Shanghai Nosh Advisory, has teamed up with City Weekend to show you some of the best authentic local fare in Shanghai. In this blog, we visit Xi Yu Lang Barbecue and check out their selection of street kebabs.

Snack streets are getting scarce in Shanghai, but the row of crayfish and barbecue stalls at the North gate of Pudong‘s Shanghai Maritime University has lingered on. This strip is home to Xi Yu Lang Barbecue, where Northwestern style kebab fare is done right.

To place an order at Xi Yu Lang, first collect a small form and fill in your choices, then deliver it to the staff. This is a common method of ordering at many barbecue and hotpot restaurants alike. It is relatively straightforward and can be managed with even rudimentary Chinese, a dictionary and ten minutes of concentration. See the below scan to get you started.

Nearly everything on the menu is cooked and served on skewers, so simply fill in the number you would like to the right of each item. One skewer is rather small so buy in bulk and repeat the order process throughout your meal.

A sampling of classic kebab choices and a solid first-round order for two people could look something like this:

- 6 beef skewers (niúròu chuàn, 牛肉串)
- 6 lamb skewers (yángròu chuàn, 羊肉串)
- 2 chicken wing skewers (jīzhōngchì, 鸡中翅)
- 2 mushroom skewers (xiānggū, 香菇)
- 2 garlic sprouts skewers (suànmiáo, 蒜苗)
- 2 dried tofu skewers (dòufu gān, 豆腐干)
- and of course plenty of beer

Xi Yu Lang is popular with the students of Maritime University and Northern Chinese residents of the area, as this style of barbecue is popular in the North. Long communal tables, cheap bottled beer and the occasional football match blur distinctions between dining groups. You may be called upon by your neighbor to take up the cup. The proper beverage pairing for barbecue in our opinion is Harbin beer (hāpí, 哈啤) and you should always keep a supply of bottles on-deck for quick consumption and courteous toasting, lest your new friends and dining companions think “your head was kicked by a donkey”.1

Although not for the squeamish, the finest option on the menu is perhaps the grilled saury (qiū dāo yú, 秋刀鱼). It is served whole, meat and scales are picked from bones with ones teeth in a slow, deliberate exercise. Oily flesh makes it perfect for grilling, requiring only a bit of salt for seasoning.

There is an array of vegetable choices here, but do not choose Xi Yu Lang if you are looking for a well-rounded vegetarian meal. Non-meat options are heavily seasoned and should be taken as garnishment. Also, be warned that Xi Yu Lang, like everything else on the Qishan Lu strip, is not clean. The zone is a delicate balancing act between student appetites and city health management interference. Consider Xi Yu Lang as an occasional option for an exciting and authentic Chinese kebab experience.

DETAILS

What:Xi Yu Lang Barbecue (西域郎烧烤)

Where: District 48 Qishan Lu (at Minsheng Lu) 浦东新区栖山路48号（近民生路）

English Menu: no

1. In Chinese: “nǎozi bèi lǘ tíle” (脑子被驴踢了). A mild, rustic Dongbei insult.