Kao Jiu Noodle Shop is the kind of local resturant in Shanghai that absolutely deserves more attention, but a combination of sub-optimal location and no attention from foreign food aggregation apps means it will fly under the radar for its whole life. Fortunately for you, I am here to fix that for you. 

Kao Jiu is located wayy up Wanhangdu Road, in the part of Jing'an that you seems to consist entirely of office buildings and residential complexes, just south of Changshou Road. The shop is small and unfancy, with a menu that seems much too large for its 5 seats (as Chinese noodle shops usually do).

I've been here several times and tried a few different things each time, generally enjoying everything I've had. The standout is the scallion oil noodles - freshly made, fragant, and topped with chewy fried scallion greens as well. This incredibly simple dish is just so excellent when it's done right, and Kao Jiu knows how to do it right. Aside from the scallion oil noodles, the la rou noodles are also great. La rou (辣肉）is a kind of Shanghai-style marinated spicy/sweet pork preparation that's usually tossed onto a bowl of fresh ramen for quick and easy noodle soup seasoning. They go a great job with their la rou at Kao Jiu, and I can also highly recommend. 

On a recent trip, I also ordered a side of kao fu (烤麸), i.e. the brown spongy soy product that usually is served in Shanghai restaurants as a sweet appetizer. The kao fu at Kao Jiu was not as sweet as Shanghai restaurants usually serve it, which I appreciate, since the sugar sauce can sometimes be a little overwhelming. 

Overally, Kao Jiu is a clean little Shanghai noddle shop that excels at being itself. It's always busy when I've been on both weekends and weekdays, and I imagine it's very popular with the lunch crowd in the neighborhood. Give it a try if you're swinging through and find yourself a bit peckish, and you'll leave with a full stomach and only about 30 CNY of damage to your wallet.  

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