★★★☆☆

On my way out yesterday morning, I was desperately seeking my favorite jiānbǐng vendor for a delicious, cheap, and savory breakfast.  To my complete disappointment, Mei Ling – jiānbǐng extraordinaire – was already sold out of most of her ingredients (it was 7:45 A.M.).  Seeking some kind of alternative, I stumbled down the rabbit-hole lane of my neighborhood wet market.  Having passed up everything because they all seemed to be fried, I actually wandered back out near my apartment complex, making a complete circle (it is very easy to get turned around in these markets that extend into various lanes).

Seeing I was getting late for where I needed to be, I went to the closest stall selling something: I ordered a bag of guōtiē.

Yes.  Fried, greasy, pork filled guōtiē for breakfast.  I guess what’s the different between that and bacon and toast, anyway?

The black cast iron griddle, which were frying and crisping the dumplings, was just coming off its flame when I approached, which meant these were ridiculously fresh.  Sprinkled with scallions and black sesame seeds, six (the minimum order at my stand) were dropped into a Styrofoam plate, doused with the requisite cù, and then wrapped into a plastic bag.  That ran me 4元.

I knew better (from painful past experiences) than to eat these immediately.  Instead, I walked to the metro, guōtiē in tow, and eagerly waited for them to cool.

These potstickers were incredible.  I was pleasantly surprised that they did not boast nearly as much greasy broth as their cousin, the shēngjiānbāo, which normally burst with melted pork fat.  Instead, these were somehow – I dare say it – light.  The wrappers weren’t overbearing or too thick, the bottoms well browned and crisp, and the interior meat was tender, but not overly juicy.  After the first, I quickly shoveled the rest down.

So, this is not quite the most traditional – or healthy – breakfast out there, but if you can stomach them in the morning, get these guōtiē while they’re hot.

• Dongxin Lu Wet Market
• Dongxin Lu Extension and Dongxin Lu near Wuning Lu
• Putuo District
  

Dry-fried green beans – one of the ‘Hai’s favorite veggies

Recently, I worked with Shanghai food expert and writer Joanne Yao on a piece for CNNGo.com, where we discovered and highlighted the 40 foods Shanghailanders simply cannot live without.  Of course, of those foods, we named some favorites like xiǎolóngbāo, and also some dishes that aren’t as well known, but are equally loved.

Check out our article on these foods, as well as the others on Shanghai at CNNGo.com.