Shandong
Hawkers serve up snacks by Dai Temple at this low-key street market, but expect tourist prices.
Must-see restaurants in China
Dalian
Large supermarket with good selection of takeaway food and baked goods in the Sanba Sq area.
Shandong
A small pedestrianised 'food street' lined with street-food stalls and noodles joints.
Kunming
French-owned supermarket with a wide range of domestic and foreign food and products.
Shanghai
The original food street may have been replaced by a more sanitised pedestrian area in the run-up to the World Expo, but when it comes to snack food,…
Dunhuang
Western-style breakfasts, including scrambled eggs, muesli with yoghurt, and pancakes, are available all day either à la carte or as a set. There are also…
There is a Yellow Flesh of a Donkey
Dunhuang
This bright, clean and friendly restaurant specialises in Dunhuang's not-exactly-famous donkey-meat noodles (驴肉黄面, lǘròu huángmiàn). Warm noodles are…
Jiangxi
It's not all Popeye at 40 paces at this friendly, no-frills restaurant; there are plenty of other dishes besides, and some handy photos on the wall to aid…
Beijing
A rather drab, touristy outpost of Tianjin's most famous restaurant chain, Goubuli is known for its bāozi (包子), a variety of steamed bun with a fluffy…
Gansu
Directly across from the bus station on the far side of a small park is this very good and rather smart Sichuan restaurant. Reach for the 'cookery book' …
Hong Kong
One of many Western restaurant–bars along lively High St, Ollie’s has a pretty standard menu of burgers and pasta dishes, plus crowd-pleasing brunch…
Beijing
Longstanding bistro restaurant with a menu that melds east and west – think Vietnamese phở (beef and rice noodle soup) alongside French-style roast…
Guizhou
Simple place serving up cheap and cheerful pork rice noodles (鲜肉米粉, xiānròu mǐfěn; ¥8) and yellow sticky rice (糯米饭, nuòmǐ fàn) served with pickled…
Hong Kong
When this legendary French patissier opened in IFC Mall there were lines for days, but now it's just one of several fancy sweet emporiums catering to…
Xiamen
Tǔsǔndòng (土笋冻, sandworm jelly) sounds disconcerting, but the taste is fairly bland (if not for the lashings of mustard, cilantro and bamboo shoots). Try…
Heilongjiang
A few doors down from the famous tofu shop Wángmáolǘ Dòufu Měishí Diàn is this humble noodle joint which serves slurpingly hot soups in which meat and…
Aberdeen & South Hong Kong Island
This absurd medieval-themed German restaurant has five locations in Hong Kong, but this one has the advantage of being in historic Murray House, with its…
Lanzhou
Not so much a market as a busy section of street extending from Tianshui Nanlu to Pingliang Lu, which is stuffed with all manner of steaming open-air…
Tsang
Probably the best place to eat in Tingri is this pleasant Tibetan-style restaurant attached to Héhū Bīnguǎn, with traditional furniture, helpful staff and…
Jiangxi
Located just inside in the Ceramic Art Avenue, Hútáolǐ's menu spans a selection of regional Chinese dishes. Mains of note are the steamed chicken, sweet…
Ürümqi
This formerly animated Uyghur night market has now been closed for several years as part of the government's campaign against terrorism. It was well known…
Xiamen
Fujian sweets include zǐcài huāshēng (紫菜花生, sweet seaweed peanuts; ¥20 per bag), liúlián táng (榴莲糖, durian candy) and li hing mui (旅行梅, sugared plum…
Jilin
You can slurp down your moreish noodles hot or cold, dry or in soup, with meat or without, and with side dishes that include broccoli or Chinese spinach…
Gansu
This upstairs place has a comfortable Tibetan-style interior with expensive coffee, plus breakfasts, sandwiches and other western dishes and desserts. It…
Green Lotus Vegetarian Restaurant
Dunhuang
This very elegant (but expensive) choice is arrayed with all manner of exquisite ceramics and paintings and exudes an air of tranquillity and…
Henan
Worth a look if you're in the area, the night market opposite Shaolin Hotel has plenty of goodies on offer for the adventurous diner. If entrails on…
Shandong
This dandified strip of eateries, with mock Imperial-Chinese facades, is down an alleyway called Wei Erlu (纬二路) and includes a messy side alley of noodle…
Qingfeng Steamed Dumpling Shop
Beijing
Though hardly befitting such regal surrounds, the blue-collar steamed buns (包子; bāozi) at this Beijing chain get the job done, and include both vegetarian…
New Territories
Nifty family-run store that is only open on weekends when the owners return to the island. If you're planning to camp on Tung Ping Chau and the likes of…
Qinghai
Serves several types of Muslim-style noodles, including gānbàn miàn (干拌面, spaghetti-style noodles with meat sauce) or niúròu miàn (牛肉面, beef noodles)…
The Bund & People's Square
If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Japanese-style ramen king Ajisen works wonders and rules the world of glossy photo menus. There are more than 100…
Lamma
This small, unpretentious Turkish-run eatery serves exactly what it says on the tin. The pizza, lamb chops and sizzling shish kebab are what the local…
Hong Kong
This European-style cafe, one of several outlets around the city, is popular for brunch, casual lunches of panini or pumpkin salad, and mooning around all…
Hong Kong
The grab-and-go gourmet salads and sandwiches (HK$65 to HK$85) at this high-end international grocery store are popular with Central workers. A great…
Beijing
Conveniently located beside the Cháng Líng ticket office, this restaurant is basic but clean, offering the standard spread of family-style Chinese cooking.
Ürümqi
This French supermarket chain offers good produce and has excellent-value cafeterias. There's another branch located at Èrdàoqiáo Market.
Zhejiang
On the edge of South Pond look for this tiny eatery with the woman making wontons out front. A filling bowl of soup costs just ¥5 and you can eat outside…
Guizhou
Bustling night market with a wide range of shāokǎo (barbecue) places, as well as noodles and dumplings. Also has an entrance on Shaoshan Nanlu.
The Bund & People's Square
Just south of East Nanjing Rd, this branch of the city's favourite cafe is perfect for on-the-spot caffeination, sandwiches, wraps, pasta and Asian sets.
