Cantonese Dinner at the Langham Hotel in Shanghai

Of course, you can eat delicious Shanghainese food to your heart's content in Shanghai, but one of the glories of this world-class city is trying out the best of China's other regions.

One example: Cantonese food at T'ang Court in the Langham Yangtze Boutique hotel. This is the second location for a restaurant that made its name, and earned two-Michelin stars, in Hong Kong. Shanghai's T'ang Court is a great place to go for a special, fancy, and, as you'd expect, pricey meal. Just don't forget your camera, as the hotel's sweeping Art Deco staircase is a dramatic photo op.

Cantonese food is the style that Americans are most familiar with, but authentic Cantonese food has little to do with what you're likely to find in an Americanized Chinese restaurant, which has been subject to a great deal of adulteration and adaptation.