Over the weekend, Jacob and I stayed at a friend's lane house in Shanghai's French Concession. It's a live-work space that is occupied by a web company, and all the techies is get their caffeine and sugar fixes from Paul, a French bakery that opened in the city last year. (I'm sure in Paris Paul is considered average, but in Shanghai a Western bakery can't be found on every corner.) Every morning we were in Shanghai one of us would make a Paul run, and come back with croissants, rolls, etc.

On Saturday, just as I was about to step out to meet my cousin for a soup dumpling lunch, J came through the door with two enormous bags. One was from Paul and was filled with Danishes, doughnuts, olive rolls, and a ham sandwich on baguette. The other was from Mr. Donut; it had a selection of large and mini doughnuts, and a little cardboard caddy of macarons.

"I didn't know Mister Donut made macarons," I said.

J shrugged. "They were 7 kuai. It's worth a try."

I just got back from a long weekend in Shanghai, where I fit in as much good eating as I could in 4 days. One place that had been on my must-visit list for a looooong time was Jia Jia Tang Bao, reportedly one of the best places for xiaolongbao (soup dumplings) in Shanghai. And since Shanghai claims xiaolongbao as a native food (others would argue that it orginated from surrounded towns), some afficionados think Jia Jia Tang Bao has some of the best in the world.

The ideal xiaolongbao, for the uninitiated, should have very thin, almost translucent skin, and equal parts soup and filling inside. I dream about these dumplings, and have tried so many poor versions that I want to cry every time. Often the skin is too think, sometimes there's not enough soup. When you are eating a perfect xiaolongbao, you should be worried about your clothes getting soup stains from a squirty dumpling.

Goodfella in ShanghaiJohn Chen and Jian Jiang are two 20-something Scorsese fans who want to spread underground arts through their gallery and retail store Goodfella. According to Chen, the owners "saw a need to provide a positive platform that will educate like-minded audiences with our knowledge and products, to introduce established and upcoming overseas artists, and to push local artists.”

The artwork, apparel, and home furnishings come from both international designers and Chinese artists such as fashion designer Zhang Da and iconoclast Ai Weiwei. Chen and Jiang also organize shows to promote up-and-coming artists and designers.

Goodfella Running Gallery
1618 Nanjing Road (West)
4th floor Jiuguang, Jing An District
Shanghai
+(86) 21-62887189

地址: 上海市 南京西路 Y436-437, 久光YES!馆, 4F, Y436-437

"Cosmos Gaudí, Architecture, Geometry and Design" is at Shanghai's Museum of Contemporary Art until October 15th. According to MOCA's website, this "is the largest and most comprehensive exhibition of Gaudi's work to come to China and the first to fully capture the artistic vitality of both his architecture and interior design."

Features include archititectural studies of Gaudí's sinuous Modernist designs, building models, and a Spanish-language documentary of his work.

China's fascination with contemporary art, design, and architecture is just beginning, and will only grow in the coming years. (Hint to universities: now's the time to step up your design programs!)

MOCA Shanghai
People's Park, 231 Nanjing West Road, Shanghai
Tel: +86 21 63279900
mocashanghai.org

Dance music pioneer Paul Oakenfold has been doing shows in China for over 10 years. In a recent Guardian article, he discusses the club scenes in not only Shanghai and Beijing, but also Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, and Jinan. Tom Pattinson, an editor at TimeOut Beijing, includes a list of club picks in China.

The Sunday Times this week turned its attention to photography. If you missed it in print, the online archives will be around for at least a week sans registration. Two stories focus on photographing Asia, with a huge dose of nostalgia. Matt Gross's story on photographer John McDermott includes some beautiful images of Angkor Watt, before the expected tourist deluge. And photographer and writer Howard French focuses his attention on the lesser known Shanghai:

"Shanghai’s fast-disappearing old quarters drip with charm, but they are also full of problems, from cramped living spaces that have been subdivided over the years to inadequate heating and plumbing. Many who can afford to move into the high-rises sprouting up everywhere are happy to do so. Others wear looks of mourning."

Long live the black & white format.