shanghai is, and has been for sometime, a city of immigrants. and the food reflects that genealogy. a combination of people from neighboring zhejiang province known for their liberal use of sugar, soy, and vinegar. and from jiangsu province, known for fresh ingredients and attention to preserving the aliveness of its dishes. it's the best of both worlds. great sauces, great ingredients. there's hongshao rou, braised pork belly in a deep red glaze of dark and light soy sauce, cinnamon, sugar and anise. hongshao chang yu, a small fish poached first in rice wine, salted light soy, then fried in ginger, garlic, oil, more soy and sugar until the liquids reduce into a gorgeous sticky sauce. xiang ya, duck that's been marinated, blanched, then reheated, smothered in a sauce made from the reduced drippings left in the wok with dark soy, salt, and sugar.