Authentic eateries to check out around Xinle Road

Graeme Kennedy

New Jersey-born Camden Hauge has lived in Shanghai for more than a decade, where she has been operating a hospitality group – Happy Place – and an experiences agency – SOCIAL SUPPLY – which runs food and beverage focused events. Her latest obsession is with Chinese wine, which has bloomed as an industry over the past few years thanks to the passion of young winemakers across the country.

Could you introduce the neighborhood you live in.

I live on Xinle Road in Xuhui District, a neighborhood I love not only because it's leafy and green, but also because it's 'central' to me in my daily life.

What's the best thing about living in this neighborhood?

All of my venues are within a few minutes walk so it's easy to go check in on the spots, and all of the things I love about Shanghai, the convenience, the neighborhood feeling, and even a large public park with dancing elders, are easy to find.

Each person may have different tastes, but they all want a great cafe. What's your favorite cafe near home?

It's very self-indulgent, but I have to say Egg (12 Xiangyang Rd N. 襄阳北路12号) purely because it's been open almost nine years now and I spend the most time there so it really feels like home! We try to keep things simple but tasty, with friendly hospitality, and enough events for the community to keep coming back. I'm spending almost every night there now because of our evening hours as a Chinese wine bar, and it's been a lot of fun seeing it in a (literally) different light.

Courtesy of Camden Hauge

Where should one eat around here?

There are too many amazing places in the neighborhood so let's keep it hyper-local: if I were to have a perfect day eating only within a two-street radius and cannot visit any of my own places, I would start by picking up a 煎饼 jianbing and some 包子 baozi from the vendors at 'the breakfast corner' on Xiangyang Road N. near Changle Road. Lunch would be at my all-time favorite spot, the 山东手工水饺 Shandong shuijiao place (14 Yanqing Rd 延庆路14号) on Yanqing Lu, which has been open forever and randomly has amazing cold skin noodles 凉皮 in the summer. 

I would have dinner at 园有桃 Where Peaches Grow (167 Xinle Rd 新乐路167号) – an amazing contemporary Hunan restaurant with a great cellar, before late night skewers (and their criminally underrated mini-dumpling soup) at Anar Kewap (5-105, 758 Julu Rd 巨鹿路758号5-105).

Courtesy of Where Peaches Grow

From high fashion to emerging designers, from flowers to fresh produce, where do you shop in your neighborhood?

I am not really a 'shopper' unless it comes to snacks, for which I love the banana streusel croissant at Crave (208 Xinle Rd 新乐路208号) or a dorayaki at 泽田本家 ZeTian Benjia(168 Fumin Rd 富民路168号) when my coffee wears off in the afternoons. But if I really need to get dressed up and I want something truly special, I would visit one of Labelhood's shops (184 Fumin Rd 富民路184号) dedicated to emerging local designers.

Courtesy of Crave

Any neighborhood place for a night out or simply a drink after work?

I always end up drinking wine at friends' places like Yaya's (329 Tongren Rd 铜仁路329号) or Bastard (Room102, No. 30, Lane 319 Jiaozhou Rd 胶州路319弄30号102室) but I have recently fallen for Chase White's brand-new Bar Blanc (542 Julu Rd 巨鹿路542号) on Julu Lu, which serves cocktails that are playful yet seriously tasty (plus dangerously close to my house). If I'm trying to lay low, I go for a highball session at Yakitori Fukuchan 福烤锦花 (223 Changle Rd 长乐路223号), which I treat like my own personal 'Midnight Diner.'

Courtesy of Yaya's

Courtesy of Bar Blanc

Any new discovery in your neighborhood lately?

三佰杯 San Bai Bei (56 Maoming Rd S. 茂名南路56号) is a very fun new Ningbo izakaya which has a great vibe and serves some funky food – definitely order the drunken crab and 虾泡饭 shrimp rice soup but be careful with the 臭豆腐 stinky tofu, as it's truly next level.