Find your way to the Huangpi Nan Road metro station in Shanghai, and meet your guide and group at 8:30 p.m. Depart on foot for the Xintiandi area, and make your first stop at a local restaurant serving up the best hand-pulled and knife-cut noodles made by ethnic minority (Uyghurs) in the city. Find a table among the locals, then taste the famous dish and participate in an in-depth discussion on the flavor and consistency of the broth, the quality of the meat filling, and the texture of the dumplings' skin. Learn about the history of this dish as a Shanghainese staple.

Continue to the famous Zhaozhou Road, one of the most popular night market where world-famous chef Anthony Bourdain stumbled upon, approximately 15 minutes' walking distance. See the border where French-style apartments suddenly give way to traditional Chinese stone door houses (Shikumen). Visit three restaurants in the neighborhood to try local dishes and see how the native city residents eat and live.

Some tasty street barbecues items: • lamb kebabs • beef skewers • grilled eggplant • stir-fried chives • shiitake mushrooms • boiled crayfish with five spice • freshly fried pot stickers • marinated edamame beans • braised pork belly Between stops, cleanse your palate with local craft beer and listen to your guide's commentary on Shanghai's culinary culture and traditions.