I found my favorite grocery store in Shanghai. It's called City Super and it's in a mall. I know that sounds weird, but malls in China are awesome. Like "I would choose to go and hang out there even if the air quality wasn't bad" awesome. (But it's extra awesome, because sometimes the air quality is really bad here and you have to stay inside.)
A little side note, I discovered that the breathing masks I bought at Pharmaca in Portland were woefully inadequate for filtering real pollution. So I spent about $70 and one of the admins from the office got me a good mask with disposable filters that you remove when they turn grey (gross).
#supersexyselfie
But don't worry, mom! I promise to wear it when it's really gross out! Like if the AQI is over 200.
This is what a nice sunny day looks like when the AQI is just over 200. You can taste the pollution.
Side note to the side note: The Air Quality Index runs from 0 to 500 (500 is bad). I have an app on my phone that was developed by an ex-WK'er called Airpocalypse, and it tells you the AQI for several cities in China along with cute little icons. I've seen ratings in the mid-300s in Chengdu since I've been here. Woof.
Okay, after that super-appetizing detour, let's get back to grocery shopping, shall we?
City Super. It's light and bright and beautiful and full of stuff without feeling cluttered. Sort of like IKEA. Actually exactly like IKEA because people in China love to walk in front of you and slow down. Just. like. IKEA.
They have gorgeous produce and including these crazy apples that are the size of a newborn baby's head and cost about $20. I have no idea how they achieve that bi-color stencil effect. Any theories? Please leave them in the comments because I am curious.
And this amazing waygu beef. I've seen beef that nice once before in person, and all that finely-marbled fat actually starts to melt and weep as the meat approaches room temperature. If beef and butter had a love child, it would taste like these steaks.
Pet store?
Nope, sorry, fellas. Seafood section.
And yes, there are turtles in the bottom left tank.
And dried sea cucumbers, which are both really scary-looking and really expensive.
Sorry for the terrible picture. They were behind locked glass, because that box of spiny gremlins is more than $1100.
I didn't think I would be able to find any Mexican food, but I was wrong. Unfortunately, most of it was Tostitos, Pace and Rosarita. But there were some pickled jalapenos and some Frontera Grill salsas, so it wasn't all bad.
They also have lots of prepared food such as a barbecued meat station, sushi area, seafood grill and deli. And they have pre-segmented citrus fruit, which makes me think of Lobee because all she really wants in life is for someone to supreme her citrus fruit for her. (You think I'm joking. I am not.)
I also get really excited when I see Portland products here. Even when they're Portland products I don't particularly care for. Like Rogue beer. Especially like a $4 Rogue beer. I bought Tsingtao and Kirin instead.
I realize that I only took pictures of expensive oddities, but it's also full of lots of reasonably priced things that you actually want to eat. I bought really good fuji apples, yogurt, granola, cucumbers, a wine corkscrew, beer and some lotion for under $40.
And they have cooking lessons that I need to check out. They have a "western food" class coming up soon. Of all the classes to take, that's not the best use of my time and money, but I'm kind of curious about what that means.
Too bad I don't actually have a kitchen where I'm staying, or I'd be doing more grocery shopping. But I plan to endear myself to my coworkers and set up shop in their kitchens a couple of nights a week (I say while twisting my mustache in a scheme-y way).
x
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