Restaurants in China
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A
Wángfǔjǐng Snack Street
Don't be put off by the starfish (Y20), cicada, seahorse and scorpion kebabs (Y20), this bustling corner of restaurants is a great place to feast elbow-to-elbow with other diners on Xīnjiāng or Muslim Uighur staples such as lamb kebabs (Y5) and flat bread, steaming bowls of málà tàng (麻辣烫; spicy noodle soup), zhájiàngmiàn (炸酱面; noodles in fried bean sauce; Y12), Lánzhōu lāmiàn (兰州拉面; Lánzhōu noodles) and oodles of spicy chuāncài (川菜; Sìchuān food). Round it all off with fried ice cream (Y10). Prices are touristy as it's just west off Wangfujing Dajie.
reviewed
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B
Lord Stow’s Café
Though the celebrated English baker Andrew Stow passed away, Lord Stow’s Bakerykeeps his memory alive by serving his renowned pastéis de nata. Lord Stow’s Garden Café near the Coloane bus stop has a relaxing patio.
reviewed
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C
Dishuidong
Named after a cave at Mao Zedong's birthplace, this Hunan eatery's low-key rustic charms are matched by an invigorating menu. Xiāngcài (Hunan cuisine) is all about searing spice, but don't reach for the dry ice yet, dishes are quite tame. The spicy bean curd (麻辣豆腐; around Y18) hits the mark; flesh out the meal with the Stewed Pork in Sauce of Chairman Mao's Style (毛公红烧肉; Y28).
reviewed
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D
Dōnghuámén Night Market
A sight in itself, the bustling night market near Wangfujing Dajie is a veritable food zoo: you can choose from lamb kebabs, beef and chicken skewers, corn on the cob, chòu dòufu (臭豆腐; smelly tofu), cicadas, grasshoppers, kidneys, quails' eggs, squid, fruit, porridge, fried pancakes, strawberry kebabs, bananas, Inner Mongolian cheese, stuffed aubergines, chicken hearts, pita bread stuffed with meat, shrimps and more. For tourists, expect inflated prices.
reviewed
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Blue Frog
There are seven Frogs around Shànghǎi, and their mix of burgers, sports TV and four-hour happy hours (4-8pm) mean they’re perennially popular. On Tuesday nights drinks are Y25, but if you can down all 100 of the shots they list, then you’ll get a free one every day for life and your name on their wall of fame.
reviewed
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E
Yiyuan Restaurant
This outstanding, inexpensive Sichuanese restaurant on Nanhuan Lu has a tasteful all-wood exterior and an English menu. The owner imports all her spices from Sìchuān and you can taste the difference. Try the stir-fried eel with dried chilli and Sichuan spices.
reviewed
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Kro’s Nest
Huge pizzas, onion rings, chips and chicken wings draw in the student crowd (both local and foreign) from the surrounding colleges. The grungy decor, wooden tables and floors, as well as the free beer nights, give the place a frat-boy feel that’s authentically American. It’s on the west side of 101 Middle School. There’s a daily set lunch deal (Y55) and another branch inside the north gate of Workers Stadium.
reviewed
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F
Element Fresh
Perennially popular, Element Fresh hits the spot with its tempting selection of healthy salads, pasta dishes (Western and Asian) and hefty sandwiches. Vegetarians may well faint with excitement at the roasted eggplant on ciabatta bread or the Italian tofu sandwich smothered in pesto. Then there are the imaginative smoothies (from Y22), big breakfasts (Y38–68), coffee and after-work cocktails.
reviewed
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G
City Hall Maxim’s Palace
This place offers a typically Hong Kong dim sum experience – noisy, cheerful, in a huge kitschy hall with hundreds of locals and many dim sum choices that are paraded on trolleys. A seat by the window will let you see land reclamation in progress where the old Queen’s Pier used to be. There’s breakfast dim sum on Sundays from 9am but people start queuing for a table at 8.30am.
reviewed
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H
Woodlands
Located above a department store, good old Woodlands offers excellent-value Indian vegetarian food to compatriots and the odd local. Dithering gluttons should order the thali meals, which are served on a round metal plate with 10 tiny dishes, a dessert and bread.
reviewed
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I
La Kasbah
La Kasbah is a Frenchified Maghreb caravanserai serving dishes from Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco, which effectively means meze and tajine or couscous. It's good stuff but expensive for what it is. The bar, Medina, is open til 02:00.
reviewed
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J
Ou Mun Café
This much-loved cafe has a full menu but you see more Macanese and Portuguese customers coming in for its freshly made Portuguese-style pastries, chocolates and coffee than for its savoury dishes.
reviewed
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K
Thài Zhēn Cow & Bridge
For the best Thai fare in Guǎngzhōu, head to this bizarrely named restaurant on Shāmiàn. The menu boasts the most extensive choices of curries and the desserts are superb.
reviewed
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L
Wu Kong Shanghai Restaurant
If you don’t mind the staff looking daggers when you dawdle over your banana fritters, the specialities at this pleasant Shanghainese restaurant – cold pigeon in wine and Shanghainese pot-au-feu – are worth a trip across town. The four-course hairy crab meal (from $400, October to December) is also divine.
reviewed
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M
Liqun Roast Duck Restaurant
The duck here is so prized that you have to call a day ahead to reserve both a bird and a table (otherwise, turn up at off-peak times and be prepared to wait an hour). Buried down a crumbling hutong, the restaurant itself has seen better days, but the duck is delicious and comes with all the trimmings.
reviewed
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N
Běijīng Dàdǒng Roast Duck Restaurant
A long-term favourite of the Peking duck scene, the hallmark fowl here is a crispy, lean bird without the usual high fat content (trimmed down from 42.38% to 15.22% for its 'Superneat' roast duck, the brochure says), plus plum (or garlic) sauce, scallions and pancakes. Also carved up is the skin of the duck with sugar, an imperial predilection.
reviewed
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Lǜyáng Húntundiàn
Founded in 1802, Lǜyáng moved here in 1999 and continues to satisfy ever-hungry local appetites with wonton dumplings ( 馄饨, húntun, Y8 to Y15), fried rice dishes ( 炒饭, chǎofàn, Y12 to Y15) and soups ( 汤, tāng, Y8 to Y12). No English menu, but try yínyú húntun ( 银鱼馄饨, whitebait wonton soup, Y15), gālí jīdīng chǎofàn ( 咖喱鸡丁炒饭, curry-flavoured chicken fried rice, Y15) or yāxuè fěnsī tāng ( 鸭血粉丝汤, duck’s blood soup, Y8). They also do delicious steamed dumplings ( 小笼包, xiǎolóngbāo, Y8 for four dumplings). Pay first at the counter, then hand your slip to a waitress.
reviewed
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O
Bookworm
A combination of a bar, cafe, restaurant and library, the Bookworm is a Běijīng institution. Perhaps it’s the 14,000-plus books you can browse while sipping your coffee, or working your way through the extensive wine list. The food maintains the bookish theme, with sandwiches (Y42) and dishes named after famous authors, even if it, and the alcohol, is overpriced. The Bookworm is much more than just an upmarket cafe, however. It’s one of the epicentres of Běijīng cultural life and hosts lectures, poetry readings, a Monday-night quiz and an annual book festival. Any author of note passing through town gives a talk here. The local listings mags will tell you what events are…
reviewed
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P
Manchurian Special Flavour JiǎVozi Restaurant
With its singing waitresses in their colourful qípáo (traditional Chinese dress) and a menu that proclaims, ‘We all love you’, this friendly, noisy restaurant specialises in the cuisine of northeastern China, a region of icy winds and biting cold. That means lots of hearty meat dishes such as stewed chicken (Y28) and shredded pork with wild vegetables (Y25). But the real deal here are the delicious jiǎozi. There’s a whole range to pick from, but the green pepper and pork, Chinese cabbage and pork, and pumpkin and egg are particularly addictive. Try a few bottles of Hapi, Harbin’s very own beer (Y12), to make it the perfect Dōngběi experience. English menu.
reviewed
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Grandma's Kitchen
Highly popular with locals, this chain restaurant cooks up classic Hángzhōu favourites; try the hóngshāo dōngpō ròu (红烧东坡肉; braised pork). There are several other branches in town.
reviewed
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Q
Alameda
Consistently high-class fusion cuisine with a Brazilian twist in a light and spacious environment makes this Běijīng’s finest Western restaurant. The Brazilian chef changes the menu daily, but regular dishes include filet mignon in a rosemary and red wine sauce with roasted potatoes and pan-fried whole tiger prawns. There is an à là carté menu but the two-course set lunch and dinner menus will satisfy most people’s appetites. Dessert costs extra though, while the extensive wine list is not cheap (from Y200 a bottle). Sophisticated without being snobbish, it’s a place to splash out. It’s essential to book.
reviewed
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R
1221
No one has a bad thing to say about this smart expat favourite and rightly so, as it has never let its standards dip over the years. Meat dishes start at Y42 for the beef and dough strips (yóutiáo), and the plentiful eel, shrimp and squid dishes are around twice that. Other tempting fare includes the roast duck (Y108) and braised pork (Y68). The pan-fried sticky rice and sweet bean paste (from the dim-sum menu) makes a good dessert. It’s also worth ordering the eight-fragrance tea just to watch it served spectacularly out of 60cm-long spouts. Reserve.
reviewed
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S
Sha Tin 18
When done right, the Peking duck (whole $398, half $218, 24-hour advance booking required) here – with skin airy like a kiss – is excellent, but sometimes the birds aren’t rescued from the heat in time, and they taste burnt. However, that is a kink this just-opened restaurant may be able to iron out, given time. The pot-stickers ($68), mustard greens ($78) and Chinese-themed desserts are quite delicious. Take a ringside seat at the show kitchen and see if you agree with us. The Hyatt Regency is a five-minute walk from University MTR station.
reviewed
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T
Always Café
What draws the regulars here are the excellent value set-lunch specials with coffee (11am to 5pm), and the buy-one-get-one-free happy hour (5pm to 8pm). The food is a mix of Asian and Western, from Indonesian nasi goreng (fried rice) and Shànghǎi-style eel to bacon cheeseburgers and pasta. It’s a friendly place with chequered tablecloths and an old parquet floor which, along with the wi-fi access, makes it an easy place to while away an afternoon or evening. Fans of afternoon tea can find it here (Y48 for two).
reviewed
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U
Sìchuān Jiǔjiā
This is a terrific place to sample local dishes and rub shoulders with locals. Cheap, local dining is on the 1st floor: there's yánshuǐ yā (盐水鸭; Nánjīng pressed duck; Y10), dàndànmiàn (担担面; spicy noodles; Y3.50), chā shāo (叉烧; pork slices; Y10), tèsè tāngpā (煎饺; special soup dumplings; Y5) and jiānjiǎo (煎饺; fried dumplings; Y4.50), Suāncàiyú (酸菜鱼; fish-and-cabbage soup; Y28) and other Sìchuān dishes are on the smarter, much pricier 2nd floor. There's no English sign, so look for the bright-red building and the sign with dancing chilli peppers. Order and pay at the counter, and watch the chefs bustle around the kitchen.
reviewed