Shang Hai Food Safety?

[jkim]

Hi,

I will be visiting Shanghai for a week for a holiday.

I have heard many food safety horror stories for China.

People are reported to be sick after eating in China.

Apparently, some people even died.

I don't really want to die, so I would like to ask for recommendations of safe places to eat for foreigners.

I am cost consciencious, so cannot afford to eat at the really expensive restaurants everyday of my trip. I will probably go to an expensive restaurant once or twice during the trip, but no more.

Where can I find food that is safe to eat, and yet tastes good and will be memorable?

Also, I have heard that some people take medicine before eating in order to avoid the food complication issues that may occur. What is this medicine and where can I get it?

Thank you in advance for all the replies.

[stealw]

Can't specifically recommend any places to eat..

However, using common sense should really void you of any real trouble.

I.e. Not going to a lonely food stand in some dark swampy alley way with more flies and rodents than customers.

Look for a popular stir of people congregating, let it be food stands or even small open restaurants. Usually it is an unspoken rule that their food is not only good and popular, but may be fresher due to the higher volume.

Now, even with the freshest foods cooked, you may still feel a bit under the weather. Travelers diarrhea is quite common b/c your body is not use to the contents your ingesting. i.e. the water there, amount of oil used in their food etc..

Better yet, if you speak the language, ask around for local suggestions, or even the hotel.

Best of luck, hopefully you won't die.

Jim

Edited January 9, 2009 by stealw (log)

[chefsimon]

I use to work in Shanghai, most peoples stomach take a little getting use to any food cooked in china, most of the hotels have very reasonable priced food offerings

Crystal Jade restaurant in Xintandi which is a bit of a touristy area does very very good food and safe,reasonably priced always look for the busy places, do not buy anything from the street sellers, that not to say some of it does not taste good, becauce believe me it does but there is obviously a level of risk, as anywhere

you can eat in very good places for not alot of money

Only drink bottled water,

If your going expensive Jade on 36 Shangri-la hotel not to be missed (guess where i worked!!!), plus there all day dining option yi cafe is very good value, 9 live cooking stations and Jean George is one of the best meals i have ever had, chinese wise Whampoa club, think is the name is amazing in the same building as Jean george on the bund

Mcdonalds is also very cheap

Have a great trip

[liuzhou]

I have been living in China for 13 years and have travelled all over, including Shanghai.

I only once got sick and that was after eating ice-cream in a western restaurant.

As others have said, if you are sensible, you'll be fine.

[aprilmei]

I was in Shanghai last weekend and had a great time eating the street food. San cheen bao, spring onion pancakes (actually, we had a lot of breads) and this most delicious fun see tong with chicken innards (intestines and gizzards, along with pork blood).

[tupac17616]

stinky tofu is good for the soul. you'll be fine.

[lilyhotel]

western restaurants in China are always expensive.

You can go to Campus to eat , like Shanghai Jiao Tong University.