So I know I told you I'd have a Chinese meal in anticipation of this week's Fatty Tuesday, but instead, I'm going British. (I'm sure I've had Chinese at one point in the last seven days, but the fish and chips stood out and I had to report back.)
We spent our Saturday running errands around our 'hood and ended up on Yongkang, a small, planter-lined street we frequented on bike rides, crowded with small coffee shops, bars and restaurants. If it weren't for the laundry hanging outside of windows and locals walking their dogs, you'd hardly know you were in China.
Among the bars is Dean's Bottle Shop, a tiny space (the size of a walk-in closet) with imported alcohol -- everything from Dos Equis to Maker's Mark -- and a few beers on tap, run by a Mexican guy named Nacho (yes, really). After a visit to Dean's and a couple of beers later, Mike and I cancelled the fancy dinner reservations we had made and wandered across the street to The Sailors for fish and chips.
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| Representing in Shanghai on Superbowl Sunday |
Like its neighbors, the place is small and has about five tables and six bar stools. We ordered the platter -- perfectly fried, not-too-greasy, almost tempura-style pieces of sea bass, flounder, shrimp, scallops and calamari, and fries, of course. And a caesar salad, just to balance things out (though I'd skip it next time, or choose a different one). I don't usually go for fish and chips -- I think the dish can easily end up as a greasy mess on a plate -- but Sailors hits the mark and satisfies that pub food craving.
P.S. I'm now catching up on all of the Superbowl commercials we missed while watching the big game, which aired here, but with ads for hotels in Macau and Bali instead of commercials for Doritos and beer. FYI, thanks to the die-hard Niners fan I live with, we woke up at 5 a.m. (okay, 5:45 a.m.) on Superbowl Monday and trekked in the rain (okay, the light drizzle) to get to Big Bamboo for a $20 cover that got us free-flowing coffee and a breakfast buffet. Not exactly beer, chips and dip, but it did the trick for us expats. Next year, Niners. Unless it's the Patriots.
