Shanghai’s farm country is closer than most residents imagine, especially when surrounded by the city’s seemingly endless forest of skyscrapers. But just beyond the spires is a huge, green oasis: Chongming. Somewhat smaller than Hawaii’s Kauai, this island at the mouth of the Yangtze River grows much of the municipality’s food supply.
The government is pushing plans forward to develop the area with “eco-friendly” industries by 2020 but, as usual, has not provided many details on how these goals will be achieved. A stopping point for millions of migratory birds each year, the island (for now) has several wetland zones and ecological parks that are open to visitors, making it a worthwhile jaunt for those wanting to escape Shanghai’s urban jungle.
For curious eaters with no plans to trek out to Chongming, the restaurant Yuyang Laozhen brings the island’s home-style farm cuisine into the city, with affordable prices, generous portions and a rustic vibe that make a welcome break from Shanghai’s usual dining scene, which tends towards fancy platings 
and smaller portions. Yuyang’s interior is decked out in a somewhat tacky Rainforest Café-esque theme, with trees and other plants dominating the dining room, but don’t let that deter you.
Start off with an order of red-braised goat (红烧羊肉, hóngshāo yángròu) – sourced from Chongming’s ubiquitous herds – which offers diners a succulent change from the typical Shanghainese dish of fatty braised pork. In this version, chunks of goat meat left on the bone are braised in a mix of Shaoxing wine, dark soy sauce, ginger, star anise and other spices, for a pleasingly sweet-meets-savory-meets-gamey twist on the classic dish. All the sautéed dishes we tried came in generous portions and with noticeably high-quality vegetables. We devoured the stir-fried egg and leeks (韭菜抄土鸡蛋, jiǔcài chāo tǔ jīdàn) in no time. Dry-pot cooking is another hallmark of the island’s cuisine, and you’d be remiss not to order a big pot of organic cauliflower (干锅有机花采, gānguō yǒujī huācǎi) or the tea tree mushrooms with tender beef fillet (茶树菇牛柳, cháshù gū niú liǔ).
Diners interested in where Yuyang Laozhen’s ingredients come from might want to spend a day or two exploring Chongming Island by car or bike in order to get a close-up look at China’s agricultural production process. Farming here 
generally entails small plots and low levels of mechanization, though there are signs of modernization on the horizon. With the latest party leadership change, increasing agricultural productivity is a high priority.
Started by a Singaporean, Mahota Farm is a demo farm on the island that follows modern and sustainable farming practices and strives for a “closed ecosystem” that reuses waste as fertilizer; it also provides vegetable boxes to members, through a CSA (community-supported agriculture) model. The farm supplies an on-site restaurant, Mahota Kitchen, and a combination vegetable shop and restaurant in Shanghai, The Mahota, both of which are prized for organic hotpot meals featuring their own veggies served within 24 hours of picking (call ahead for bookings at the farm location, as the venue keeps erratic opening hours). Thanks to a 25 km bridge-tunnel built in 2009 and several ferry routes that take only about an hour, it’s an easy day trip to the island.
Of course, if you can’t make it to Chongming, Yuyang Laozhen is always there. It’s not quite worry-free island living, but it’s island eating at its best.
Published on August 02, 2013
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