A bit of China

This documentary is quite popular in China. You will understand much better about the Chinese food culture during the process of watching it. Maybe you will have new realization afterwards.

Beijing's six best bar streets

China's vibrant metropolitan capital Beijing offers a wide range of entertainment, including bar streets which are popular among locals, expats and tourists.

Here, I have listed for you the six best bar streets in the capital city:

Sanlitun Bar Street 三里屯酒吧街
The famous Sanlitun Bar Street, 260 meters in length, lies in Sanlitun Village, a fashion and leisure center in Beijing's Chaoyang District. The bar street, which came into being in 1995, is known as the origin of Beijing's bar culture. It's especially popular among expats and young people for its trendy bars with global flavors. It's usually considered the symbol of the capital city's glamorous and vibrant nightlife.

Shichahai Bar Street 什刹海酒吧街

Shichahai Bar Street, formed in 2004, is an elegant retreat from the day located in Beijing's Xicheng District. In contrast to Sanlitun, it offers a sense of tranquility amidst its picturesque environment. Fashion blends with tradition in this historical scenic area, famous for its water landscape and exquisite courtyards. Plenty of bars and restaurants line the shores of the lake.

Super Bar Street 星吧路酒吧街

Also shaped in 2004, the Super Bar Street is located in the Lufthansa Business Area of Bejing's Chaoyang District. It's known as a bar street where visitors can frequently spot super stars. Some of its more than 40 bars are actually owned by Chinese celebrities. Guests can enjoy live performances from underground bands here, while admiring the tranquil scenery of Jinghu Lake outside the window. The bar street, situated in the vicinity of the Third Diplomatic Area, is very popular among embassy staff as well as office employees and those in show business.

Nanluoguxiang Bar Street 南锣鼓巷酒吧街

Formed in 2003, Nanluoguxiang Bar Street is an amazingly attractive bar alley situated in Beijing's Dongcheng District. The bar street is well-known for its intact and well-preserved courtyard houses with brick walls and traditional decorations. It's probably the quietest one in the capital city -- compared to the other five, that is. Generally speaking, prices are doable and various snacks are offered. It's quite the experience to get this close to traditional Beijing life here. Visitors can also tour the numerous boutique shops lining both sides of the alley.

Dashanzi Bar Street 大山子酒吧街

One after another, bars have sprouted across Chaoyang's Dasanzi Art Zone, or the 798 Art Zone, eventually forming a bar street. It's a must-go for tourists who love art, gourmet and, of course, bar culture.



Solana Bar Street 蓝色港湾酒吧街

Located in the SOLANA Lifestyle Shopping Park of Beijing's Chaoyang District, Solana Bar Street is known for its European-style buildings along the street, as well as its spectacular outlook.

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What to eat in Beijing ?

With the exception of Beijing’s best-known culinary export, Peking Duck, most of the city’s most famous dishes have been adopted from surrounding areas; Hebei, Shandong, Inner Mongolia, and Xinjiang. Regardless of their origin, all of the following dishes are now fully ingrained in Beijing life and can be sampled at restaurants throughout the city.

Beijing Roast Duck
Beijing roast duck or Peking Duck (北京烤鸭 běijīng kǎoyā /bay-jing kaow-yaa/) is the epitome of Beijing cuisine and if you had to choose just one dish to try whilst in the capital, this would be it. The dish is mostly esteemed for the thin, crispy skin, with authentic versions of the dish serving mostly skin and little meat. Whilst sauces and accompaniments will vary between restaurants (the most common being scallion and cucumber) it is difficult to go wrong with roast duck in Beijing.
A lot of restaurants offering this dish will carve the duck beside your table. If you eat at one of Beijing’s more famous duck restaurants it will also be accompanied by a short demonstration on the correct way to assemble a Peking Duck wrap using chopsticks. Whilst this may take some time to master, rest assured that the wraps don't need to be well constructed to be delicious.
A local trick, that comes highly recommended, is to dip the crispiest pieces of skin in sugar before eating.
Recommendation: Da Dong Duck Restaurant (大董烤鸭)
Address: F1-F2, Nanxincang Business Building, 22 Dongsitiao Jia, Dongcheng District 东城区东四十条甲22号南新仓商务大厦1-2楼
Price: CNY198 for a whole duck (will feed three/four)

Jiaozi — Chinese Dumplings
There is a lot of myth and mystery surrounding the history of Jiaozi (饺子 jiǎozi /jyaow-dzuh/) and the dish has long been a part of Chinese folk tradition. Whilst they are popular throughout Asia, a plate of Jiaozi with a soy sauce, vinegar and chilli dip is synonymous with Northern Chinese cuisine.
Traditional recipes contain minced pork, ginger and leek, however you can find restaurants that offer all types of different meat and vegetable fillings.
Jiaozi is another dish that can be found anywhere across Beijing and whilst there are a number of better-known dumpling restaurants and chains, some of the tastiest dumplings (and most interesting experiences) can be found in smaller, less conspicuous family eateries where dumplings are the only thing on the menu. At these restaurants you can often sit and watch the next batch of dumplings being rolled and filled as you eat.
Recommendation: Mr Shi's Dumplings (老石饺子)
Address: 74 Baochao Hutong, Gulou Dong Dajie 东城区鼓楼东大街, 宝钞胡同74号
Price: CNY20–30/plate (15 jiaozi)

Jing Jiang Rou Si — Shredded Pork in Beijing Sauce
Jingjiang rousi (京酱肉丝 jīng jiàng ròu sī /jing-jyang roh-srr/) is another dish incredibly popular with local 'Beijingers' and and unlike many of the cities other popular dishes, it originated in the capital. It's popularity may stem from its simplicity; sliced pork cooked in a sweet bean sauce served with soya bean wraps.
Although it doesn't look like the most appealing meal, once you have tried the first wrap you will understand why it is so widely enjoyed. Jingjiang rousi is a necessary component of any authentic Beijing dining experience.
Recommendation: Jin Ding Xuan Restaurant (金鼎轩)
Address: 77 Hepingli Street, Dongcheng District 北京市东城区和平里西街77号
Price: CNY60/person (for an entire meal)

Gangou Potatoes
The literal translation of this dish ‘dry pot potato slices’ (干沟土豆片 gàn gōu tǔdòu piàn /gan goh too-doh pyen/) offers diners a fairly accurate idea of what to expect. Slices of potato, crispy pork and chillies simmer in an iron pot sat atop an open flame. As you are working your way through the meat and potatoes, the bed of sliced onions that is hidden underneath slowly caramelizes in oil, leaving you with a delicious snack to finish your meal on.
It is a dish best enjoyed during the colder months but is popular with locals all year round.
Recommendation: Any of the rows of restaurants along Ghost Street will serve this dish. It is best enjoyed as part of a larger meal so it is recommended that you choose a restaurant along this street that serves other dishes you are interested in.
Address: Ghost Street (Dongzhimen Nei Dajie, Chaoyang District) 簋街 （东直门内大街）

Tudou Si — Shredded Potato
This dish (土豆丝 tǔdòu sī /too-doh srr/) is another for potato lovers. Thinly shredded potatoes are stir-fried with green peppers and seasoning, and can be served hot or cold. Don't be fooled by the plain look of the potatoes as they are coated in a sweet gloss which give the dish its flavor. Walk down a Beijing street at lunch time you will likely see more than one local adding tudou si to their lunch time bowl of meat and rice. It is a great accompaniment to most meat dishes but equally nice alone as a lunch time snack.
Recommendation: Shijin Yuan (十锦园）
Address: Dongsanli Tunzhong 13, Sanlitun, Chaoyang District 三里屯东二街东三里社区13
Price: CNY15  

Noodles with Soybean Paste — Zhajiang mian
Zhajiang mian (炸酱面 zhá jiàng miàn /jaa-jyang myen/)is very popular when it comes to traditional Beijing cuisine. It has three main ingredients: wide hand-pulled noodles, vegetable pieces, and pork. Vegetables vary seasonally, but there are never less than seven kinds. It is an ideal lunch time snack for visitors short on time as it is usually ready seconds after you order. As an added bonus it is very inexpensive.
Recommendation: Old Beijing Zhajiang Noodle King (老北京炸酱面大王)
Address: 56 Dong Xinglongjie, Dongcheng District 东城区东兴隆街56号
Price: CNY15

Mongolian Hotpot
Mongolian hotpot (蒙古火锅 Ménggǔ huǒguō /mnng-goo hwor-gwor/), a dish that’s history dates back over 1,000 years, is as much about the enjoyment of the cooking as it is the taste. At traditional hotpot restaurants diners will sit around a large pot of boiling soup, in which they cook their own food. Whilst Mongolian hotpot usually involves a large amount of lamb, any number of meats, vegetables and breads are available. These are sliced thin to ensure they cook quickly and evenly.
This northern-Chinese style of hotpot uses a soup which is less spicy and generally less flavored than its southern counterparts; with more emphasis being placed on the ingredients that are cooked rather than what they are cooked in.
Recommendation: Dong Lai Shun (东来顺)
Address: 12 Xinyuanxili Zhongjie, Chaoyang District 朝阳区新源西里中街12号
Price: CNY 90/person (for an entire meal)

Donkey Burger
Originating in the city of Baoding in northern Hebei province, Beijing has adopted the donkey burger (驴肉火烧 lǘròu huǒshāo /lyoo-roh hwor-shaow/) as its own. Restaurants offering this dish serve a number of different donkey meals, however the one to try is the donkey burger. Shredded donkey meat is served in a piping-hot, crunchy bun with a green pepper relish.
This dish isn’t recommended solely for its novelty value. The contrast between the succulent meat, crunchy bun and sweet relish make it incredibly tasty and you are unlikely to stop at one. Look out for a big 驴肉 (donkey meat) sign clearly visible on the front of all restaurants offering this meat.
Recommendation: Wang Pangzi (王胖子)
Address: 80 Gulou Xidajie, Xicheng District 鼓楼西大街80号
Price: CNY 10–12/burger

Rolling Donkey
Unlike the donkey sandwich, this dish doesn't actually contain meat of any kind, let alone donkey. Rolling Donkey (驴打滚 lǘ dǎgǔn /lyoo daa-gwnn/) refers to a kind of traditional Beijing snack, also known in southern China as Rolling Horse (马打滚 mǎ dǎgǔn), with a soft skin made of glutinous rice flour and a red bean stuffing.
Recommendation: Bai Ji Niangao (白记年糕)
Address: 1/F, Niu Jie Qingzhen Supermarket, 1 Shangye Lou, Niu Jie, Xuanwu District 宣武区牛街(北口西侧)1号商业楼牛街清真超市1楼
Price: CNY 5–20

Tuckahoe Pie
Tuckahoe pie (茯苓夹饼 fúlíng jiābǐng /foo-ling jyaa-bing/) is a traditional paper-thin snack in the shape of a full moon, popular in Beijing. It consists of a basic pancake wrapped in sugar, honey and an assortment of nuts.
According to a legend, tuckahoe pie originated in the South Song Dynasty (1127–1279), and the preparation method and the required equipment are well documented. The herb tuckahoe has many medical effects, and therefore it is popular with Chinese people, especially women and the elderly.

Recommendation: Multiple food stalls and shops can be found along Wangfujing Snack Street (王府井小吃街) selling this snack and many other Beijing snack streets. See Related Reading.

Food journey in Beijing

 

Let's have an overview of the traditional beijing food. Beijing, the capital of China where you can taste the most traditional chinese food I think.
I will introduce the famous restaurants there soon!!!! Tell me your opinion about them, maybe my recommendation will be much more precise and useful for you. :)

Chongqing Hot Pot: A must-try for spicy food lovers " Go as far as you can"

Teach you how to eat Chongqing traditional hotpot in the right way!

Chongqing, the heaven of hotpot lovers!

Hotpot is the most famous and favorite dish in Chongqing. Chongqing local people consider the hotpot a local specialty, which is noted for its peppery and hot taste, scalding yet fresh and tender. Nowadays, as a matter of fact, Chongqing hotpot is famous and popular all over the country.

 

Chongqing hotpot was first eaten by poor boatmen of the Yangtze River in Chongqing area and then spread westwards to the rest of Sichuan Province. Now it is a very popular local flavor and can be found at every corner of the city.       

 

People gather around a small pot filled with flavorful and nutritious soup base. The pot may be boiled by various means, such as charcoal, electric or gas. You have a choice of spicy, pure or combo for the soup. There are a great variety of hotpots, including Yuanyang (Double Tastes) hotpot, four tastes hotpot, fish head hotpot, tonic hotpot, entire sheep hotpot, etc. Chongqing hotpot is characterized by its spiciness, but to suit customers of different preference, salty, sweet or sour flavors of hotpot are available. As long as you can stand the spiciness, you are advised to try the spiciest one to ensure an authentic experience.

 

Thin sliced raw variety meat, fish, various bean curd products and all kinds of vegetables are the main ingredients for this cuisine. All of these are boiled in the soup, and then you can dip them in a little bowl of special sauce.

Chongqing people love their hotpot, especially when the weather is steamy. The fire dances under the pot, the heavily oiled and spiced soup boils with hazy steam, and the people are bathed in sweat. Chongqing hotpot can be found wherever there are street vendors or small restaurants, it has the greatest variety and is known for its delicious soup base and dipping sauce. Tasting this traditional dish will be the first choice of tourists who come here.

The most representative and famous types of hotpots are as follows:

• Cattle-gut Hotpot

Hotpots are the traditional famous course of Sichuan, of which Chongqing hotpot is specially noted, characterized by hotness, heavy flavors and dense soup. The traditional Chongqing hotpot's materials include cattle guts, cattle waists, beef and other vegetables, being a real self-help course. Hotpot enjoys an age-old history in China.

 

• Yuanyang Hotpot          

Yuanyang hotpot is characterized by its unique flavor. In fact, Yuanyang hotpot is a mixture of the hot soup of traditional cattle-gut hotpot and the bree of mum hotpot. Thus it is honored Sichuan Innovative Hotpot. The pot is divided into two parts by a copper slice in the middle. One side is the container of hot soup, the other side is bree. The option of hotpot's materials is decided at your will.

 

• Time-honored "Qiaotou" Hotpot

Chongqing hotpot is well known throughout China as a unique local eating culture, and the Qiaotou hotpot is said to be among the top ones, and it has been enjoying a high reputation in generations of Chongqing natives. The staff of Qiaotou has created Yuanyang hotpot, hotpot banquet and various nourishing series stockpot on the basis of hot-soup hotpot.

 

The other famous local food is hot and spicyMa La Tang, which is similar to hotpot in some way. Literally, "ma" means numbness in the mouth, "la" is chili hot and "tang" means piping hot.Ma La Tang, with various raw ingredients cooked in a communal pot of steaming stock blended with spices, originated in Sichuan's largest city, Chongqing. The double-sided soup pot, placed on a central table burner, is the focal point of the meal. Ingredients include fresh sliced abalone, sea cucumber, hog tendon, Beijing cabbage and beef dumpling, prawns, carp fish fillet, bean curd, chicken fillet and vegetables. The excellent dipping mixture of sesame oil, chili sauce, peanut sauce, chopped chilies and garlic combine to make magic. Savory titbits are appetizingly tasty -- egg coated glutinous square, crispy spring roll, fried buns, eight treasure black rice and water chestnut jelly. Diners cook their food right at the table in steamingMa La Tang, a savory broth blended with the spices found in abundance in Sichuan.

 

I AM HUNGRY, DON'T YOU? :)

Night life in Xiamen

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I would love to give you all best wishes in the new year. Hope you can support my blog also in 2015, I promise to share the most traditional and excellent chinese food here with you.

Today I give you some tips about the clubs and bars in Xiamen. If you are travelling in this city during your new year vacation, i think these places are good choices for parties with you friends and family.

Me & You 2 Bar

Hai Wan Gong Yuan, Houhaiting No.1, park nearby Hubin Xilu 
+86(0)592 685 374 7

The Me&You 2 has become one of Xiamen foreigners' most popular places. It is at the Park nearby Hubin Xilu on the western coastline of Xiamen Island. The spacious wooden terrace with its great view, especially at sunset, invites you to call it a day and relax. Their menu offers both Western and Chinese dishes, and if you are in the mood for a special cocktail or Western beer (Tsingtao 20 Yuan, Becks 30 Yuan), Me&You 2 is the place for you.

Happy Hour from 4–8 pm: buy a Tiger or Beck's beer and get one free.

Elite (Club) 酒吧

14 Jianye Rd. Yangming Bldg. (建业路14号阳明楼)

The Elite nearby the Marco Polo Hotel is a blend of lounge and club, and very popular among foreigners. They have got a really nice interior with cozy couches and smooth lighting. Whether dancing or chatting over a reasonably priced drink (Tsingtao 25 Yuan), a night at the Elite fits the bill. On weekends you can meet expats, as well as students, and make friends with local Chinese. The music is a good mix of current popular songs played by a great live band and really nice electronic music.

Dreamfield

Lianbang Guangchang, Hexiang Xilu
+86(0)592 220 785 6

2.3–2 Lianhua Beilu, nearby Haishan Lu
+86(0)592 555 095 2

There are actually two places in town. The new one is on Hexiang Lu nearby Hubin Xilu. If you like live bands you should definitely give Dreamfield a chance. The nicely decorated interior is very comfortable, with easy chairs and lounges. Spend a great evening there having a drink (Tsingtao 25 Yuan) and listening to impressive musicians.

Jane Ai Bar

98 Haitian Road
+86 (0)592 574 4219

Nice little bar with classic music playing. The staff is very friendly and many of them even speak English, so it's not that hard to order sth. as a foreigner. Read a book or newspaper from their large library, and enjoy the soft music and a drink.

Zhansi Bar

10 North Hubin Road
+86 (0)592 531 1497

If you are from Germany, esp. from Bavaria, this place might help cure your homesickness. The bar definitely shows some resemblance to traditional places in Bavaria. Heavy beer is quite common and don’t be surprised to even hear some oompha music every now and then.

Easy Lounge Bar

102 Nanhu Hao Yuan B, Hubin Donglu
+86(0)592 507 051 2

Glass House

Huxin Dao, Jiangtou Gongyuan
+86(0)592 556 109 99

Jiulongwan Forest Bar

Hulishan Fort
+86(0)592 209 333 3

Hello Life Bar

1F Jingxie Mansion, Lianhua South Road, Kaiyuan District
+86 (0)592 513 6719

Live music is played nearly every night.

Edge Belt

Nanshan Road, Huli District
+86 (0)592 503 0922

Military style bar.

The Londoner

Guanren Lu, behind Marco Polo
+86(0)592 508 978 3

Have a good beer while watching sports of all kinds in this typical English pub.

 Sunset Avenue Bar

Binlang Road
+86 (0)592 514 2135

Upper class bar.

NASA

Block B, Bailuzhou
+86(0)592 532 333 3

Typical Chinese disco.

6th Night Café

2 Ziqiang Lu, Baijiacun, Gongyuan Donglu
+86(0)592 207 333 6 www.6night.com
This place nearby Zhongshan Park is very atmospheric. Enjoy your drinks while listening to live performances.

Dreamers Music Book Bar

Opposite to 7 Qiantian Yitiaojie, Xiada Xuesheng Gongyu
+86(0)592 392 718 1

Bar/Café with outdoor facilities, stage and live performance.

Linsa Café

170 Daxue Lu
+86(0)592 251 238 2

Very atmospheric place with quite nice interior and outstanding lights. The small stage invites artists of all kind to show their talent. Even if there isn't anyone performing, you can watch unusual music videos on the big screen. The staff is very friendly as well and a few of them even speak English.

Central Park Café

121 Xi An Lu, nearby the northern gate of Zhongshan Park (in the flower market)
+86(0)592 202 182 1

New café with a fantastic view over Zhongshan Park.

The British Bulldog Pub

8 Jianye Lu (建业路8号), nearby Marco Polo Hotel

Sun Dance

252 Lujiang Dao, Guomao Haijing Bldg, nearby XMU
+86(0) 592 239 053 8

They have always got some people playing life music on the weekend. Free Wireless Internet.

My Living Room

31-28 Jianye Lu
+86(0)592 575 855 8

Wine bar.

Noah's Ark

Block A Tian'e Guangchang, Bailuzhou, nearby a neon Eiffel Tour
+86(0)592 533 888 8

Oasis Bar

19 Hubin Beilu
+86(0)592 507 888 8

This bar is inside the Sofitel Plaza Xiamen, right at the lobby. Very luxurious place with a library and cigar serving. 


 The Orient Anderea

Guanren Lu, behind the Marco Polo

Shenduoli

28 Jiangjunci Lu
+86(0)592 205 828 8
Nightclub.

U & I Bar

Building 1, Photography Plaza, Bailuzhou Donglu
+86(0)592 556 551 8

Xiamen Country Club (Xiangcun Lieche)

2F, 2nd Section, Fujin Dajie

This place with karaoke is popular with Xiamen's gay community (for more information about the Xiamen gay scene, take a look at: http://www.utopia-asia.com/chinxiam.htm) 
Youfu Castle

Bailuzhou
+86(0)592 509 088 8

Big entertainment club, often with live music.

Top 5 street foods in Xiamen

The most popular place to find street food from morning until late night is the main commercial street, ZhongShan Lu. It’s situated between the jetty and Siming Street.
This street, with its large variety of restaurants, tea shops and hawker stalls, is especially busy towards the evening.

#1: Sha Cha Mian (Sand Tea Noodles) which I have alreadyed recommended in the previous article

Widely known as 沙茶面 Sha Cha Mian (literally translated as Sand Tea Noodles), this dish is very popular in Xiamen and is sold in almost every noodle shop. The soup has a clay colour due to the addition of pulverised peanuts, which make the dish aromatic. There is also a hint of spiciness to it, although it is not too strong. Overall, the velvety soup is thick and hearty, flavourful and warming to the stomach! One can add various condiments to the bowl of noodles including squid rings, shrimps, pork belly, pork innards and so on.

                                   

                     Restaurant 1980 - where you can taste the most traditional Sha cha mian!

                                   

#2: Grilled Squid Skewers

Nestled within the busy ZhongShan Lu is a narrow cross road where one can find the best-selling hawker foods. This was where I found my second love – grilled squid skewers. The vendor was very kind and customized the squid according to our taste. I asked for it extra hot and spicy, and he sprinkled in spices and chili while he was grilling the squid.

                                  

This stall was quite hard to miss, not because of the seller but because of the smell! It was easily the stall with the most fragrant and unmistakable aroma. The grilled squid was fresh, chewy, spicy and addictive. Again, one was never enough.

#3: Popiah (Vegetable Roll)

Another popular street food is this popiah-like roll, which is filled with chopped vegetables, bean-curd and tea leaves wrapped in a thin flour crepe. Xiamen is famous for its Tie Kuan Yin tea leaves and by adding these leaves, the vegetable roll is instantly elevated from plain to extremely aromatic. Best eaten hot, this snack is popular among the locals during cold nights. They say good things don’t come cheap, but once in a while, you’d find great food like this at only RMB2 (about 30 cents) per roll!

                                  

                         Filled with vegetable shreds, beancurd, radish and tea leaves (RMB2 each)

#4: Stuffed Biscuits

Across the coast of Xiamen there is a small car-free island by the name of Gulangyu. Only about 2km2 in area, it is one of the most scenic places in Fujian province. If you happen to be there, the stuffed biscuit is not to be missed. Also known as ‘xian bing’, this biscuit is made from pork lard and sugar and has a flaky pastry exterior. The fillings include red bean, green bean (my favourite), peanut and strawberry. Word has it that the best stuffed biscuits are from Gulangyu, so don’t give up until you find them. They are perfect as souvenirs too!

                                    

                                   

          A menu lists varieties of stuffed biscuits and their prices (about $2.25 – $3.75 per box)

#5: Xiao Long Bao (Mini Steamed Buns)

Last but not least, little gems known as Xiao Long Bao are readily available on the streets of Xiamen. You’ll recognize them by the stacks of bamboo baskets on steamers. Xiao Long Bao (mini steamed buns) are widely popular across China but every province prepares them differently. The most popular ones are soup-filled dumplings from Shanghai. However, the Xiao Long Bao in Xiamen are nothing like that – they have rather thick skin, similar to the texture of bread, and are filled with chunks of delicious marinated meat (usually pork).  This savoury snack is perfect for a quick but filling lunch, and packs a punch when served with spicy chili oil. Get 10 mini buns for only RMB5 (under $1)!

                                     

Ten Must-Try Foods in Xiamen

Mangoes, mangosteens, melons, star fruit, star fish, abalone, mussels, oysters, whelks, cockles and lobster - Xiamen is a subtropical island in the South China Sea and its foods reflect all the bounty and diversity of the sea and the warm, languid climate.

In order to retain the natural flavour of foods the cuisine of Fujian Province places emphasis on cooking methods like braising and steaming. Soups, soupy stews and soupy noodles feature heavily and are considered an ideal way to highlight the inherent flavour of ingredients. In Xiamen, the local saying  不汤不行 bù tāng bù xíng means "It is unacceptable for a meal not to have soup" but translates literally as "No soup, no go."

1. Seafood Satay Noodle Soup 沙茶面 Shacha Mian  

 

Arguably Xiamen's most famous dish, sha cha main is a base of rich, creamy, nutty curry satay soup with the addition of wheat noodles and seafood and meats of the diner's choice. 

Sha cha mian restaurants display trays of squid, shrimp, oysters, cockles, and baby octopus alongside cooked pork intestines and fat pork which you add as you wish, the final price of your soup reflecting the number of ingredients you add. The result is a heady and fragrant meal with whispers of laksa, which it most closely resembles.

 

2. Gold Wraps Silver 金包银 Jin Bao Yin

These street snacks have a wonderful name, a reference to the treasure within and without. They are common on Gulang Yu island, where a steamer full of the plump little buns can be found on every corner. 

The outer wrapper is made from sticky rice and arrowroot flour, soft, warm and pleasantly chewy. The inside is a rich, dark mixture of finely shredded mushrooms, bamboo shoots and pickles, sometimes with a little meat added.

 

3. Tu Sun Dong 土笋冻 Sea Worm Jelly

How can I describe this in a way that sounds anything other than off-putting?

 

A popular cold dish with pride of place at every banquet dinner in Xiamen, tu sun dong is made using a short marine mud worm - the 'bamboo shoot of the earth' (tu sun 土笋 , actually the sipunculid worm, 星虫). After being washed clean of any residual mud the worms are set in a light vinegar aspic.

 

Yet for the adventurous eater this little dish is a masterpiece of textures and distinctive and novel flavours - the cold vinegar aspic is cool and smooth on the tongue, and as you bite in there is a rush of briny saltiness then the pleasant chewiness of the worms themselves. The accompanying sauces - horseradish, satay, and chill, with cold shreds of lightly pickled radish, add more layers of flavour as you eat.

 

4. Popiah 薄饼 Baobing

 

These Fujian-style fresh spring rolls have different filling variations according to where they originate. In Xiamen they are made with a very fine wheat pancake spread with a sweet red sauce and fine sprinkles of dried seaweed, then filled with a cooked mixture of carrot, radish, pork and sometimes seafood. 

 

5. Oyster Omelette 蚝仔煎 Haozi Jian

 

 

 

Green shallots are mixed with tiny brown haozi (oysters) and fried until they brown before being surrounded by a halo of golden omelette. The tangy red sauce is optional. 

I must admit I ate this famed Xiamen street food with some trepidation because it broke one of my tried and tested Street Food Survival Rules - to never eat seafood on the street, especially when the weather is warm. But hey, I figured I was working in a hospital all week anyway, so if I ran into trouble help wasn't far away.

As it turns out, the oyster omelette did me no harm. Was it fabulous enough I would risk it a second time? Probably not.

 

6. Zongzi 粽子

No ordinary zongzi, Xiamen's sticky rice wrapped in bamboo leaf rises up from the plate like the snout of a sea beast, its severed head resting in a puddle of what are by now a familiar trio of chili sauce, horseradish and satay sauce.

The zongzi in Xiamen are large and filled with a tasty combination of fat pork, chestnuts, mushrooms, shrimp and small pieces of other seafoods. Each one is an entire meal in itself.

 

7. Peanut Soup 花生汤 Huasheng Tang

Peanuts are commonly used in Xiamen's cuisine, and locals love to eat bowls of warm, sweet peanut soup. The peanuts are soaked and boiled before being cooked into a thick sweetened soup. Rather bland on its own, the soup is often served with crunchy youtiao fried bread sticks, fried dumplings or steamed pork buns.

8. Zhan Sanfeng's Milk Tea 张三疯奶茶

 

The island of Gulangyu is famous for its beautiful old buildings, its pianos, and apparently also a portly cat called Zhang SanFeng. He has his own milk tea shop there, and his story is explained on the wall outside (transposed verbatim):

 

"Zhang SanFeng is a cat lives on Gulang Yu, Xiamen. He lives leisurely andcarefree. He acted crazily in his chilhood while he is now thinking deeper. He has many romantic stories. Sometimes he elopes with the dog of next door in Gulangyu a few days. If there is no interval of sea around this island, they've already travelled around the world."

His motto: Be yourself. Enjoy life. Sweet home.

A trip to Xiamen wouldn't be complete without trying the wares at Zhang Sanfeng's milk tea shop. The milk tea (hot or cold) isn't bad - it's milky, it's tea, and it has added sultanas and flaked almonds - either delicious or alarming, depending on your viewpoint. There is also milk tea flavoured nougat, and jars of Zhang Sanfeng's favourite snack - dried shrimp with peanuts. 

 

9. Mango Ice

The warm, humid sub-tropical climate of Xiamen means icy desserts are hugely popular in flavours of green tea, red bean and purple taro. Xiamen's mangoes, as big as footballs, are available almost all year round and are one of the most popular flavours for juices and ices.

 

This delectable dessert is a mango parfait with layers of diced mango in syrup, mango jelly, shaved frozen mango (like a sorbet, made on the spot from chunks of frozen mango flesh) served up topped with sweet biscuity crumbs.

 

10. Fresh Seafood 海鲜 Haixian

 

Fresh seafood is Xiamen's trademark, and it's difficult to go twenty four hours without having a shrimp, scallop, or piece if fish pop up in your meal.

 

Small seafood restaurants and stalls abound, with some seafood available live in tanks (and therefore fresh), and some on ice (and alarmingly, some not on ice). You choose your seafood - shrimp, langoustine, lobster, ten kinds of crab, fish, shellfish - pay by weight, then have it cooked to order.

 

The seafood is plentiful and the choice on offer utterly staggering. If you visit Xiamen in the summer, check the weather report, don't do anything stupid, and steer clear of the seafood on the streets.

 

 

 

Top 5 Chinese Street Foods

What you can't miss in China is the street food. The taste it brings is what you can never get from any restaurant. It is cheap and very delicious!!!

 

The heaven of cuisine : HangZhou

Hangzhou is the capital and largest city of Zhejiang Province in Eastern China, governed as a sub-provincial city. . It has been one of the most renowned and prosperous cities of China for much of the last 1,000 years, due in part to its beautiful natural scenery. With over 8000-year cultural history, Hangzhou is one of the seven capitals in Chinese history. As the most popular saying goes, "There is a heaven above and there is Suzhou and Hangzhou below." praising the virtues of Hangzhou. The Italian traveller Marco Polo in his book refers to the city as "beyond dispute the finest and the noblest in the world."
As the Golden Card of Hangzhou, Hangzhou Cuisine is the integrated art from the essence of cooking in the south and north of China. Visiting West Lake, Drinking Longjing Tea and Tasting Hangzhou Cuisine are the first choice of national and overseas tourists in Hangzhou.

Introduction

Welcome to my blog “Saveur spécial”, it can be translated into the chinese words “特色风味”, special taste. As foreign student in France, we have to overcome lots of difficulties.It is not only about study but also concerning personal life, etc. Normally after eating endless sandwiches and hamburgers, what we miss the most is the traditional Chinese dishes which don’t exist in France, in Europe but only in China. So I choose the subject about Chinese food for my blog here to introduce plenty of delicious foods to you. If one day you come to travel there, maybe you can follow any recommendation that interests you to meet the need of your curiousity and stomach. Moreover, if you are familiar with my introduction, leave me a message or comment as you want, let’s discuss together! Here is a space open prepared for all of you.

In a word, let’s uncover the secret mask of China and start the journey about delicious foods!