I work up a healthy appetite to help save the city’s soul

When I walked into Speak Low in midMarch, my heart sank, as it is usually nearimpossible to find a seat at this critically acclaimed Shanghai cocktail bar during weekends.

However, on a Saturday night about eight weeks after the COVID19 outbreak, just two people were seated at the counter.

I’m a firm believer in the notion that food is the soul of a city. After all, I come from Singapore, where eating is not a necessity but a national pastime.

In addition to the stunning contrast between elegant colonial lane houses and modern, cloud-piercing skyscrapers, I reckon that a large part of Shanghai’s soul can be attributed to its cosmopolitan nature, of which bars and restaurants naturally form an integral part.

As a result, the scene at Speak Low, along with closures of various dining venues in the city due to the pandemic, was especially disconcerting. I felt as though part of the city’s soul had vanished.

However, while many venues were forced to suspend dine-in services, their kitchens were allowed to remain open. As a result, businesses could still earn revenue and mitigate the devastating impact of the pandemic through the introduction of takeout meals.

I felt that I should play my part in reviving the city’s soul.

While many of my friends used WeChat to showcase their home cooking accomplishments, I took to the food delivery platforms Meituan

Dianping and Ele.me to order takeout from my favorite cafes and restaurants.

Ordering takeout in Shanghai is — forgive the pun — a piece of cake, because of the abundance of options available on various apps. Many of my usual haunts that never used to offer deliveries have started to introduce their dishes on these apps.

Even during the peak of the pandemic, when many delivery riders were still stuck in their hometowns and unable to return to their jobs in Shanghai, I never had a problem getting meals delivered.

The only inconvenience was having

to collect an order at the main gate of my compound — due to the implementation of preventive measures — instead of having it delivered to the door.

At such times, I couldn’t help but marvel at just how advanced Shanghai’s logistics network is.

In contrast with other cities worldwide, where delivery networks are not as mature or not even in place, I feel there is much to be grateful about.

Praise is also due for the city’s handling of the pandemic. The fact that nearly all businesses have reopened just a few months after the start of the outbreak is telling evidence of how effective the prevention and control measures have been. There have also been no locally transmitted cases in Shanghai for nearly two months.

While the pandemic is not officially behind us in the city, I now feel that it is safe to be out and about. Unfortunately, many of my local friends feel differently.

“We Shanghainese aren’t afraid of anything — except death!” one of them quipped.

My reply to them has always been that it is pointless to be afraid. I’ve also encouraged them to eat out and support local businesses.

I don’t disagree that all that cooking at home might be safer, but it will certainly be fatal for the local dining scene. By venturing out, diners won’t just be saving the soul of the city, they will be helping many people stay in their jobs.