In April of 2019, I was hired by the awesome Renault company to shoot a video for them in Shanghai. I spent 12 days exploring Shanghai and the cities of Suzhou and Hangzhou, China. Come along with me as I go on a Shanghai design tour with Groupe Renault and enjoy some authentic Yunnan food in Shanghai, China!
I was so excited to head out on Groupe Renault’s 24-hour Design Discovery China tour! We started at the Puli Hotel to meet with Anthony Lo (the vice president of exterior design at Renault). My tour started with a presentation that explained what goes into designing cars, the types of ideas that go into it, and why Renault chose China in the first place. Shanghai is a world leader when it comes to design!
After the presentation, I headed down to the lobby to find out why they chose the Puli Hotel to get inspired. Outside at the entry, there is a lot of beautiful bamboo. The exterior walls are made of Shanghai bricks, which are also quite stunning. There are also some awesome horse statues. I could see why this hotel was chosen to inspire Renault! The design is incredible.
We continued our Shanghai design tour of the hotel, including its terrace and spa, and then headed to the Museum of Contemporary Art. The surrounding area has a very strong history. The area is beautiful and includes gorgeous skyscrapers and an amazing park.
The museum is beautiful! There was lots of unique, graffiti-style artwork that featured a lot of cats. There’s even a piece inspired by Harley Quinn and the Joker! I learned a lot about the artwork there, including the pieces by Obey, who is known for designing President Obama’s famous 2008 campaign poster. I loved this museum! It’s such a cool place!
From there, we went to Lost Heaven Restaurant to have some Yunnan food, which you can find all over Shanghai, China. I love Chinese food, so I couldn’t wait to dig in! I learned that the Yunnan Province is in the south of China and was linked to the Silk Road.
I started with a samosa, which was super greasy and crispy and contained vegetables and some nice beef. I added a spicy and sweet sauce to it for an extra kick! Then I tried an egg roll, which was also greasy, but good! I loved the cabbage in it.
Then I went with a cucumber, radish, cabbage, and carrot stir-fry and a dish with lots of veggies, nuts, and chilies. It was like a papaya salad and was cold, crunchy, and moist and bursting with flavor. The stir-fry wasn’t too spicy, either. It was just right. I enjoyed it with a Tsingtao beer, which is the most popular beer in the world. It was very light and refreshing!
Next, I had beef with a nice glaze on it. There were some chilies in it, so it was hot! Because the Yunnan Province is so close to Myanmar, the food has a lot of Southeast Asian influences. This Yunnan food was a highlight of my time in Shanghai, China!
Then I went with fried eggplant. Eggplant is one of my favorite things to eat all over the world and this version did not disappoint! This eggplant was smothered in a mouthwatering tomato sauce. It was super soft and practically evaporated in my mouth! It was almost like crème brulee!
Next was some pork neck, which was incredible! It was nice and fatty and tasted like Chinese-style ribs. I added a chili sauce to it. I loved everything, but the eggplant was the star for me, by far!
After our Yunnan food feast, we set back out to explore more of Shanghai China. Our next destination was the Yang Design Museum, which is located in a 100-year-old building and features a collection of old cars.
Inside, I learned that the Yang Design actually helps Renault and other companies adapt their vehicles for Chinese consumers and that they have their own design museum!
I couldn’t help but admire a $2,800 high-tech, smart carbon fiber suitcase designed by them. There are also old-school travel trunks on display. They’re so colorful and beautiful! There’s also a showroom of vintage cars and much more!
Next, we went to Banma, where we learned about AI technology that will connect you to your car. I couldn’t wait to check it out! The technology is super-advanced and top secret, so I can’t tell you about it, but it was amazing!
I ended my Shanghai design tour at the Shanghai Edition Hotel’s Punch Room to get some drinks! The bar is super chic and intimate and offers an incredible view of the city. What an amazing way to end my design tour and Yunnan food experience with Groupe Renault in Shanghai, China!
I hope you enjoyed coming along with me on my epic Shanghai design tour with Groupe Renault! If you did, please give it a thumbs up and leave me a comment! Also, please subscribe to my YouTube channel so you don’t miss any of my upcoming travel/food content!
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