Like all cosmopolitan cities Shanghai is a gourmet’s paradise. Apart from the usual  western signature restaurants there is also a fine mix of places offering local fare from high cuisine to “small eats”. If you want to test the Chinese saying “east is sweet, south is salty, west is sour, north is spicy” without going all over China, Shanghai is the place.  While posh joints cater to the well heeled, the rest are well fed at myriad shops and stalls providing basic fare.  This small shop serves up a variety of tasty local dishes in a spartan white setting. The door under a little bowl and chopsticks sign opens onto a small sit-down area. In downtown Huai Hai Lu eager customers queue expectantly for takeaway delicacies and snacks to complement dishes prepared at home. Skewered cuttlefish and other small bites at a bustling street food corner. Nostalgia-themed restaurant feeds your longing for the good old days.