Hong Yu Fang Guotie (宏玉方)

In the basement of an unassuming mall, a piece of Huangpu’s culinary heritage thrives. Hong Yu Fang (宏玉方), a household name in Shanghai since 2009, makes their legendary guotie the old-school way — generously packed, pleated to order, and sizzled in a cast iron pan one batch at a time. Their magic reportedly lies in using only fresh meat, never congealed fat. The result are really porky dumplings, chewy on top and satisfyingly crispy on the bottom. Other dishes — there aren’t many — include a savory pork lard and cabbage rice topped with salted pork and cured sausage, wonton soup, and vermicilli. Arrive early; they stop giving out queue tickets at  1:30pm.

Hot tip: I was told by the manager that they accept reservations, but I expect it depends on how lucky and nice you are over the phone!)

Map Location

Apple Maps / Amap