Ms. Mao’s Hao Sheng Restaurant on Guang-yuan Road is probably the most Shanghainese restaurant there is. It’s been open for around two decades and they serve traditional Shanghai home-cooking, but not those imposing, thick-sauced, fake Shanghai food you find all over the place. Ms. Mao buys the groceries herself every day. The chef and waitresses have also been with her for more than 10 years. They pay great attention to the ingredients and cooking methods; it’s not like they’re cooking for an emperor, it’s more how a Shanghai mother would prepare their own home-cooked meals for their family—filled with love and care. The restaurant isn’t very big, it only fits around 4 to 5 tables. They only take reservations and don’t allow more than a certain number of guests for lunch and dinner service. Their door is usually locked from the inside, so they won’t even open the door to new, unreserved customers even if they knock on the door.