Two ingredients with near-universal appeal – egg yolks and salt – gloriously come together in one of China’s oldest culinary ingredients: salted egg yolks.
With a penchant for appropriating one’s own culture, it’s to be somewhat expected that the ingredient has resurfaced across Shanghai (and most of Asia, for that matter) as a modern day food fad over the last few years.
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Salted eggs trace their roots back to 5th century AD China, and an ancient Chinese agricultural text, Qimin Yaoshu, or Essential Techniques for the Peasantry, written by Jia Sixie.
Per Traditional Chinese Medicine, salted eggs are more effective in eliminating internal heat, but contemporary uses are all the more appetizing – an egg-cellently versatile mix of both savory and sweet treats that are connected through a common scrumptious thread.
Employing a technique for preserving the ovum for later use, they are typically made from duck eggs, which contain double the Omega-3 fatty acids and cholesterol than chicken eggs (making them all the more flavorful).
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To score that almost neon, deeply orange-hued, umami burst of yolk, there are three traditional methods: Eggs can be brined in a salt solution for at least a month; dry-brined via encrusting them in a layer of course salt; or coated in a muddy, charcoal-based paste.
Regardless of the manner, the result is always the same – a dense, oily yolk, slightly grainy in texture yet oozing. Ideal fodder for slathering or stuffing inside just about anything you can think of.
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From croissants to cocktails to coffee, from seafood to soufflé to soup dumplings, we've hatched (pun very much intended) an A-to-Z lineup of Shanghai’s best (and worst!) salted egg yolk creations.
Bazinga Coffee – Salted Egg Yolk Mocha (RMB28)
Hold the phone, Monin makes a salted egg yolk syrup. It now seems anything is possible; we are clearly mere moments away from solving world hunger, curing cancer and discovering extraterrestrial life on Mars.
Yes, Monin has deduced how to reduce that salty good good into a pumpable syrup that can line any damn beverage we can dream up.
Why stop at coffee? Salted egg yolk cocktails (ok, it's been done; we will get there in about 500 words), salted egg yolk soda, salted egg yolk milk, hell, salted egg yolk water.
(Ok, too far.)
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Or maybe not far enough in the case of Bazinga Coffee, a wanghong coffee shop chain pouring out the likes of melon coffee, mung bean popsicle latte, strawberry and corn latte, and – the reason we're all here – Salted Egg Yolk Mocha (RMB28).
A single pump of Monin Salted Egg Yolk Syrup is all that's deployed at the bottom of the glass, followed by an egregious quantity of milk (the likes of which should not be consumed in one sitting by anyone over the age of eight) and, finally, a pourover of espresso laced with chocolate syrup.
That chocolate is the predominant flavor, overpowering the salted egg yolk, so all you're left with is a slightly viscous mouthfeel on some cold chocolate milk.
Hard pass.
Alright Shanghai, challenge time: Make a successful salted egg yolk coffee drink and we promise to throw all the maos in our WeChat account balance at you.
Bazinga Coffee, 271 Fumin Lu, by Changle Lu, 富民路271号, 近长乐路.
Bun Cha Cha Grill – Salted Egg Yolk Crispy Prawns (RMB68)
Bun Cha Cha Grill is a spinoff of Chef Danyi Gao’s (Shake, Black Rock) ever popular contemporary Vietnamese restaurant Bun Cha Cha in Lippo Plaza, this time with a stronger emphasis on the grill side of things – BBQ meats and seafood with a handful of fresh salads and snacks.
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A souped-up bar snack of sorts, the addictingly spicy Salted Egg Yolk Crispy Prawns (RMB68) are fried to a shatteringly crisp finish with curry leaves and bird's eye fiery chilis, thus uniting the holy trinity of fire, spice and salt.
Turning the heat dial up, these crunchy morsels are served with luscious sriracha aioli.
Bun Cha Cha Grill, 692 Yongjia Lu, by Anting Lu 永嘉路692号, 近安亭路.
Chaco'b – Grilled Salmon (RMB68)
A play on the word charcoal, Chaco’b in the Shanghai Centre, is a Western-Chinese fusion joint focusing on – you guessed it – charcoal and smoked bites.
The common (albeit loose) thread is applewood smoke, mingled with everything from Chinese, Thai and Japanese tastes to Spanish, French and Argentinian influences.
It's a real identity crisis of a venue.
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An exception to the menu's chaos, the humbly named Grilled Salmon (RMB68) offers diners a juxtaposition of texture – skin that serves as a crackly canvas for the buttery fish beneath it.
Marinated salted egg yolk is ingeniously frozen and shaved like fresh parmesan for added oomph, along with cracked pepper and a dusting of powdered green tea leaves.
Chaco'b, Shanghai Centre, No. 108, 1376 Nanjing Xi Lu, by Xikang Lu, 1376南京西路108室, 近西康路.
Collectif – Zhaolu Cocktail (RMB108)
With a menu centered around the 24 solar periods of the traditional Chinese calendar, Collectif is an amalgamation – or collection, hence the name – of ingredients, recipes and memories gathered by co-owners and chefs Shane Wang and Malik Sie throughout their China and global travels.
The tea-centric cocktail menu pays just as much attention to promoting China-homegrown ingredients, utilizing them in unconventional yet thoughtful ways to appeal to younger generations.
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Demonstrating the team’s deep-rooted respect towards Chinese tradition, a glass of the Zhaolu (RMB108) sees a creamy disk of frozen salted egg yolk ice cream balanced atop an ice cube – that slowly melts into an acerbic blend of Biluochun green tea, bitter melon and guava, mellowing the latter three.
As the saccharine cream seeps into the drink, it changes with each sip, culminating in a pleasantly tart and sweet finish.
Collectif, D-101, 850 Xikang Lu, by Xinfeng Lu, 西康路850号 D-101室, 近新丰路.
Hakkasan – Egg Custard Sesame Balls (RMB48)
Cantonese Bund institution Hakkasan requires no further introduction, a gold standard for dim sum, with traditional and experimental options to choose from.
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The spurting fumaroles of the Egg Custard Sesame Balls (RMB48) molten salted egg yolk center are what Canto dessert dreams are made of; similar to a Shaghainese breakfast street eat cifantuan, this elevated version of the Cantonese jian dui deserves the hype surrounding it.
While versions can be found stuffed with red bean or black sesame, the contrast between the crunchy sesame seeds, gummy rice mochi exterior and liquefied gold center is unmatchable.
Hakkasan, 5/F, 18 Zhongshan Dong Yi Lu, by Nanjing Dong Lu, 中山东一路18号5楼, 近南京东路.
Kilo – Salted Egg Yolk Edamame (RMB30)
Walking through the nondescript building entrance into Wuding Lu’s newest “speakeasy-style” izakaya Kilo must be how Jeff Bridges’ character felt when he was transported inside the software world of a mainframe computer in the movie Tron.
Reverberating with deep bass beats, it is shadowy and mostly onyx-hued, crisscrossed with glowing crimson lighting and a pattern of exactly 1,000 squares throughout – affording the space its name Kilo, meaning ‘one thousand’ in Greek.
It’s got a whole futuristic, metaverse-meets-underground-Berlin-nightclub vibe going on, with a smattering of classic and creative izakaya bites to boot.
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Case in point, the righteous Salted Egg Yolk Edamame (RMB30) – creamy with flecks of grainy yolk that make sucking the beans out all the more sensual.
Kilo, 2/F, 595 Wuding Lu, by Xikang Lu 武定路595号2楼，近西康路.
Kin Urban Thai Kitchen – Som Tam Pounded Green Papaya (RMB58)
When it comes to Thai cuisine, Shanghai is full of general takes on the country’s food. These menus feature the likes of tom yum soup, coconut milk-laden curries, pad thai and green papaya salad – all tempered for local tastes.
While KIN Urban Thai Kitchen has a few of these items, it’s taken the bold step of specializing in the tastes of Northern Thailand.
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In the north, chefs often bruise fruits, vegetables and fragrant spices into submission. The Som Tam Pounded Green Papaya Salad (RMB58), with tomatoes, long beans, salted egg, dried shrimp and lime, really showcases that Northern Thai pungent fish sauce punch.
But if it’s spice you’re after, opt for the pickled chilies, dry chili flakes or house sriracha on the table. Here, the salted egg imparts flavor exactly how the dish is traditionally prepared in the Isaan region of the country, by adding a welcome wave of funk, mellowed by crisp lettuce.
KIN Urban Thai Kitchen, 45 Yongkang Lu, by Jiashan Lu, 永康路45号, 近嘉善路 and 983 Kangding Lu, by Yanping Lu, 址 康定路983号, 近延平路.
Lounge by Topgolf – Salted Egg Yolk Chips (RMB38)
More than just your average pub grub, the menu at Topgolf provides an elevated alternative with an Asian twist; thoughtful fusion that ties in local flavors, making for a meal more interesting than your standard burger and fries.
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Instead of everyday potato chips, the chef kicks it up a notch with in-house sliced, twice-fried potato chips, drenched in a salted egg yolk butter that soaks into the crisps without making them soggy, adding to the density without detracting from the crunch factor.
These Salted Egg Yolk Chips (RMB38) are deserving of a cult following.
Lounge by Topgolf, 2/F, Central Plaza, 227 Huangpi Bei Lu, by Nanjing Xi Lu 黄陂北路227号中区广场2楼,近南京西路.
ØSP – Salted Duck Egg Sauce Fried Chicken (RMB68) & Salted Duck Egg Soufflé (RMB68)
Chef Joey Cheong (previous owner of Umamiii) has taken residence in the Ø and S parts of Boris Yu’s ØSP restaurant, a three-prong concept composed of the Ømakase dining room; the Savøur cocktail lounge; and the upstairs Pøp-up kitchen with a rotating chef’s set menu – which is currently housing Chef Chang Liu, formerly of Yongfoo Elite Fine Dining.
Taking the menu back to his Singaporean and Malaysian roots, the menu is all about presenting elevated alternatives of hawker center classics.
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Twice fried juicy hunks of chicken are doused in an salted egg yolk gravy as the Salted Duck Egg Sauce Fried Chicken (RMB68).
A higher ratio of actual salted egg to milk powder can be noted in the homemade mix, resulting in the lush and slightly sandy texture of the sauce, enhanced by flaky, fried curry leaves and more cili padi, all balancing on a bed of charred cabbage.
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Chef Joey stays consistent in his love for all things salted egg yolk, an affinity for the ingredient clearly shared by those in Singapore as well. From appetizers through desserts, the Salted Duck Egg Soufflé (RMB68) bridges that meal gap, hugging the line of both in its gooey clutches.
By combining the soufflé's custard base with haiyadan (海鸭蛋), or eggs of ducks raised by the sea – ones whose different diet results in an oilier, more abundant yolk – a symphony of the umami yolks works in perfect harmony with the batter's sugary undertones.
But then, he does the unexpected and throws bird's eye chilis and fried curry leaf into the mix, resulting in a veritable ménage à trois of flavor porn hidden in the voluptuously eggy tart.
ØSP, Suite 101, Block 13, No. 30, Jiazhou Lu 319, by Xinzha Lu 胶州路9弄30号13幢101室, 近新闸路.
Paal – Salted Egg Yolk Cocktail (RMB98)
With nearly 30 years of combined bar experience between the two, Paal co-owners Crawford Su and Aya Guan are no strangers to China’s bar scene; the duo met in Guangdong, where they both grew up and started their drinks industry careers.
Thus it's no surprise that Cantonese flavors weave their way through the menu’s nine cocktails, drawing on the two owners’ favorite dishes and Guangdong-specific ingredients from their hometown of Jiangmen.
Peaty, smoke-scented Caol Ila 12-year malt whisky is blended to order with a hefty scoop of vanilla ice cream, malt powder, maple syrup-infused butter and – the key ingredient – homemade Salted Egg Yolk (RMB98) for a thick milkshake-y mouthful of… Guangdong zongzi.
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Encapsulating the honeyed sweetness juxtaposed against the salty overtones of this streetside staple – especially those filled with a crumbly egg yolk and smoky pork – each ingredient is exacting, precise and a winkingly clever interpretation that exemplifies how the whole can be oh-so-much greater than the sum of its parts.
Paal, 94 Nanchang Lu, by Nanbei Gaojia Lu, 南昌路94号, 近南北高架路.
Ramen Boy – Salted Egg Yolk Noodles (RMB42)
A trendy noodle house dishing out some seriously legit takes on classics that span China, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Korea, Japan and the like, Ramen Boy serves up bouncy egg noodles slick with a salted egg yolk gravy as the Salted Egg Yolk Noodles (RMB42), what carb-laden dreams are made of.
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Begging for an add-on of crispy seared Spam (RMB12), these noodles are anything but docile, adorned with a jammy sous vide egg for a double dose of unctuousness in every satisfying slurp.
Ramen Boy, 112 Xikang Lu, by Beijing Xi Lu, 西康路112号小区里, 近北京西路.
Shanghailander – Salted Egg Yolk Croissant (RMB13), Salted Egg Yolk Mille Crepe (RMB39) & Salty Egg Cheesecake (RMB39)
More than just your average coffee shop, Shanghailander is about bridging the gap between European style pastries and coffee with an Asian twist.
Think black sticky rice mille crepe, meigancai (梅干菜) – or pickled mustard tubers – croissants, brown sugar pearl lattes, and – obviously – some pretty damn standout salted egg yolk desserts, of which there are four to choose from.
Why so much salted egg yolk? "We like to highlight our own personal favorite tastes, and we are both obsessed with salted egg yolk," says co-owner Daniel.
Which is why they work directly with a boutique farmer in Yangzhou – a region of China famous for producing salted egg yolk – to marinate the eggs for specifically for Shanghailander for 45 days, resulting in excessively xian – or savory – notes and a oily mouthfeel.
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The Salted Egg Yolk Croissant (RMB13) is textbook in all the right ways: flaky, buttery, ribbon-lake layers that tear apart in stretchy pulls, encasing a whipped dollop of salted egg yolk cream that bursts from the center and dribbles down your chin.
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A bite of contrasts, the Salted Egg Yolk Mille Crepe (RMB39) is an ode to morning congee, with the silky, saccharine stratum acting as the porridged rice, flecked with grainy tidbits of salty yolky cream that find their way into every bite.
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The moreish Salty Egg Cheesecake (RMB39) is girthy, thick with two c's, as the customary eggs are swapped for salted egg yolk in the baking process, making it dense AF, lusciously rich, and undeniably a showcase of the versailtity of salted egg yolk.
Shanghailander, 92 Wuyuan Lu, by Wulumuqi Lu, 五原路92号, 近乌鲁木齐路.
Shanghai Love – Salted Egg Yolk Corn (RMB48)
What started out as a craft beer brewery known as Shanghai Love has evolved over the last seven years into a brick-and-mortar restaurant in Fengsheng Li (where White Castle used to be).
However, unlike your typical taproom sporting pub grub, owner Kia Parsai is interested in approachable yet upscale dining, centering around Asian tapas designed by consulting chef Michael Janczewski (Bastard, Juke, Canton Disco), among others.
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A prime example, take move theater buttered popcorn, make it naughty, and you get Shanghai Love's Salted Egg Yolk Corn (RMB48) – roasted corn ribs drizzled in pools of salted egg yolk butter, crowned with kaffir lime leaves for a pop of brightness.
Each individual juicy kernel pops with a satisfyingly sweet crunch that is tempered by that literally finger-licking good salty butter concoction.
Literally. Try not to lick your fingers during and after eating this corn. Impossible!
Shanghai Love, 221 Maoming Bei Lu, by Weihai Lu, 茂名北路221号, 近威海路.
Something – Beef Tartare (RMB98)
Something first soft opened in fall 2020 on Wukang Lu – a brunch café, wine and cocktail lounge and global cuisine-inspired restaurant housed in a 160-square meter space (that feels way bigger).
Somehow, each concept works both on its own and as a collective – an example of how the whole can be greater than the sum of its parts.
The menu brings forth flavors from Southeast Asia boldly combined with customarily European plates – resulting in a mixed bag of dishes the team refers to as ‘destination cuisine.’
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We’ve had our fair share of tartares, but the campfire smoke pluming from the glass candy dish that houses Something’s Beef Tartare (RMB98) is more than a gimmicky attention grabber; the peaty char plays with the beetroot’s earthy sweetness, one of the five rainbow stripes that embellish the chopped beef.
A surprising introduction of kimchi adds a fermented, sour funk while salted egg yolk ties in a creamy element of fat we would ubiquitously see as the inclusion of mayonnaise.
Something, 2/F, 98 Wukang Lu, by Wuyuan Lu, 武康路98号2楼, 近五原路.
Yaya's Neighborhood Pasta Bar – Spaghetti Alla Chitarra (RMB78)
Named after the Chinese word for ‘tooth,’ the goal at Yaya’s is to serve perfectly al dente, toothsome pasta – with that springy chew you’d expect from an Italian restaurant – but incorporating Chinese flavor profiles, curated by Chef Dan Li (previously of Bird), Andrew Moo (Taste Collective, Le Daily) and Mike Liu (Lucky Mart).
Yaya also has a connotation with family – meaning ‘grandma’ in Greek and ‘grandpa’ in Shanghainese – further linking the name to the goal of making honest, homey dishes that act as comfort food with a dose of surprise.
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Udon-esque bouncy Spaghetti Alla Chitarra (RMB78) is made with imported dry pasta, rather than fresh, to maintain that expertly al dente springiness in every bite.
Each pasta strand is slick with a fried shallots and cured salted egg yolk sauce – Asia’s answer to parmesan.
Meltingly tender chunks of guanciale – or caramelized pork fat slivers – are sprinkled throughout, while every centimeter of noodle perimeter is covered in shreds of one-year aged Parmesano Reggiano and more shaved salted yolk.
Yaya's, Unit E, 329 Tongren Lu, by Nanyang Lu, 铜仁路329号1层E区, 近南阳路
Yang Yang Ti Mian 样样体面 – Salted Egg Yolk Shumai (RMB6/each), Salted Egg Yolk Xiaolongbao (RMB12/six) & Fried Rice with Shrimp and Salted Egg Yolk (RMB28)
A salted egg yolk mecca, Yang Yang Ti Mian (样样体面) is a Shanghainese-leaning noodle and dumpling shop in Hongkou with an extensive selection of all things yolk.
We're talking salted egg yolk xialongbao, salted egg yolk wontons, salted egg yolk potstickers, salted egg yolk fried noodles, salted egg yolk crab and rice cakes... the list goes on.
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So naturally, we made the trek out there with empty tummies and loaded up on as many salted egg yolk permutations as we could, beginning with the Salted Egg Yolk Shumai (RMB6/each).
(Our first choice, the overflowing yolky lava-filled Salted Egg Yolk Baozi (RMB4.5/each) is apparently only available in the morning, and Dianping reviews suggest it's worth the AM jaunt.)
The shumai is fairly Shanghai standard, a somewhat gummy wrapper surrounding sticky rice, speckled with pieces of soy-steeped pork, with an over-cooked whole duck yolk plopped smack dab in the center.
If eaten in one bite, it's a salty blob of pure sand, borderline impossible to swallow without requiring the Heimlich. If, instead, the yolk was crumbled and sprinkled throughout, this shumai would be more palatable.
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The tables turn with the Salted Egg Yolk Xiaolongbao (RMB12/six), plump and droopy, with over-stuffed bottoms that sag with the weight of rich pools of salted egg yolk-laced pork fat soup.
To balance the yolk's salinity, the sweeter pink pounded pork is used for the meatball center, a dunk in aged vinegar cutting through the richness.
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Similarly, the Fried Rice with Shrimp and Salted Egg Yolk (RMB28) arrives glistening, still steaming, each individual kernel liberally coated in a smarmy blend of frying oil, salted yolk, soy and vinegar.
Our favorite bites include the feathery bits of fried egg – some egg-on-egg action that's got us channeling Beauty and the Beast Gaston vibes.
Yang Yang Ti Mian (样样体面), 20 Bao'an Branch Road, Sichuan Bei Lu, by Ouyang Lu, 四川北路街道宝安支路20号, 近欧阳路.
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