can do better than this. Recalling the ancient Roman maxim: When in China, do as the Chinese do, I decided to find a breakfast joint on Yuyi Road. I was halfway down the road when I spotted this place that had recently opened, to judge from the bouquets bearing well wishes at the entrance. I quickly intuited that the modus operandi was to order from the bill of fare behind the cashier, pay, then seat yourself and let the waitress convey your docket to the kitchen.

Numbered clothes pegs match your docket with your table and ensure that you get your order. Very clever. Here's what I ate, a steamer of xiaolongbao (小笼包), a very typical Shanghainese dish. The tasty meat juice oozes out when you bite into them. They were delicious dipped in vinegar. For refreshment I had a packet of soy milk. I supplemented these with a dousarbao (豆沙包, red bean paste bun) from another streetside store, then a couple of bananas from a fruit seller. I hadn't had such cheap bananas for ages. They were imported from the Philipines. Total expenditure for breakfast: less than 3 AUD. Suitably fortified, I set out on my adventures for the day.


(To be continued.)