Some Of Shanghai's Best Eateries Are Only Open For One Meal Of The Day, Per Samantha Brown

For many people in Britain and the United States, breakfast is not only the most important meal of the day but also their favorite, too. All-day breakfast options are commonplace and Rick Steves has even referred to the British Isles as "fried breakfast land." In 2019, one Brit felt so passionately about the subject that they petitioned the government to make McDonald's serve McMuffins around the clock. The Houses of Parliament rejected the motion because it wasn't really their decision. Elsewhere around the world, breakfast often remains a morning-only thing. Indeed, some of the finest grub in Shanghai is served early, and Samantha Brown found that some eateries only open for the first meal of the day.

The veteran travel show host has had the pleasure of dining around the world for the past 25 years. In 2024, she shared a list of her favorite food experiences from her globetrotting adventures. These ranged from sampling indigenous cuisine in Australia to making (then eating) chocolate in Switzerland. Over in Asia, one of her top picks was trying out the variety of breakfast offerings in Shanghai, which crop up from dawn all over the city but can usually be found at busy intersections where there is plenty of hungry foot traffic. But she also noted that some of the best spots are only open for breakfast and the best way to find them is by taking a street eats tour with a local guide. So what delights can you expect from brekkie in Shanghai?

With a population of almost 30 million people, Shanghai is one of the world's most fun-filled cities and there is no end of places to enjoy a spot of breakfast. Perhaps the closest to the hearts of locals are the myriad hole-in-the-wall vendors and street stalls that get the stoves burning from the crack of dawn to feed the hustling masses. Many of them are the very definition of a "mom and pop" outfit, run by married couples serving up beloved classics that are not just a tasty way to start the day, but also symbolic of the good life for generations of Shanghainese. 

The cornerstones of a Shanghai breakfast are perennial staples known as the Four Warriors. These are sesame pancakes (da bing), which come in salty or sweet varieties; fried dough (you tiao), long loaves of donut-like batter that pairs well with da bing; steaming-hot bowls of freshly-pressed soy milk (dou jiang); and sticky rice balls (ci fan) stuffed with ingredients including fried dough, pork, pickled vegetables, and black sesame.

Most stalls selling these delicious items are only open for breakfast, often from very early in the morning, and sometimes switch to other menu items later in the day. The food is usually served to-go, catering to workers, school kids, and seniors for whom these delicacies are a lifelong tradition. The best way to eat them is to make like a local and dine on the street, watching the daily Shanghai commute go by.

Shanghai's family-run breakfast stalls may be small but they also offer an impressive range of other early-morning favorites beyond the Four Warriors. In her list of top food experiences around the world, Samantha Brown gave a particular shout-out to Jianbing, one of China's most popular street food treats. This burrito-style snack is a rustic pancake filled with scrambled egg and a variety of other fillings. It varies from vendor to vendor, but some of the go-to extras in Shanghai include scallions, cilantro, and pickled tuber plants. One of the most popular spots in the city is Fatty's Jianbing. Much like other Shanghai breakfast stalls, jianbing peddlers usually only cook until around 10 a.m., so get in fast.

Other breakfast delicacies worth seeking include bao zi buns, which will look familiar if you have visited some of the best Chinatowns in the United States or elsewhere. These baseball-sized steamed dumplings are stuffed with pork, veggies, tofu, and other ingredients. Also check out pan-fried dumplings, crispy scallion pancakes, comforting pork-filled wontons in a robust broth, egg pancakes (jidan bing), and spicy and flavorful eight-treasure noodle soup (bā bao là jiàng). After all that, you might need to head back to the hotel for a little lie down before thinking about lunch. One thing is for sure — once you've followed Samantha Brown's lead and experienced a Shanghai breakfast, you'll never look at a McMuffin in the same way again.