The Big Picture
No Such Thing as "Chinese Food" — It's All Regional
Sichuan (四川)
Numbing, fiery, oily. The mala flavour from Sichuan peppercorn is unique to this region. Hotpot, mapo tofu, dan dan noodles.
Cantonese (广东)
Delicate, lightly seasoned. Masters of dim sum and steaming. Freshest ingredients, least oil.
Northern (北方)
Wheat-based, hearty. Dumplings, hand-pulled noodles, lamb, Peking duck.
Yunnan (云南)
Fresh, herby, diverse. Rice noodles, wild mushrooms, Dai-style cooking, crossing-bridge noodles.
Must-Try Dishes
Your Essential Hit-List
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小笼包 · Soup Dumplings · Shanghai · Under ¥40 a basket
Delicate steamed dumplings with hot broth trapped inside. Technique matters: bite a small hole in the side, sip the soup first, then eat the whole dumpling. Scalding if you rush. Din Tai Fung is reliable but local old-school spots are often better and cheaper.
四川火锅 · Chengdu / Chongqing · ¥80–150/person
Bubbling crimson broth loaded with chilli and Sichuan peppercorn. Cook raw meats, tofu and vegetables yourself at the table. Order yuanyang (half-half pot) if cautious about spice.
北京烤鸭 · Beijing · ¥150–300/person
Lacquered wood-fired roast duck with ultra-crispy skin. Carved tableside and wrapped in thin pancakes with hoisin, cucumber and spring onion.
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点心 · Guangzhou / Hong Kong · Morning brunch ritual
Steamed and fried small dishes served in bamboo baskets with Chinese tea. Har gow (shrimp dumplings), siu mai (pork dumplings), char siu bao (BBQ pork buns). Go to a traditional teahouse on a weekend morning.
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过桥米线 · Yunnan Province · ¥20–60
Yunnan's most iconic dish. A large clay pot of boiling chicken broth arrives at your table, and you add thin-sliced raw meat, vegetables, tofu skin and rice noodles — which cook instantly in the hot soup. The dish has a 100-year-old legend: a devoted wife crossed a bridge daily to bring her studying husband hot food, keeping the soup warm with a layer of chicken fat. Listed as Kunming intangible cultural heritage since 2008.
煎饼 · Breakfast Crepe · Everywhere · ¥8–12
Savoury crepe with egg, hoisin, chilli paste, crispy wonton cracker and fresh herbs. Made in front of you from a street cart in 90 seconds. One of the great breakfast experiences in China.
油泼面 · Belt Noodles · Xi'an · Under ¥25
Extra-wide belt-shaped wheat noodles hand-pulled until they slap (biang!) against the board. Dressed with chilli oil, black vinegar and garlic poured over sizzling hot. The character for "biang" has the most strokes of any Chinese character.
肉夹馍 · Chinese Burger · Xi'an · From ¥10
Slow-braised spiced pork chopped and stuffed in a crispy flatbread. One of the world's oldest sandwiches — the flatbread dates to the Qin Dynasty (221 BC). In the Muslim Quarter, beef or lamb versions are available.
胡辣汤 · Peppery Soup · Henan Province · From ¥4
The soul of Henan breakfast. A thick, warming soup of beef, gluten noodles and black pepper — hearty and deeply spiced. Traces back to the Song Dynasty (960 AD). Served with fried dough sticks. A bowl starts at just ¥4.
Survival Guide
Ordering Without Reading Chinese
- Point at what other people are eating — works in 100% of restaurants
- Use Google Translate camera mode on any menu — instant overlay translation
- Many restaurants have picture menus — ask by miming or saying "tú piàn càidān"
- Dianping app (Chinese Yelp) — high star ratings with photos tell you everything
- "Bù là" (不辣) = not spicy — say it early and firmly in Sichuan restaurants
- "Wǒ bù chī ròu" (我不吃肉) = I don't eat meat
- Mapo tofu and dan dan noodles both come in vegetarian versions — ask for 素 (sù)
- Street food carts have no English — point, gesture, smile. It always works out.