Times is a modern Chinese bistro-bar on Yongkang Lu serving Cantonese-inspired small plates and creative cocktails.

The Dome is a Japanese restaurant and bar on The Bund in Shanghai — omakase and lively after-dark energy, complete with terraces offering prime views.

Smokin' Bowl is a grab-and-go eatery serving up hearty rice bowls, house-made Mexican-style sandwiches, tacos, and burritos in Shanghai.

Love Sushi (瑷鮨) is an omakase restaurant at Plaza 66 in Jing'an, helmed by chef Ma Shifu, a 20-year veteran.

Focaccia Nerds is a sandwich shop in Shanghai serving fresh-made focaccia sandwiches.

Akanee is a modern Thai restaurant that does "new Thai cuisine" — the kind trending at hip Bangkok bistros.

Deng Ji a Sichuan restaurant in Jing'an, the more accessible counterpart to its sister restaurant, Nan Xing Yuan, a Michelin selected restaurant in Shanghai.

Aburi-En is a Japanese yakiniku restaurant serving Australian wagyu grilled over binchotan at Pudong Kerry Center, Shanghai.

White Foods is a modern Chinese restaurant that serves affordable, well-executed claypot rice sets and matcha desserts in a zen-like space.

Wang Lu tackles the lesser-known Jiangxi cuisine with a masterful hand, serving up more than just spice and heat.

A household name in Shanghai for really porky potstickers. Head to Hong Yu Fang in Huangpu district for some traditional guotie, pleated and sizzled to order.

Nono's is a Chinese-Italian restaurant in Shanghai that's leaning into the fusion category with confidence. Italian foundations, Chinese flavors.