Refresh tired taste buds with summer treats

Hot and humid, the summer in Shanghai can always spoil an appetite. Here, we present three exquisite restaurants for you to refresh your lifeless taste buds.

Shanghai Tang

The new summer menu here is offering a great way for you to cool down, along with an enchanting view of the Bund.

Starting with a cold dish, like sliced crab meat and wild rice stem cake topped with caviar, pidan (century egg) salad, fresh cucumber drizzled with vinegar and orange juice, you can truly taste a breath of cool air on any sultry day. The chef especially makes the homemade sauce for the cold dishes to help stir the appetite. You will definitely taste a flavor that is delicate and aromatic.

A recommendation worth trying is the stewed clam cooked with fresh chicken oil. The taste of the clam is highlighted by the mashed basil. You can feel the bouncy texture of the clam with a rich flavor of warm chicken oil. Moreover, the crab and sponge gourd in the lobster broth is also very popular. The miangeda, or dough balls, in the dish are an added surprise. You can also try the fried mantis shrimp with leek flower and truffle sauce.

And, of course, no meal can be complete without a dessert, and at Shanghai Tang it's the green melon ice cream. This fresh tasting and worry-free dessert contains less sugar – such a perfect sweet treat during summertime!

Hours: 11am-2pm, 5-9:30pm

Address: 5/F, Bldg N3, 600 Zhongshan Rd E2

Tel: 6378-7777

Scarlet Cloud Restaurant

The new branch of Scarlet Cloud in Xintiandi area offers a fresh twist on Yunnan cuisine. Besides its signature beef hotpot and stewed fish, the restaurant presents various new choices for summer.

You should never miss the chance to try the magic match of rushan and roasted rice pancake. You can choose the stuffing inside the pancake from options of beef, shrimp ball, tofu, chicken feet and potato. They are all cooked in homemade seasoning sauce. The fragrant pepper flavor leaves a tingly numbness lingering on the tongue. Rushan, in the Chinese word, is translated to "cheese fan." It is made into thin, long sheets of cheese from fresh cow's milk in a wok. You can pick the dressings, such as fresh rose sauce and black sugar.

Also, the bullfrog hotpot with homemade pepper and ginger broth is very popular. The tender bullfrog meat soaks up all the flavors and fragrances from the broth. The fragrant pepper flavor leaves a unique lingering taste on the tongue.

Hours: 11am-4pm, 5-9pm

Address: 333 Huaihai Rd M.

Tel: 6328-8790

Zhou Zhenzhen Rice Noodle

Started in Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, in 2015 and with outlets in nine provinces and municipalities, this rice noodle restaurant has now opened a new branch in Shanghai.

The rice noodles can be served in soup or with homemade sauce. You can choose from dressings like beef, shrimp, beef belly and pig's ear. Vegetables and cold dishes like sliced potatoes, pickles, bean curd, bamboo shoots and preserved turnip are also available. 

The open kitchen allows you to see your customized noodle bowls being made. Staff soak the cooked noodles in a large pot with thick beef broth to highlight the flavors. A spoonful of chili source made from local Jiangxi chilis is sprayed on the soup before serving. The cost of rice noodles ranges from 12 yuan (US$1.85) to 45 yuan.

Hours: 10:30am-2:30pm, 5-9pm

Address: 540 Lingshi Rd

Tel: 1871-7856-727