On the outskirts of Shanghai, almost north enough for the locals to speak proper Mandarin, is Gucun Forest Park. It’s not so different from any other suburban park – except for one secret -- the VIP BBQ zone. If you’ve tried to have a BBQ in the communal area of, say, Gonqing Park before, you just snorted in mock disgust. Your mind is ankle deep in duck bones, pierced by a thousand kebab sticks, and wrapped in five layers of tin-foil. Well inhale, big lungs, exhale slowly, gradually, and let the word VIP settle for a moment. 20rmb gets you through the gate of the park and for a mere 290rmb more there’s the prospect of two hours of calm, clean, (almost) uninterrupted self-drive grilling. Set into the landscape of the park are 30 or so private gazebos. Under each is an altar-like BBQ and a stone table. As the last group of grill-savages leave, the clean-up SWAT team strafe over to sweep up, hose down, and change the coals. One bro will even try to light the fire. Put an end to the blasphemy and spend 30 minutes trying to do it yourself. Like a man. BBQ HQ (which you have to hit first to haggle for a time-slot) is like an homage to grill. They have the meat, the tools, the cold beers. Lazy. You should have brought it yourself, but hey, it’s there if you forgot something. Which you shouldn’t have. They do not have potato salad, fillet steak, or baguettes, and that’s what really gets the local VIP grillers going crazy. They’ll be over to point at your tupperware and ogle at the slab of boneless, skewerless beef furiously searing its way to medium rare. The brave will pose a question or two. The timid will stand 5cm away and ogle. We had a queue -- should have brought extra chorizo and turned a profit. For those that don’t fancy VIP (schoolboy error) there are shared gazebos for about half the price. They’re a bit smaller, a bit scruffier, and you’re going to have random co-grillers wiping chilli oil on your chicken wings with a paint brush. For some reason they think that’s what you really want. It’s not. The hard-sleeper section of Gucun BBQ Zone is a zoo of sun umbrellas, wheeled coal grills, and a forest of wooden skewers. The price? Dunno, but they’re gonna have to pay you to hang out there. The whole BBQ area is set in a sprawling park which surely through some governmental loophole doesn’t have whistle-blowing grass-security. Two hours will come eventually and the SWAT team is super keen. Head deeper in for a full-belly stroll/ride. Gucun Park is at 4788 Hutai Rd, near Gutai Rd. Nearest Metro: Gucun Park Line 7. During busy times there may be a wait. If you are given a numbered waiting ticket then show your dedication by paying up front, it will significantly speed up the process.