Neighborhood noodles

Crab roe noodle soup is one of two of the most popular dishes at Shimian Maifu Seafood Noodle in Shanghai. Photos provided to China Daily

Noodles. Seafood. These two perennial favorites combine to make one shop in Shanghai a favorite with the city's young foodies. Li Xinzhu browses the menu and tells us why.

It is hard to trace the origin of the seafood noodle, since it seems to have equally significant roles in cuisines both Eastern and Western. Italians love them smothered in a white sauce. Singaporeans like to add king prawns to rice noodles. And, for Chinese everywhere, seafood noodle soup crops up often.

In China, most restaurants will have noodles listed on the last pages of the menu, recognizing their role as a traditional staple.

Apart from restaurants, the neighborhood noodle shop is another place to get your noodle fix, since these often operate close to residential areas, and are usually small and featureless but functional. Sometimes, they get so popular that they expand beyond the neighborhood.

A noodle shop named Shimian Maifu Seafood Noodle has attracted much attention on the popular Chinese micro blogs. It, too, started small with the first shop located on Changle Road in Huangpu district, Shanghai.

The second shop has just opened on Dingxi Road in Changning district, where dozens of congee shops, grill restaurants and snack bars are congregated.