Listings:

Southern Barbarian is a casual, somewhat bohemian restaurant that specializes in the exotic and diverse cuisine of China's Yunnan province. Dishes feature ingredients like goat cheese, fresh herbs, tropical flowers, and chili peppers. For the more adventurous, there are dishes like fried honey bees with dried beef. The owner is quite the beer enthusiast and stocks craft brews from the US,...

One of the most popular Chinese joints for locals and foreigners alike, this Hunan-style restaurant is always packed despite a cafeteria-sized main dining area and at least a dozen "private" rooms. Food is high on flavor and will leave your eyes watering.

A neat and modern Taiwan-style noodle joint offering generous helpings of noodles in both soup and stir-fry form along with few Chinese-style "tapas" selections like roast pork neck and marinated daikon. Be sure to sample their house-made spiced plum juice.

Munchies is a cheap, owner-operated American quasi-fast-food restaurant. It's casual and honest and tie-dyed. On offer: typical snack bar and sandwich shop fare like hot dogs, Cincinnati-style chili, burgers, peanut butter shakes. Good for cheap lunches and stoned weekends.

You don't need to a wear a tux to get a get a good kebab - Anadolu's decor is crumbling - but the lamb, hummus and pita are all good quality for cheap. Expect to dine with crowds of slickly-dressed middle easterners most any night of the week.

Possibly the only Russian restaurant in the city, the Flying Elephant has been bringing Shanghailanders borscht for many a year. Decor is simple, but the experience is made truly authentic by the live Russian band performing nightly. This crew of musical misfits (combined with a little vodka) gets the blood pumping around 9pm when the real fun starts.

Hot Pot King is a clean, efficient chain. It's a couple of steps up from the streetside hot pot places, with an English menu, quality ingredients, and relatively cheap prices. Popular with the locals, but just as good for tourists. Late, late closing hours are a plus.

American-style fast food burger joint that "flame-broils" its meat as opposed to frying them.

Cha is a faithful recreation of a Hong Kong cha canting -- basically a Cantonese diner -- from the 1950's, right down to the old-time music, the old-time Hong Kong public lavatory signs, and the green-and-white tiled floor. Food is similarly traditional. Very popular among locals and laowais alike. Expect long waits.

Hai Di Lao is a ridiculously popular recent transplant from Sichuan. They've made a killing by offering nice, sleek dining rooms that look much more expensive than they are, an extensive bar of ingredients from which to make your dipping sauce, and over-the-top service -- you can have your shoes shined, glasses or cell phone cleaned, nails done, neck massaged, etc., while you wait for a table....