For the Foodie in Every Traveler

I love food, especially Chinese food. Being half Chinese, I am probably more familiar with Chinese than any other ethnic food since my Mom and Grandmother would fry up some pretty amazing dishes. The following is a list of food experiences in the order in which I tried them. The restaurants listed are actually pretty easy to find and you can inquire about them at the place you are staying for more information and location. I felt that I would share my foods with you so that when you happen to venture to China your experience will be just as tasty or even better.


Random Restaurant (Shanghai) – This area is near the Yuyuan gardens and there is street food and some sit down restaurants. We ate noodle soup with crabmeat, bok choy, chicken, and fresh noodles. We also ate a dish with stir fried beef, egg, and stewed tomatoes. Tomato dishes have been growing in popularity in China and this infusion is one that would make Chinese/American cuisine proud because we have had it over here for quite some time. The picture is of a street market vendor frying cuttlefish and squid.


Lou Wai Lou (Hangzhou) – A fancy restaurant on the West Lake of Hangzhou. Famous for beggars chicken, the restaurant serves up mostly local favorites straight from the lake. I tried smoked Duck tongue (pictured), candied Lotus Root stuffed with sticky rice (from West Lake), noodle soup, and steamed Shanghai style bok choy and mushrooms (from West Lake). This was also the place that I tried the West Lake Green Rain Beer. Do not pass this up. You have a balcony view of Hangzhou and the whole West Lake.


Man Fu Lou (Beijing) – Known for having a great Hot Pot; we decided to try this place without even knowing what a hot pot was. Talk about an experience; no one spoke English and they had to show us what to do. They sit a little burner on your table and place a bowl filled with seasoned broth. When it boils you cook the vegetables and meat in it and then dip it in some soy sauce and a peanut sauce mixed with cilantro and green onions. We had potatoes, mushrooms, fish balls, lamb, beef, and spinach. Simply put, this was my favorite culinary experience on the whole trip.

Quan Jude Roast Duck Restaurant (Beijing) – Known for serving roast duck for over 150 years, this restaurant was excellent, but a bit pricy. We ate Peking duck in a way that I had never done before – in a small wrap with hoisin sauce and thinly sliced onions. It was fantastic and unlike anything I had tried in American Chinatowns. The duck was very lightly seasoned and roasted over an open flame. They slice it table-side and serve you only the prime meat, such as the good skin and the breast. This blog post is very difficult to write before lunch.

Donghuamen Night Market from David T. on Vimeo.

Donghuamen Night Market (Beijing) – I tried three main delicacies here: Sea Snake, Dog, and Scorpions. Ironically, Scorpions were not that bad and reminded me of pork rinds, but the Dog was fried too long and tough and the Sea Snake was salty, squishy, and gross. I am glad I tried it. If I went back I would have to explore the starfish, sea urchins, or grasshoppers. However, I draw the line at reproductive organs; I will not try those. Andrew Zimmern and Samantha Brown of the Travel Channel visited this street.


Muslim Quarter (Xi’an Street Food) – I ate a Sichuan Hot Pot, which is the same concept as the hot pot at Man Fu Lou listed above but with fresh chili peppers added to the broth. It is extremely hot, but extremely awesome. I ate tofu, mushrooms, bok choy, beef, and bamboo shoots. I also tried Uighur, which is a fusion of Chinese and Middle Eastern. Uighur is a Muslim people group originating from Turkey and countries along the silk road. The food is mainly known for grilled lamb kabobs (pictured near the bottom right corner), roasted with soy sauce, peppers, and spices. For a couple kwai (30 cents) you can enjoy some of the best skewered meat you've ever had.


Din Tai Fung (Shanghai) – This restaurant is actually from Taiwan and it was very swanky and nice. We ate at the one located in Xintiandi, which was the site of the first Congress of the Communist Party of China. Famous for dumplings, they were the juiciest ones I've ever had; they simply melt in your mouth. Not to salty, they are spiced just right so you can taste the full flavor of the meat. Apparently, there is one located in, LA. It comes highly recommended by the NY Times and if I find myself on the West Coast I may have to stop in again.

Hope you enjoyed the food. Now, let's eat! Cheers to real Chinese food.

Ciao,
David