Dessert counter at Kaisiling.[Photo by Gao Erqiang/China Daily]

Kaisiling

This place was founded in the 1920s as a French-style cafe that was helmed by three local pastry chefs who had a capital of eight gold bars. Kaisiling is also featured in Shanghai's literary maestro Eileen Chang's Lust, Caution novel.

However, it was the takeaway counter that was, and still is, the most popular. Some say that this was primarily because of the poor service, State-run restaurants usually worry little about turning a profit so their staff are usually not concerned about maintaining service standards.

The cafe's French pastry cream horn eclairs and chestnut gateaux are the bestsellers among the Shanghainese and are most often bought as after-dinner treats. Ask any dessert and pastry lover and he or she would likely tell you that the eclairs are dangerously addictive.

There are more than 50 Kaisiling outlets across the city today and they can be found in department stores, at the entrances to neighborhoods and even in the metro stations. Its most popular offering is the chestnut gateaux that is a less sweet but better tasting alternative to the ones sold at foreign bakeries in the city.