5 days in shanghai

1:04 Our first trip of 2026 We'll be heading to Shanghai for 5 days Our last visit to Shanghai was in 2017 Hong Kong to Shanghai = 2.5 hours An empty flight

1:55 You can call DiDi (the Chinese version of Uber) But our friend said hailing a taxi is faster (Apple Maps also works too) China may announce a 30 day visa free entry for Canadians But I applied for a 5 year visa just to be safe

2:49 Previously the French Club built in the 20's The Okura hotel is a mix of Art Deco and Baroque styles Hello from rainy Shanghai! We have just arrived and checked in to our hotel We will stay 2 nights at the Okura Garden Hotel in the Jing'an area I picked this hotel because it's close to a lot of cute cafes and shops There's also the Jing'an Temple which is within walking distance

3:35 But we will probably do that tomorrow because it's a little too rainy for that And then our last 2 nights we will be staying on The Bund, At another hotel so we can get a feel of 2 different neighbourhoods But first I'm going to give you a room tour And then we're gonna go get a coffee because I heard this coffee shop is really famous and worth queuing up for! This is the lowest room category: Superior Queen It's a Japanese chain hotel so there's a heated bidet Some people would think it looks old but I think it's charming It's in the French Concession and only 5 minutes from Gentle Monster 😂

4:25 Nice view from the window! Grabbing some coffee first at a very famous place! Sad it's raining but also happy it's raining 😂 Usually the wait is 30 minutes to an hour

5:10 Us trying to figure out if we can get by with Cantonese 😂 (the answer is no) O.P.S serves coffee cocktails They serve customers one by one at the bar The menu changes every 2 months so there's always something new

6:11 There's a tiny room next door if you want to enjoy your drinks inside The experience felt like Tokyo's Koffee Mameya but with mixed coffee drinks 😂 Out of the 3, we liked "Good Enough" the best "Winter Pie" was a little strange Just don't expect your typical coffee order here Coffee is more like a feature ingredient here than the hero beverage First "coffee" in Shanghai- so far so good!

7:00 Did you know Shanghai has over 9,000 coffee shops? That's the most in the world! Stumbled on this cute cafe just across OPS A bakery cafe filled with antique French furniture and dishes It reminds me of the stylish shops in Kuramae, Tokyo

7:48 Their macarons seem to be the highlight We'll share a canelé because we're having dinner soon

8:39 Shikumen style buildings We stumbled upon this famous cafe right next to FOR LONG It's so cold, we want to hide here until dinner Winner of the 2025 World Brewers Cup It's like a library with industrial touches

9:33 It's like the coffee version of Le Labo Coffee temperature is a huge focus here at Captain George I've never seen coffee being served with an infrared thermometer The flavour profile changes as the coffee cools down

10:31 A Michelin recommended restaurant for Shanghainese food 1930's vintage style decor We made a reservation on Dianping This is their most famous dish:

11:24 The filling wasn't hot :S In our humble opinion everything was just ok Nothing was hot except for the soup The Chinese New Year decorations along the main road are stunning!

12:15 We weren't full so Victor got takeout 😂 Pan fried buns and noodles Good morning! We are heading to breakfast for some dumplings and coffee And then we'll head to the Jing'an Temple and walk around the streets Because there are a lot of cute shops and cafes that I've bookmarked! Breakfast spot! Dumpling and coffee! Simple but nostalgic

13:06 "Dump your ex, not your dumplings" A homey atmosphere Encountered our first problem: we don't have Meituan to scan and order (You need a Chinese number to download Meituan) You need to request them to order and pay on AliPay They offer a variety of vinegars and sauces

13:54 I can't think of a better breakfast combo than hot dumplings and iced coffee We highly recommend the black pork and curry dumplings The boss came in after and she can speak some Cantonese: She told us she is a television producer and worked on some TVB shows She gave us some free dumplings to try And told us to sign her glass haha

14:52 How beautiful are these streets? Arrived at our next destination: There's an entrance fee of 50 RMB (USD 7) per person

15:51 In the centre of the courtyard is a huge vessel People are throwing coins in to receive good luck People get really into it 😂 Jing’an is a reproduction: the original temple was burned down in a fire Jing'an is located in the middle of a shopping district so it's very easy to get to

16:50 This is the former mansion of the Kadoorie family We just wandered in just to take a look at the architecture It currently hosts activities and festivals for children There are many cute shops along Wulumuqi Road

17:41 Gathering is a cafe but this branch sells homeware A wabi sabi pottery shop selling cups and plates from Jingdezhen Beautiful embroidered linen coasters

18:28 My goal this year is to visit Jingdezhen- the birthplace of Chinese porcelain! This is the same restaurant that we went to in Shenzhen With creative Chinese cuisine- highly recommend it! A stylish menswear store we stumbled upon

19:16 Another tableware shop! A charming homeware store hidden in a residential neighbourhood French countryside inspired interiors with Japanese zakka The shop assistant recommended us to check out Slab Town for coffee Across niz island is this French antique shop

20:21 There are so many trendy shops in this area: you could spend a whole day here The next homeware shop is hidden in another residential alleyway This is a 3 floor shop filled with Italian glass and vintage tableware

21:20 Probably the most iconic building in Shanghai after the Pearl TV Tower It's a flatiron style building in a French Renaissance style There are huge crowds taking pictures with the building On the ground floor there's a cute souvenir shop It's all Wukang building souvenirs

22:21 We haven't had any food since dumplings, so we're starving You can get a view of Wukang Mansion from the window! There's a matcha cafe I want to try back near our hotel in the Jing'an area Every corner you turn, there's a coffee shop

23:13 They'll text us on WeChat once a table is free (there's 3 ahead of us) Anyway, there's a few shops I want to check out around the cafe: There are 2 small shops: one selling jewellery and the other kitchen items They're next to each other! There's a line outside of bag brand, Songmont

24:00 A concept cafe within the Gentle Monster shop There's a croissant themed gym This is my kind of treadmill Across the first 2 floors is Gentle Monster and Tamburins It's definitely more like an art installation than a retail space

24:52 The top floor is a large art exhibition It reminds me of the Time Corridors by Hiroshi Sugimoto in Naoshima Walking back to the hotel We waited for 2 hours: the cafe ended up calling us at 5:30pm but it was too late Tonight we're having dinner with our friend Sorry this isn't a burger shop Specialising in Yunnan food

25:38 You need to make a reservation by phone The menu is HUGE Highly recommend this place for vegetarians because they have loads of options A gelato shop that resembles a traditional herbal medicine shop

26:36 Asian-inspired flavours like bamboo jasmine, mulberry & smoked plum and peach sea buckthorn You can taste test! A 30 minute drive from the city centre is Longhua Temple Currently it's decorated in lanterns for the Chinese New Year If you stand behind the fountain, you can capture the reflection

27:29 It's the oldest temple in the city The temple grounds closes at 5pm Here are some photos we took the first 2 days: 18,000 steps ✅

28:26 First sunny day! Good morning! Today we are heading off to get a quick coffee And then we're going to be checking out And then heading to our next hotel before getting some Peking duck!

29:11 No regular coffee here Mahlkönig only serves one thing: Dirty coffee served in a -86°C glass cup Honestly we didn't know this was a viral cafe- it's one of the only ones that are open early A dirty coffee is a shot of hot espresso poured over cold milk It's served without ice so the flavour isn't diluted

30:06 The frosty layer of ice melts quickly so you have to drink immediately Surprised it's quite sweet I like the simple set-up and the strong flavour of the coffee I really love this neighbourhood: it's very charming Checked out and taking a DiDi to our next hotel I feel like we already did a lot in Shanghai but our first time seeing the TV Tower this time 😂

31:09 The Edition Hotel sits on Nanjing Road East- a pedestrian only shopping road This is the Pearl TV Tower View room Some welcome treats: Mahjong "chocolates" and white rabbit flavoured candy bars The room features an open bedroom/living room layout

31:55 The best thing about the room is the view: Le Labo x Edition toiletries (white tea) The bathtub has a corner view of the Pearl TV Tower This area is definitely larger in scale compared to Jing'an Lunch is just down the road

32:48 Canada represent! A one star Michelin restaurant that's difficult to book Hailing from Beijing, a restaurant serving 45 day old ducks roasted for 70 minutes They're roasted in a wood-fire oven (The chef is kind enough to use a light to illuminate the oven so I can shoot) The dining room is so fancy

33:34 You can see the Bund from the dining room I'm surprised the price of a duck is very good (coming from Hong Kong) The star of the show is here: We decided to order the full duck which they recommend for 4 persons The skin is sliced in front of you

34:52 I've never had caviar with Peking duck before The rest of the skin/meat is sliced and served The caviar with Peking duck is an umami bomb

35:38 The rest of the duck was deep-fried which we personally found too heavy The service is impeccable but we can't tell the difference between a Michelin star duck vs the ones we have in Hong Kong Grabbing a Didi to our next spot

36:24 A mixed use building complex along the Suzhou River It looks like 2 mountains with trees sprouting out of it Victor just wanted to check the facade out for photos It would've been better if it wasn't so hazy today

37:14 We took a 40 minute car ride to see the Chinese New Year festivities here! Panlong is an ancient water town that was redeveloped Now there are many stylish cafes and restaurants in this complex We're here mostly to see the New Year parade and market

38:02 Which runs on weekends and public holidays from January 23 to March 3, 2026 2026 is the year of the horse But fish is the theme here This crab lantern is so cute! A Chinese New Year corgi There is a Water Lantern Fish parade "show" that lasts for 30 minutes We still have some time before the parade, so let's grab a drink

38:56 I want one but my suitcase says no An old house that was remodelled into a modern cafe The house is a century old with the original structure preserved At the back is a tiny garden: there's a separate house by the water with seating The "parade" is a single boat floating across the river

39:49 To be honest, if you can't catch the show, it's ok The fish boat is docked and is quite nice for pictures My favourite section of the village is the New Year market The lanterns here are stunning- none of them are tacky They especially look beautiful in the soft golden sunset light

40:52 Let's check out the market! A fruit vendor where you can pick your own berries Coming from Hong Kong, nothing beats a chestnut cart This just doesn't feel the same 😂 The most popular stall for kids: Chinese sugar painting He's recreating the animals from the zodiac

41:46 There are vendors selling nuts to homemade vinegar Pounding rice cakes

42:50 The moon is a paid actor: it's so orange tonight Stumbled on the next parade showing The highway in the back is quite funny to see This always cracks me up 😂

43:56 The Chinese creative cuisine restaurant chain is here They have several outposts in Shenzhen, Beijing and Shanghai After trying the Shenzhen branch we were a bit surprised by the service here This was the most delicious dish: never thought of adding pecans to rice

44:46 When we asked the staff for salt and pepper because this is bland, He said "I told you this dish is bland" 😅 Sunny but smoggy

45:32 Breakfast is semi-buffet

46:22 We told Phoebe we wanted to try Yunnan coffee, and she found this cafe: Many Japanese cafes in Tokyo serve coffee from Yunnan The building itself was built in the 1930's by a British Jewish business man There's a room dedicated to Yunnan crafts, ceramics and coffee

47:07 Iron windows with views of a lush green garden The owner is from Yunnan and also an architect She's really passionate about the history of this house and the coffee production There are 2 ways to navigate around the house: the first is by the architecture, the second through the story of coffee

47:53 When renovating the house, they used the leftover wood from the beams into this artwork: Phoebe purchased a wood vase Secured some Yunnan beans! With a medium roast: it's tones of apricot and peach

48:41 Just stumbled upon a shop I bookmarked! A wabi sabi homeware shop I love the bamboo-hung linen curtains Most of the ceramics are from Japan- was hoping to see some local pottery My favourite thing about Shanghai is the architecture

49:40 Are you team 生煎包 (pan fried buns) or 小籠包 (xiao long bao)? Phoebe introduced us to this shop (apparently it's also in Vancouver?) Even though lunch hour is over, The manager made a fresh batch earlier so we could film and eat it Pretending like I didn't see a jug of oil being used 😂 "Yes chef"

51:00 We're on Fumin Road where there are many trendy clothing stores You'll see a lot of people taking outfit shots here A loungewear brand from Shanghai Inspired by the "lying flat" movement, the brand focuses on relaxed, comfy clothes

51:59 A coffee shop recommended to us by the staff at Niz Island It feels like a cool cafe in Shibuya Check out the olive green Breville!

52:45 A Chinese fragrance brand located in a Spanish Revival style villa If you didn't watch our Shenzhen vlog, To Summer is a Chinese perfume brand that focuses on Eastern ingredients There are horse lanterns everywhere I like the New Year's reed diffuser: the surface is coated to resemble frost

53:35 The upstairs is an art gallery Currently it's displaying their Chinese New Year promotion I love the ironwork of the balconies and windows Le Labo in collaboration with Chinese lifestyle shop, Gathering

54:25 Tickets for the lantern show is 80 RMB (USD 11.50) Yu Garden is a classical Chinese garden that's now a huge tourist attraction The perimeter is full of shops selling souvenirs and snacks The McDonald's lanterns 😂😂😂 There are 3 main areas to see lanterns:

55:15 The lanterns at Panlong Xintiandi are prettier But this is really grand! The second lantern installation features Year of the Horse These blooming lanterns are insane! This is so extra

56:17 The last installation is at the pond in the garden An introvert's nightmare Zig zag across the 9-turn bridge Mythical creatures inspired by Chinese classic literature: The Classic of Mountains and Seas If you think you know what a lantern is, wait until you see this place 😂 Came back to the hotel for a quick drink Unfortunately the rooftop bar is closed for renovations this week but we still get to enjoy the view

57:31 We are having chicken pot! This is Phoebe's favourite restaurant-oh wait- no her second favourite restaurant After the Yunnan one! First you eat the chicken and then add the hot pot ingredients in If you have Dianping and WeChat Pay, Always check out their discount coupons for a good deal! Getting a well deserved massage Time for a massage!

58:18 We're both getting the 80 minute foot massage package for 192 RMB (USD 28) The spa is located on the busy Nanjing shopping road so it's convenient Some photos we took the last 2 days:

59:03 I decided to do sunrise on our last day Surprisingly, there were no crowds here I've been to this same spot 9 years ago Everything seems slower in the early morning hours

1:00:05 So cold, there's steam coming off his head 😂 A free museum by the Bund that's within walking distance from our hotel Formally the Astor House Hotel Presently it's a museum documenting China's economy But we came for the stunning architecture: Look at the cello shaped parquet flooring!

1:01:19 Rockbund is a block of colonial buildings that were restored into shops and galleries It's time to get some gifts! Tang Suo is a modern Chinese cake shop Their specialty is the "begonia window" cake series Taking inspiration from the Song dynasty to create Zen-like sweets They also sell chocolates and cookies that would make good gifts They have a cafe in the back The cake flavours are jasmine, pomelo and grape coconut

1:02:06 New Year's chocolates They have many branches across Shenzhen, Beijing and Hangzhou! I'd like to try the cake next time! Got some souvenirs! One for my parents and one for me! Sam found this coffee shop near Edition

1:02:52 I can't believe I discovered the best cup of coffee on our last day! They have a huge selection of beans And explained how to brew their coffee properly after purchasing it Very fruity! Good? Vanilla! Like the Uncle Ben one? Yeah!

1:03:53 This is the Japanese restaurant at Edition where they also serve afternoon tea Just checked out and ending our time in Shanghai with afternoon tea The afternoon tea is served in a bento style box Enjoy afternoon tea with a view of The Bund! Honestly 5 days isn't enough to see all of Shanghai

1:04:39 I'm sure we will be back soon We hope you enjoyed Shanghai with us!