Chinese restaurants in China
-
A
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
-
B
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
-
C
Tai Ping Koon
'Soy sauce Western' (a mix of Western and Chinese flavours) is believed to have been invented in the kitchen of the first Tai Ping Koon, founded in 1860 in Guangzhou. Today tasty classics such as smoked pomfret and roast pigeon are still served in neat, if a little worn, surrounds by the waiters who have been around for decades. The restaurant is also famous for its soufflé, which is sized like a hen and comes in a casserole.
reviewed
-
D
Gǒubùlǐ
Located between Changchun Dao and Binjiang Dao, this is the king of dumpling shops with a century-old history. The house speciality is bāozi (steamed dough bun), filled with high-grade pork, spices and gravy. There are numerous branches around town.
reviewed
-
E
Lost Heaven
Enlighten your tastebuds with the Dai and Miao folk cuisine from China’s remote and ethnically infused southwest. Ease into a Yunnan chicken salad with chilli and sesame, Yunnan vegetable cakes or the Dai tribe chicken with seven spices. Book ahead.
reviewed
-
F
Yin Yang
Margaret Xu, the soft-spoken chef of Yin Yang, calls her cooking New Hong Kong. A former ad-agency owner who taught herself how to cook, Margaret grows organic vegetables and fruits in Yuen Long and uses ancient preparation methods, such as stone-grinding and roasting in terracotta ovens. Chinese cooking at its absolute, rarefied best this is not. But what Margaret sometimes lacks in technique, she compensates for with passion and originality. Nowhere is this more apparent than in her award-winning ‘waterless’ soup and in condiments such as the galangal dip with extra-virgin olive oil that lends wings to her famed roast chicken. Margaret also gives her own take on local c…
reviewed
-
G
Tiāndì Yījiā
Doing business from a restored building alongside Changpu River Park (Chāngpú Hé Gōngyuán), this refined, Chinese courtyard–style restaurant is notable for the water feature with multicoloured fish that dominates the elegant dining room. There’s also a balcony overlooking the Imperial Archives (Huángshǐ Chéng). The menu, which spans a number of provinces and styles, is strong on seafood with snob appeal – shark’s fin, abalone and lobster – as well as traditional delicacies such as bird’s-nest soup and local faves such as Peking duck. It also does dim sum. But the black-clad waitresses are not a bundle of laughs and there’s a slightly stiff feel to the whole estab…
reviewed
-
H
Megabite
This hygienic fast-food emporium puts Cantonese, Yúnnán, Sìchuān, teppan-yaki, clay pot, Korean and porridge (zhōu) outlets all under one roof and is a reliable place for a lunchstop if you’re shopping in the area. Look out for decent dumplings (jiǎozi) and xiǎolóngbāo, the steamed buns that are Shànghǎi’s favourite street snack. There are also solid noodle sets available here, as well as Indian samosas and roti prata. Portions are generous and good value – you can eat very well for around Y20. You don’t pay in cash for your dish; instead, buy a card (Y5 deposit; cards come in denominations of Y30, Y50, Y100, Y200, Y500 and Y1000 units) at the kiosk at the …
reviewed
-
Xiǎohuí Dòuhuā
Specialising in tofu and noodle snacks in more combinations than you'd ever think possible, eating at this cosy neighbourhood eatery is a sensory thrill. Try the crispy beef beancurd (牛肉豆花; niúròu dòuhuā) and steamed beef with rice powder (牛肉粉蒸; fěnzhēng niúròu), and don't miss the thick, succulent and spicy sweet noodles (甜水面; tiánshuǐ miàn).
Note to allergy sufferers: more than half the dishes here are served with some kind of peanut ingredient. The cooks will make them without peanuts, however, if you ask.
reviewed
-
I
Sichuan Restaurant
Rather worn in its old age, but the dishes are well worth your time here and portions are generous. Try the filling crispy tinfoil-wrapped mutton (纸包羊肉; zhǐbāo yángròu) or sweat over a yuānyāng huǒguō (鸳鸯火锅; Mandarin duck hotpot) - the celebrated Sìchuān hotpot that is divided into hot (辣; là) and not-hot (不辣; búlà) sections. The countertop array of home fermented wines infused with various flora and fauna is around Y20 a shot.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
J
Yīn
A throwback to the 1930s, Yīn emanates soft, jazzy decadence with its hardwood flooring, antique hanging screens, qípáo-clad waitresses and Ella Fitzgerald on the stereo. But they're as much visionaries as they are traditionalists. The kitchen has adopted older cooking techniques - back from the days before MSG - and prepares standout regional dishes from across China, including the superbly named 'squid lost in a sandstorm'. English menu.
Not a place to miss, it's in a lane inside the Jinjiang Hotel compound and behind South Maoming Rd.
reviewed
-
Máojiāwān
Elderly Chinese will be horrified, but Wǔhàn's white-collar diners and lǎowài (foreigners) have few qualms being served by corpulent Red Guards scampering to and fro with peppery platters from Mao's home province of Húnán. The overall concept may be in bad taste, but the Máoshì Hóngshāoròu (毛氏红烧肉) - a tender pile of plump pork chunks - is succulent, the rice arrives by the steaming bucket load and it's undeniably fun. No English sign.
reviewed
-
K
Àomén Shíjiē
Just along from the Xinhua bookstore, this gigantic dining hall is lined with hatches where you order your dish, a waitress in tow while you make your choice. There's no English menu, but the wall-mounted photo menu makes ordering a piece of cake. Try the peppery mápó dòufu (spicy tofu with crumbs of pork) or the more straightforward gōngbào jīdīng fàn (spicy chicken chunks with rice) or the tasty méicài kōuròu bāo (pork with cabbage).
reviewed
-
L
Qín Táng Fǔ
Shǎnxī province is great for filling, cheap eats such as the delicious yángròu pàomó (Y18), a mutton, noodle and bread soup, and Xī’ān sausage (Y22), as well as fried pork in bread ( ròujiāmó; Y7), the Shǎnxī version of the hamburger. There’s an English menu and the only drawbacks here are the seriously eccentric chairs and tables, which are so low they’re like something out of a kid’s playroom. It’s so popular that there’s another branch a few doors down the road.
reviewed
-
M
Méilóngzhèn Jiǔjiā
Shànghǎi has a host of famous local restaurants, none more so than this fantastic old building, which has been churning out food since the 1930s. The rooms once housed the Shanghai Communist Party headquarters, but are now bedecked in woodcarvings, huge palace lamps and photos of foreign dignitaries. The menu mixes Sìchuān and Shanghainese tastes and ranges from the pricey (crab with tofu, Y120) to the more reasonable, such as the fish slices with tangerine peel (Y45).
reviewed
-
N
Bellagio Café
Nope, not another pizza place – this Bellagio has nothing to do with Lake Como (or Las Vegas). It’s actually a trendy Taiwanese restaurant popular with the 20-something crowd, where identically coiffed waitresses (sometimes confusing customers) are dressed to match the black-and-white decor. Taiwanese specialities on offer include three-cup chicken (Y46) and pineapple fried rice (Y39), but when the mercury rises it’s the shaved-ice desserts and smoothies (from Y26) that bring in the crowds.
reviewed
-
Bellagio Café
Nope, not another pizza place – this Bellagio has nothing to do with Lake Como (or Las Vegas). It’s actually a trendy Taiwanese restaurant popular with the 20-something crowd, where identically coiffed waitresses (sometimes confusing customers) are dressed to match the black-and-white decor. Taiwanese specialities on offer include three-cup chicken (Y46) and pineapple fried rice (Y39), but when the mercury rises it’s the shaved-ice desserts and smoothies (from Y26) that bring in the crowds.
reviewed
-
Bellagio Café
Nope, not another pizza place – this Bellagio has nothing to do with Lake Como (or Las Vegas). It’s actually a trendy Taiwanese restaurant popular with the 20-something crowd, where identically coiffed waitresses (sometimes confusing customers) are dressed to match the black-and-white decor. Taiwanese specialities on offer include three-cup chicken (Y46) and pineapple fried rice (Y39), but when the mercury rises it’s the shaved-ice desserts and smoothies (from Y26) that bring in the crowds.
reviewed
-
O
Yang's Kitchen
For solid, reasonably priced Chinese food in a pleasant setting, Yang's is a good choice, even if the dishes lack a little character. The níngmēngmì jiānruǎnjī(lemon chicken) is decent though, as is chicken with asparagus. It's down a small lane just off Hengshan Rd and next door to Le Garcon Chinoise; there's a sign pointing the way on Hengshan Rd. Arrive early enough and you might catch the wait staff limbering up for the night with hula hoops.
reviewed
-
P
Green Willow Village Restaurant
This stalwart offers a wide range of Chuanyang cuisine - a mix of Sìchuān and Yángzhōu flavours - along with some 'medicinal' dishes (food designed to cure certain ailments, according to Chinese belief) at prices ranging from cheap to very expensive. Regulars recommend the crispy duck (xiāngsū yā). If you're feeling hungry there's always the whole pig head in brown sauce. There's an English menu but the translations are erratic.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
Lǎozihào
Two brothers run this noodle place and they've turned it into a neighbourhood institution. The modernisation steamroller has forced them to move several times in recent years, but they always find somewhere else in the area to set up - their customers trailing loyally behind them. Try their fiery tomato egg noodles (番茄煎蛋面; fānqié jiān dànmiàn) to see what all the fuss is about.
reviewed
-
Q
Middle 8th
The pace of reconstruction has forced this sophisticated Yúnnán restaurant to shift locations many times. Nevertheless, it's a comfortable place with an authentic, wide-ranging menu. The deep-fried bamboo worms with spiced pepper and salt make for an interesting starter. The mains include signature Yúnnán dishes but if you're feeling less adventurous, there's always the scrambled eggs topped with jasmine buds. English menu.
reviewed
-
Tai Ping Koon
'Soy sauce Western' (a mix of Western and Chinese flavours) is believed to have been invented in the kitchen of the first Tai Ping Koon, founded in 1860 in Guangzhou. Today tasty classics such as smoked pomfret and roast pigeon are still served in neat, if a little worn, surrounds by the waiters who have been around for decades. The restaurant is also famous for its soufflé, which is sized like a hen and comes in a casserole.
reviewed
-
Tai Ping Koon
'Soy sauce Western' (a mix of Western and Chinese flavours) is believed to have been invented in the kitchen of the first Tai Ping Koon, founded in 1860 in Guangzhou. Today tasty classics such as smoked pomfret and roast pigeon are still served in neat, if a little worn, surrounds by the waiters who have been around for decades. The restaurant is also famous for its soufflé, which is sized like a hen and comes in a casserole.
reviewed
-
R
Little Swan Hot Pot
Recommended for those who don't subscribe to the sweating-buckets-perched-on-a-plastic-stool hotpot experience. There's air-con, tablecloths, and five kinds of broth. Ask to 'zìzhù huǒguǒ' (自助火鍋), which allows you to choose from 30 different meats, vegetables and noodles wheeled to your table. Take bus 112 from Linjiang Lu just northwest of Liberation Monument.
reviewed
