Li's "aluminum-free" Youtiao Kunshan Road 李氏無鋁油條 昆山路店 (Shanghai, CHINA) ★★★☆☆

It’s our last day in Shanghai, and it strikes me that we haven’t yet had a proper, authentic local breakfast. Of course, with my luggage half-packed, I wasn’t going to head out for a sit-down breakfast in my pajamas. Instead, I’m calling the ever-reliable Meituan (美團) for delivery.

There weren’t many breakfast spots near the North Bund (北外滩) that offered delivery, but I managed to find one by the name of Li's "aluminum-free" Youtiao (李氏无铝油条 direct translation!!! 😆😆). It had a rating above 4 (out of 5) and delivered right to our hotel. Without hesitation, I clicked on the shop’s name and started ordering.

The “Four Breakfast Warriors” (早餐四大金剛)

A trip to Shanghai is not complete without the city’s “Four Breakfast Warriors (四大金剛)”: youtiao (油條), glutinous rice balls called cifantuan (粢飯糰), sesame pancakes called dabing (大餅), and soy milk (or doujiang 豆漿).

The breakfast set (¥9) includes two of the four warriors — youtiao and savory soy milk plus a tea smoked egg. I ordered a cifantuan separately for another ¥7, but since I was still feeling a little stuffed from last night’s supper, I happily skipped the dabing.

All it took was around 15 minutes for everything to arrive at the hotel lobby. I called reception to make sure they sent the food up before it all cooled off.

Youtiao (油條) — Nice, bouncy texture, slightly chewy in a good way. I swallowed it up after a nice dip into the soy milk.

Cifantuan (粢飯糰) — My aunt is Shanghainese, so I grew up eating this a lot. How I remembered it: the layer of glutinous rice was noticeably thinner, but the center of youtiao and pork floss remained constant. Love this!

Savory soy milk (豆漿) — I’ve never been a fan of this. Isn’t soy milk supposed to be sweet? This one came with vegetables and minced meat.

Tea smoked egg — Little nugget had it so I had no idea how this tasted.

It was nice to finally cross the “Four Breakfast Warriors” off my list. Well — three out of four, at least. Now it’s time to get back to packing and head over to the airport.

P.S.  Yes, you read this right. Li's opens at 4am daily.

Food Rating: 5.5/10

Price: ¥

Address: 254-25, Zhapu Road, Hongkou District, Shanghai, China

上海市虹口区乍浦路254弄27号

Closest Metro Station: North Sichuan Road (四川北路)

Tel: +86 13661559954

Opening Hours: 4:00am - 12:00pm daily

Map: https://j.map.baidu.com/0b/TNiM

Bebaked Yuyuan Road 愚園路店 (Shanghai, CHINA) ★★★★☆

Bebaked is a trendy, Italian-inspired bakery and café chain in Shanghai, known for its innovative and artistic take on European-style pastries, authentic gelato, and signature beverages. It has gained major popularity on social media thanks to its highly Instagrammable aesthetics and relaxing vibe.

Its flagship location on historic Yuyuan Road (愚園路) is housed in a renovated old Western-style building that blends heritage with a modern, warm atmosphere. It has been a huge hit since it opened in 2025.

Since we had an early dinner planned on Yuyuan Road, we arrived early to soak up the vibe. Little nugget spotted Bebaked almost instantly and he rushed right in!

One of their most famous offerings is the diamond-shaped affogato, often described as a must-try drink.

But there's no secret about the brand's calling card — their lineup of creative desserts. The matcha lava tart served with glutinous rice balls and the basque cheesecake paired with black sesame mochi are both hard for dessert lovers to resist.

Longan lime danish, anyone? These looked seriously good.

Moutai Basque Cheesecake (茅台巴斯克) (¥49) — By the time I saw this from the display counter, I knew I needed to spend some quality time with it.

The unique twist of adding moutai wine to the ultra-fluffy basque cheesecake was an experience on its own. The cheese flavor actually combined really well with the umami-rich moutai, creating a lingering sweet-savory finish.

We still have another 20 minutes before dinner time. Should be enough to check out the old Yuyuan Public Market (愚園公共市集) across the street.

Food Rating: 6.9/10

Price: ¥¥¥

Address: House No.8, 1107 Yuyuan Road, Jiangsu Road Subdistrict, Changning District, Shanghai, China

上海市长宁区江苏路街道愚园路1107号8号楼

Closest Metro Station: Jiangsu Road (江苏路)

Tel: +86 13122092945

Opening Hours: 9:00am - 10:00pm daily

Map: https://j.map.baidu.com/56/VgiM

Apoli Itabakery AP意大利料理面包坊 上海首店 (Shanghai, CHINA) ★★★★☆

Apoli Itabakery AP意大利料理面包坊 is a popular Italian-style bakery in Shanghai, famously known as the “Harry Potter Bakery” because of its magical, medieval-inspired interior décor.

With a few locations across Shanghai, its flagship store is situated just steps from the iconic Wukang Mansion (武康大樓). It features the same rustic atmosphere with stone walls and warm lighting, consistent with the rest of their locations.

Thanks to its magical vibe, it’s gained significant popularity on social media. It’s a hotspot for influencers and bread lovers alike. Expect modest queues, especially on weekends.

The beloved bakery offers both savory and sweet options. Their Truffle Ham & Cheese Crispy Roll and Chef’s Signature Sea Urchin Mentaiko Bread are among their best-sellers for savory bites. For sweet treats, the Pistachio Chocolate Cream Bread is praised for its crispy-to-soft texture, while the Blueberry Butter Condensed Milk Bread is one of their most popular sweet snacks among their over-hundred rotating items.

We decided to grab a few of these for tomorrow's breakfast.

But once we spotted a small dine-in area besides the shop, someone changed his mind!

He decided to munch on his nama donut immediately.

Underneath the fluffy and slightly chewy donut (almost like those from I'm donut?), there was a generous supply of vanilla custard cream.

I had mine as breakfast the next morning. It was incredibly soft, fluffy, and melt-in-your-mouth. And it looked exactly like my favorite nama donuts from Japan — Wow! 😉😉

Food Rating: 6.5/10

Price: ¥¥¥

Address: No. 380 Xingguo Road, Xuhui District, Shanghai, China

上海市徐汇区兴国路380号

Closest Metro Station: Jiao Tong University (交通大学)

Tel: +86 13788942654

Opening Hours: 9:00am - 9:00pm daily

Map: https://j.map.baidu.com/0d/pfiM