Orient Expressed

Let's get a few things straight before we go any further. It's true, here in Shanghai there are a lot of very high buildings. You probably will have heard about them.

Every time a foreign journalist is dropped into Shanghai to stoke up the fires of this, possibly the most hyped city in the world, and then return home to write something sensationalist and nine times out of ten wrong, they always mention the buildings.

Eating out is part of Shanghai everyday life, full stop. When there are places, literally holes in the wall, where you can get lunch for 20p (40p if you splash out on pork balls) then why would you go through the bother of cooking? Certainly not at lunchtime when instead of eating something cold and then reheated that you've dutifully brought in from home, you can eat something mouth electrifying, fun, and I think possibly medicinal.