Shops selling cakes, desserts and Western pastries can now be found on almost every street corner of Shanghai. But among all the arrivistes in this thriving section of the food industry, there are a number of local, "time-honored" brands that have stayed the course for the best part of 80 years. And it is these companies' delicacies that have really won the hearts, and stomachs, of Shanghai residents.

Through word of mouth, these brands have managed to build their good reputations over many decades. And the Global Times has found three such institutions, all located downtown, and which are still serving up desserts to die for. 

Kaisiling Cake

This store first opened it doors in 1928, and later expanded its menu to include Western-style foods and desserts. But the brand really rose to prominence in 1960 when its dessert products stood out at a nationwide Western-style dessert competition, which showcased the company's decorative cream cakes and own-brand "Vinas" cookies.

Today, Kaisiling boasts more than 20 branches around the city and its best-selling products include chestnut cakes and chocolate éclairs (hadou in Chinese).

These chocolate éclairs are a perfect example of a cream-stuffed puff with a chocolate covering and which is crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. They also highlight that the cream they use is whipped cream. Each chocolate eclair costs 7 yuan ($1.12).

Business hours: 9:30 am to 9:30 pm

Add: 1001 Nanjing Road West

南京西路1001号

Tel: 6267-5692

A chocolate éclair from Kaisiling

Dessert House at Park Hotel

The 75-year-old Park Hotel on Nanjing Road West has long been a landmark in Shanghai, and one of the most accessible parts of the building is its dessert house. And the "house" has become particularly famous for its butterfly cookies, renowned throughout the whole city. 

These cookies come in two flavors, original sweet and salty cheese, and are sold for 22 yuan for a pack of five pieces, and 30 yuan, respectively. "The butterfly cookies feature selected, high-quality ingredients including imported butter and cheese, and are created by a technique unique to our kitchen which involves the pastry being composed of many layers," Wang Guoji, a dessert-making expert who has been working at the Park Hotel for 40 years, told the Global Times.

And while the butterfly cookies remains the biggest draw of all the Western-style desserts at the hotel, the silver-thread roll (yinsi juan) and gold-thread roll (jinsi juan) are among the most sought-after traditional Chinese desserts on sale.

These traditional desserts, which resemble steamed buns, originate in the north of China, where they were commonly served at high-ranking banquets or other important occasions.

Wang, who is also skilled in hand-making both types of rolls, said that an average of 700 boxes (six pieces in each) of rolls are sold every day. "We started to sell these roll desserts about two years ago, and they are all hand-made by a team of a dozen people," he said. "And to better cater to the palate of local customers, I have adjusted the ingredients. For example, the stuffing of the gold-thread roll is now made with a mix of pumpkin and flour, as opposed to the more traditional egg yolk." He added that the recipe for silver-thread rolls combines flour with sugar.

Customers can also find a branch of the dessert house at 414 Nanjing Road East.

Business hours: 8 am to 8 pm

Add: 28 Huanghe Road

黄河路28号

Tel: 6327-5225

Jinsi juan from Dessert House at Park Hotel

Butterfly cookies from Dessert House at Park Hotel Photos: Cai Xianmin/GT

Harbin Food

Although the northern name might suggest otherwise, Harbin Food is a 100-percent Shanghai brand. Nicknamed Hashi, the shop was opened in 1937, and it is well-known for its huge variety of popular treats, especially its almond row dessert. With a strong buttery taste, the dessert also comes in other nutty flavors such as peanut, walnut and cashew.

Xifanni is another popular dessert and is an eight-layered cake containing peanut butter or jam in its middle layers with a top layer of chocolate. It is now fondly remembered as the quintessential childhood dessert for many Shanghainese who grew up in the 1970s and 1980s.

And at traditional Chinese celebrations, such as Mid-Autumn Festival, the shop provides seasonal festive foods such as meat-stuffed moon cakes.

Business hours: 9 am to 10 pm

Add: 613 Huaihai Road Middle

淮海中路613号

Tel: 5383-2451 or 6437-0832