Tom Holland & Zendaya’s Shanghai Food Trail: Where They Ate and How to Do It Yourself
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In July 2026, Tom Holland and Zendaya came to Shanghai for the Spider-Man: Brand New Day press tour. The red carpet got some attention, but the internet mostly talked about a 14-yuan bowl of noodles. The couple praised the sesame-paste noodles at Wei Xiang Zhai in interviews, and the shop now sells a set meal based on their order (Shanghai government English portal).
This guide covers every stop that news outlets reported, along with addresses, prices and metro stations. The stops are grouped into two easy routes: a half-day around Yu Garden and Nanjing East Road, and an evening in Huaihai Road and the former French Concession.
To be clear: Tom Holland and Zendaya have no connection to this blog or to any tour recommended here. Nobody sponsors or endorses anything in this article. I’m just following a route that was reported in the news.
Local tip: On Xiaohongshu (China’s Instagram-style app), the story spread fast. A news account’s post about the couple’s noodles passed 7,000 likes, and within days locals were posting that the shop “has started to get long queues.” Shanghai’s government English portal now calls the dish “Spider-Man noodles” and says it draws long lines and more international visitors (Shanghai gov).
The trail at a glance
| Stop | What they did | Area |
|---|---|---|
| Wei Xiang Zhai | Sesame-paste noodles (majiang mian) | Nanjing East Rd |
| BalaThé | Fruit tea | Yu Garden |
| Semir | Tom bought denim shorts | Yu Garden |
| Bund riverfront | Photo call | The Bund |
| Matcha shop, HAI550 | Matcha drinks | Huaihai Middle Rd |
| Bar Leone | Focaccia mortadella sandwich | Sinan Mansions, former French Concession |
| Fu He Hui | Dinner | Yuyuan Rd (Jing’an/Changning) |
Prices below are approximate and may change.
Route 1: Yu Garden + Nanjing East Road (half day)
Fruit tea at BalaThé, Yu Garden
BalaThé is a jasmine-tea shop inside Gate 7 of the Yu Garden bazaar (Huabao Building, 265 Fangbang Middle Road). The couple bought two fruit teas here, and reports say they also tried on qipao during their visit to Yu Garden (Jiupai via Tencent News, Tatler Asia). Expect to pay about RMB 30 per person.
Metro: Yuyuan Garden station, Line 10 or Line 14. It’s about a 10-minute walk from the station to BalaThé and Semir (Line 10 Exits 3A/3B or Line 14 Exit 7 are the closest).
Tom’s emergency shorts at Semir
It was about 36°C, so Tom Holland bought a pair of denim shorts at a Semir store for RMB 159, and the photos went viral (Yangcheng Evening News, Tencent News). The store is in the Yu Garden department store (159 Jiuxiaochang Road), so you can walk there right after BalaThé. Prices change, so treat this as a fun stop, not a bargain hunt.
Local tip: The ticketed garden opens at 9:00 and closes at 16:30 (last entry 16:00), and it’s closed on Mondays except public holidays. Be at the gate at opening on a weekday: guides say the first 30–45 minutes are the quietest, and tour groups arrive around 10:00. The bazaar outside is free and stays lit until about 22:00, so you can come back in the evening for photos (China Routes Guide, Ask Shanghai).
The famous noodles at Wei Xiang Zhai
This noodle shop has been open since the 1930s and holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand. The couple went to the Nanjing East Road branch at 151 Hubei Road, across from Shanghai Book City. A bowl of majiang mian costs about RMB 14. Did they go back for seconds? The Straits Times says the couple ate there twice during their three-day trip, while Vogue HK says it was Zendaya.
How to order: Ask for majiang mian (麻酱面). The sesame sauce sits at the bottom, so stir hard before you eat. In a video interview, Zendaya reportedly mentioned eating “something like a fried pork chop” with her noodles. Adding a fried pork chop (炸猪排) is a classic Shanghai combination either way. Queues have reportedly grown since July, so go outside lunch hours.
Metro: Nanjing East Road station, Line 2 or Line 10 (Exit 4 is the closest, about a 5–10 minute walk; People’s Square station is a similar distance). The original Wei Xiang Zhai is on Yandang Road near Xintiandi, about 300 m from South Huangpi Road station (Line 1 Exit 1), if that’s easier for you.
Local tip: Wei Xiang Zhai is tiny. The original Yandang Road shop is about 37 square meters with 11 tables (Shanghai gov). You order and pay at the counter first, then wait for a free seat. Turnover is fast, so even a long line moves quickly. To skip the worst of it, go before 11:30 or on a weekday morning, and avoid weekend lunch. Locals add a splash of vinegar to cut the richness of the sesame sauce (Nomfluence, Pearl). The Yandang Road branch opens 6:30 am–9 pm. Check the Hubei Road branch’s hours on a map app before you go.
The Bund photo-call view
On July 24, the couple posed for a photo call by the Huangpu River with the Bund and Lujiazui skyline behind them (CPOPBase). From Wei Xiang Zhai, it’s about a 15–20 minute walk (roughly 1.2 km) east along Nanjing East Road to the riverfront. The skyline looks best around sunset, when the lights come on.
Route 2: Huaihai Road + the former French Concession (evening)
Matcha on Huaihai Middle Road
On July 23, each of them ordered a matcha drink at a high-end matcha shop in the HAI550 mall, 550 Huaihai Middle Road (Yangcheng Evening News). The shop is Matcha Wang (ground floor, about RMB 35 per person). UNDEFEATED CAFE on the same floor also serves matcha, so you can try both.
Metro: Huaihai Middle Road station (Line 13) is about a 6-minute walk, and South Huangpi Road (Line 1 or Line 14) is about 8 minutes. Don’t aim for Xintiandi station: from there it’s about a 17-minute walk.
A sandwich at Bar Leone, Sinan Mansions
Vogue HK reports that they ordered the focaccia mortadella sandwich at Bar Leone in Sinan Mansions. The plane-tree-lined lanes around Sinan Road and Fuxing Middle Road are some of the prettiest in the former French Concession, and they’re perfect for a slow walk before dinner.
Local tip: From Sinan Mansions, walk west along Fuxing Middle Road. It’s one of the leafiest plane-tree streets in the area, and Xiaohongshu users rate its small restaurants under the trees. If you’re still hungry after dinner, local posts recommend two late-night food streets nearby: Jinxian Road, which is good for a dinner-and-snack walk, and Julu Road, known for a roadside fried-noodle stall. Stalls like these come and go, so treat them as a bonus, not a plan.
Dinner at Fu He Hui
The couple ended the day at Fu He Hui, a Michelin-starred vegetarian restaurant at 1037 Yuyuan Road (Tatler Asia). It’s a splurge, at roughly RMB 1,000 per person, and you’ll need to book ahead.
Metro: Jiangsu Road station, Line 2 or Line 11. The restaurant is only about 150–200 m from the exits (Line 11 Exits 6/7, Line 2 Exits 1/4).
Prefer a guide? Two Shanghai food tours in the same neighborhoods
Fine dining isn’t for everyone, and Chinese-only menus can be hard to read. If that’s you, a guided food tour can show you the same neighborhoods and the same kind of local food. These tours have no connection to Tom Holland or Zendaya. I chose them for their reviews and routes.
Late Night Food Tour in the French Concession. This tour starts at 8:30 pm, lasts about 3 hours and costs from US$89. It’s rated 4.9/5 from 213 reviews. If you skip Fu He Hui, it’s a good way to finish Route 2.
Authentic Local Food Tour in Central Shanghai. This tour lasts about 3 hours, runs at several times of day and costs about US$79. It’s rated 5.0/5 from 1,007 reviews. If you go at lunchtime, it pairs well with Route 1.
Prices and review counts are from Viator in October 2026 and may have changed.
Which one for a first-timer? If you can only pick one, the Authentic Local Food Tour is the safer choice. It has the most reviews (1,007 at 5.0) and morning, lunch, evening and late-night slots, so it’s easy to fit around the Yu Garden half-day. Choose the Late Night tour if you’re free only after 8:30 pm or want local craft beer included.
FAQ
Where did Zendaya eat noodles in Shanghai? At Wei Xiang Zhai, a sesame-paste noodle shop open since the 1930s that holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand. The couple went to the Nanjing East Road branch. A bowl costs about RMB 14.
Can I do the Tom Holland & Zendaya route in one day? Yes. Do Yu Garden, Wei Xiang Zhai and the Bund in the morning or early afternoon, then take the metro to Huaihai Road for matcha, Sinan Mansions and dinner.
Do I need to speak Chinese? Not really. Point at the menu or show the Chinese names in this guide (麻酱面, 炸猪排). If you’d rather have someone order for you, book a guided Shanghai food tour.
Are these tours endorsed by Tom Holland or Zendaya? No. The celebrities have no connection to any tour or business recommended here. This guide only follows stops reported by the news.