10 chinese dishes you need to try (and where to find them)

Dan

i ate my way through china for 2 months. here are 10 dishes i still think about.

xiaolongbao (soup dumplings). shanghai. din tai fung is good but there are smaller shops. bite a hole, blow, then eat. don't skip the blowing part.

peking duck. beijing. quanjude is touristy but consistent. they slice it at your table. wrap in pancake with cucumber and sauce.

lanzhou hand pulled noodles. anywhere with a guy pulling noodles at the window. the broth is the star. cost like 3 usd.

yangshuo beer fish. guilin area. cooked with beer and tomatoes. sounds weird but works.

hot pot. chengdu or chongqing. haidilao is beginner friendly. english menu. spicy level 1 is still spicy.

jianbing. street breakfast crepe. crispy, savory, and cheap. find a cart in the morning.

roujiamo. chinese hamburger. meat stuffed in bread. great for a quick lunch.

dim sum. hong kong or guangzhou. har gow (shrimp dumplings) and siu mai (pork dumplings) are my favorites.

shengjian. fried soup dumplings. shanghai. like xiaolongbao but fried on the bottom. even better.

mapo tofu. chengdu. spicy tofu dish. not vegetarian though. has ground pork.

i miss the food more than anything else from china.