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Hongmei
Pedestrian Street has recently been re-named
Laowaijie 101 (Foreigner's Street 101).
Zhang Wucai, the organizer of the re-naming program
told the Global Times that laowai, a commonly used
term for foreigners, shouldn't be seen as a negative
word, despite the fact that some expats consider it
to be one. "Shanghaiese people are open to laowai.
We love the laowai in Shanghai, and it's a more
brotherly way of calling expats," he said.
Despite the apparent lack of negative connotations
and the assurance by Zhang that the name is
"brotherly", locals may feel that naming a street
laowaijie seems rather strange and outdated,
harkening back to the 1980's when very few
foreigners were living in Shanghai. Regardless of
the name, the street continues to offer the kind of
food and ambiance suitable for a romantic dinner or
spending a lazy Sunday afternoon.
In addition to the new name, the street's organizers
plan to emphasize the presence of foreign cultures
on the street by inviting international bands and
performers to dance and play instruments on the
street. "We're inviting a Dutch band to perform folk
songs and display art along the street on May 12,"
said Zhang. "We plan to do this very often to build
Laowai 101 into a dining location with cultural
exchanges and entertainment."
The
480-meter-long Laowai 101 boasts a number of
reputable restaurants and bars from different
countries. Since its grand opening eight years ago,
the scope of its business has slowly grown to
incorporate 6 Chinese restaurants and 23 Western
style restaurants and bars. The following are some
of its highlights:
Worldwide Breads
Bastiaan Bakery & Café provides fresh baked goods to
a number of other well-known eateries and
supermarkets with varying needs such as Latina,
Parkson and Carrefour. That's why the variety of
breads you find at Bastiaan Bakery & Café is
extensive. Sixty different breads are produced on a
daily basis.
Ingredients for its breads are sourced from all over
the world: flour from the Netherlands, Germany,
Austria and the USA; butter from France and Ireland;
sugar from South Korea. As a result, eating at
Bastiaan is like a miniature Laowai 101 in itself -
you can get a taste of something from almost
everywhere. Best of all, compared to other expat-oriented
bakeries in Shanghai, these quality breads and
desserts come at very reasonable prices.
An apple strudel is 9 yuan. A considerable portion,
its combination of sweet and sour pairs well with
coffee or afternoon tea. Most other breads and cakes
can be had for under 10 yuan.
In addition, be sure to try some of Bastiaan's Dutch
multi-cereal bread and its apple Danish with a
filling of fresh apple, raisins and a touch of
cinnamon. The chocolate croissant is also of note -
a flakey, buttery pastry filled with a 55% French
dark chocolate.
Shisha at Shiraz
Shiraz is the first Iranian restaurant in Shanghai.
Named after Iran's ancient capital Shiraz, the
layout of the restaurant makes you feel like you've
actually arrived in Iran. Outside on the street, you
also find seating of Iranian sofas suited for
smoking shisha, a Middle Eastern water pipe filled
with sweet, flavored tobacco.
For
dining, the selection of saffron-scented stews and
kebabs provides a number of hearty choices; however,
meat dishes on the menu are fairly expensive. Expect
to pay at least 150 per person.
No alcohol is served at Shiraz, although they do
serve authentic and unique Iranian teas. If you want
to drink alcohol with your meal, Shiraz permits
non-Muslim foreigners to bring their own alcohol to
drink from teapots.
Familiar flavors
Faith's Diner serves classic American comfort food.
There's all day breakfasts of homemade waffles,
bacon, eggs and sausages served with bottomless cups
of coffee. Classics such as burgers and fries,
meatloaf with mushroom gravy, and macaroni and
cheese are also available.
The looming fence, flickering candlelight and
leisurely music played at Simply Thai makes for a
calm dining experience. The service and food quality
here are consistent with what you'd find at other
locations in this Shanghai chain.
Other familiar Shanghai chains on the street
include: the rather expensive but tasty, Las Tapas;
the sports bar stand-by, Big Bamboo; the Canadian
bistro, Julie's; and family friendly Blue Frog.
(Source: Global Times, 2010)
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