What to Eat in China – Tips and Tricks for Chinese food
China presents an array of choices when it comes to food. I have never seen so many options anywhere across this planet. However, Chinese food is the hardest to crack especially for the Non-Chinese taste buds and can be really daunting at times. While we traveled across 5 different locations across China the food seemed to vary vastly across each of these places. Though I wouldn’t call myself an expert in Chinese cuisine, let me walk you through how I survived my Food Journey across China.
Arriving in Chengdu we went out for an evening stroll and there was food lined up on the streets everywhere. The first thing I put inside my mouth was something I hated the most and had to throw it out. So the first lesson was learned instantly – Everything which looks good doesn’t taste good! This is especially true while in China.
However, Chengdu presented us with a unique and one of the best dining experiences we have had – The Sichuan Hot pot. The unique blend of fresh veggies, meat, sausages and the spicy broth, though lip numbing at times was simply amazing. I am already on the hunt for similar restaurant once back home. Read more of this amazing hot pot experience – Click here.
Guilin presented its own palette of dishes. However, something we really loved was Kung Pao Chicken and Stir fry Sour Beef. Most of these dishes are served with Sticky rice.
A walk in evening in Guilin we tried some road side savories. Not sure what they are exactly called! Again we fell for the looks as the taste wasn’t something great! Had to wash it all down with an ice-cream from a nearby store — The survival journey continues…
Travelling China can be daunting at times. So please keep my travel tips for China handy – Click here.
After a beautiful Li River Cruise, we arrived in Yangshou and the famous west street. This is one of the best places to feed yourself with some western delicacies aka the Pizza, pasta, burgers, German beer and surprisingly even Indian Chicken Tikka! A much needed break for my taste buds. 
In Shanghai the food got a little easy on us as this cosmopolitan city had choices and also the language barrier was momentarily lifted as many spoke decent English. While at Zhujiajiao Water Town we had an amazing meal with Chicken and beef curry rice and Pork dumplings in one of the ancient water town balconies which was a unique experience.
Later that night, we splurged on a unique experience of taking in the Shanghai skyline at the Grand Hyatt Vue Bar sipping in some wine and beer with crispy fried calamari and chicken wings.
However, this time in Shanghai our choice for street food was on the mark. Again going by the looks of it, the Oil fried pancakes were one of the best snacks we had and the crab meat dumplings are something will really cherish.
While in Zhangjiajie we had one of the best breakfasts served to us with steamed dumplings and fresh stir fry noodles with Chinese cake. A great start to a day!
They say the food secrets are hidden not in the posh restaurants with neon signboards but in the narrow alleyways. After an amazing trip to the Tianmen Mountain and Baofeng Lake all we needed was a heart-warming dinner in the cold weather. So we opted for a local restaurant in the by lane near our Hotel. Though the owner lady dint know a word of English we were lucky as her little daughter who studied at school knew bits of English and was happy to translate for us. So the message decoded was clear – “Spicy, Chicken, Beef, Rice“. And it turned out to be one of the best meals we had in China.
Chinese have this unique culture of sitting round a rotating table for a family meal. Dishes are shared by the family one after the other ensuring everyone gets a taste of everything on the table. Though not as a family, we shared a table with our fellow travellers for this unique experience while in Beijing.
Most travellers visiting China have this notion of Creepies and Crawlies lined up on the dinner table everyday. That’s actually not the case but such a place is worth a visit and one such is the Wangfujing Snack Street in Beijing. This place serves pretty much everything one can think of on a plate. However we stuck with the safe options.
There is one food on which we survived quite a lot while in China and is worth mentioning. It’s the famous Fried rice. Be it Chengdu or Guiling or Shanghai, they all serve some of the best friend rice (chicken, beef , pork etc) for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Also something unique with each meal served in China is the complimentary Tea. I have never drank so much tea in my life as while I was in China.
Our food journey across China was quite unique and memorable. We did mistakes and we did enjoy every bit of it. So while in China – Simply go for it. Try as many dishes as you can – though some of it might not be thoroughly enjoyable.
If you have any questions around this please feel free to leave a comment below and I’ll get back to you at the very earliest.
This is Aldrin and my partner Amoli. We bring you "Earths Pilgrim" - a unique insight into our travel escapades while leaving life in a cubicle. If you are looking for some inspiration to break the shackles of a regular life, then you are the right place. Read more about us- Click here.