Hamburgers, hotdogs and French fries no longer dominate the American dining scene in Shanghai.

From emerging gourmet American restaurants in the former French concession area, highlighting seasonal and fresh ingredients and fine cooking, to increasingly popular Californian wine winning the famous Paris Judge, American food and beverages are becoming more sophisticated, according to Zechariah D Henderson, deputy director of the Agricultural Trade Office at the US consulate general in the city.

American chef Austin Hu agrees.

“I think the biggest trend in the last 20 years for American food has been the movement toward local food, local sourcing and artisanal products. Diners and cooks are moving away from industrialized products toward a system that values quality and integrity in its food chain,” says Hu, restaurateur and chef at Madison on Fenyang Road, which specializes in new American cuisine.

Many lines of US produce imported to Shanghai are popular among locals — especially American cherries, walnuts and pistachios, says Henderson.

In both diversity and quality, American restaurants in Shanghai seem to be improving. According to TripAdvisor, there are around 190 restaurants (though this includes fast food chain such as Burger King) in Shanghai offering American food. Popular haunts with US expats include Goga and Madison, although management say Madison is due to close soon due to operational issues. No reopening date has been reported.

Goga is first choice with Henderson, who moved to Shanghai recently.

“Dishes there keep the authenticity in style but with some local touches added,” says Henderson.

The restaurant was opened by celebrity chef Brad Turley, who cooks new Californian food while wearing one of his trademark Hawaiian shirts.

There are many other restaurants in Shanghai reflecting the regional diversity of American cuisine. Guests can enjoy authentic east coast lobster in Morton’s Steakhouse; fried chicken wings in Kabb, home to Tex Mex goodies; or New York cheesecake and cupcakes at Claire’s Pastry.

“But there are certainly parts of American cuisine that have yet to be represented,” says chef Hu.

“While I’m excited by a couple of places serving Cajun-style cuisine, I’m still waiting for someone to do true NY hotdogs or Chicago deep dish pizzas or maybe even Halal chicken rice!”

In terms of beverages, the artisan influence mentioned by chef Hu is more obvious. The popularity of American craft beer in Shanghai has made Boxing Cat Brewery a top choice for beer lovers wanting to sample some hoppy brews, accompanied by a food menu of American favorites.

Wines from Napa Valley, especially cult wines such as Screaming Eagle and Harlan Estate, have become as sought after as French chateau Lafite by local collectors due to their low production and high quality, according to Kevin Huang, sales manager at a local wine trading company.

And of course Hollywood and TV dramas have played an important role in popularizing American food and drink culture in the city. Many Shanghai residents now take a lead from characters in US movies and TV shows and grab a cup of ubiquitous Starbucks coffee for their caffeine fix on the way to the office each morning.

For US expats in Shanghai and locals embracing the all-American lifestyle, here are our recommendations for Stateside food and drink experiences, including a supermarket selling oodles of American produces, a restaurant offering American gourmet food, a wine shop exclusively selling Napa Valley wine and an casual and chic American-style cafe where the cast of “Friends” would feel right at home.

Napa Reserve

This is the first wine shop in China devoted solely to wines from Napa Valley in California.

The owner is a Shanghai native who moved to Hong Kong and bought vineyards in Napa Valley years ago, building good connections with other Napa wineries.

It sells wines from 50 Napa wineries, mostly with low production. Prices range from 300 yuan (US$48) to 3,000 yuan. Many are sold in five-star hotels in Shanghai — though hotel customers may pay up to 40 percent more, according to the Napa Reserve owners.

The wine shop also exclusively presents some American wines, such as Silver Oak, Heitz cellar and Schramsberg blanc de blancs sparkling wine, which was served by US President Richard Nixon in 1972 when he entertained China’s Premier Zhou Enlai during Nixon’s visit to China.

In the two-story space, the first floor is for selling (all the wines within the 1,000 yuan bracket can be tasted before buying), while the second floor is where monthly free tasting sessions are held and where VIP members can store their wine.

Address: 383 Weihai Rd

Opening hours: Monday-Saturday, 10:30am-7:30pm

Tel: 6340-0418

Goga

This mall restaurant can only accommodate around 20 people, so booking in advance is necessary. Its style can be called Californian fusion, bringing together chef Brad Turley’s early years in San Francisco and his decade in Asia — mainly Vietnam and China.

The food style is classical Western American but sauces are typically Asian. For example, Turley’s California roll is filled with avocado puree and spicy crab mousse; his crab cakes are flavored by miso chili and topped with sesame beurre blanc (a classic French butter based sauce); while his crispy coconut shrimp features strong fruity notes and spicy flavor, achieved through using mango chili sauce. He also gives a nod to his old days in Vietnam through his Vietnamese ceviche — a Central and South American dish of fresh raw fish cured in citrus juices — with crispy fried shallots, crushed cashews and chili salt. 

Goga only accepts cash.

Address: 1 Yueyang Rd

Opening hours: Daily, 5:30pm-10:30pm

Tel: 6431-9700

Starbucks

The Seattle-headquartered chain is probably the most successful coffee brand in China. Its distinctive green-and-white logo, vibrant music and wooden tables, not forgetting the pervasive coffee aroma, have come to epitomize American cosmopolitan life for many Shanghainese.

It offers both espresso-based classical hot coffee options such as cappuccino and latte, plus various creative iced coffees, mixing cream, chocolate or caramel. Many customers are tempted by the American-style pastries on offer to complement their drink — with favorites including chocolate muffins and cheesecake.

Starbucks also serves seasonal variations of its wares, for example chestnut flavor coffee in autumn and cherry blossom flavor in spring.

The chain also offers local specials, for example, coffee flavor mooncake for the Mid-Autumn Festival and fruit flavored zongzi — glutinous rice dumplings — to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival.

City Super

OK, it’s not American, but this Hong Kong retail chain is known for sourcing produce from all over the world — including more than 360 US lines. This branch features an open kitchen, where customers can join cookery classes. American highlights include seasonal fruits, especially cherries, lemon and apples from Washington State; seafood such as Boston lobster, Dungeness crab, oysters and blackcod; and meat, represented by pork produced at environmentally friendly US farms.

Other American goodies on offer include jams, walnuts and preserved fruits.

Opening hours: 10am-11pm

Tel: 5466-1588

Address: B1/F, IAPM Shopping Mall, 999 Huaihai Rd M.