30 Must-Try Chinese Dishes: A Food Lover's Guide to Eating in China

I remember the first time I brought my eldest to a real Chinese food street. They were maybe four years old, standing in front of a stall in Chongqing where a man was making jianbing — spreading batter on a hot griddle, cracking an egg, brushing on chilli sauce, folding it into a perfect parcel. Their eyes went wide when the man handed it to them. They took one bite and said: "Mama, can we eat this every day?"

We did. For the next two weeks, we ate our way through China, and I realized something: food is the best way to understand this country. Each dish tells a story about the place it comes from — the climate, the history, the people who make it.

This guide covers 30 dishes you should eat on your China trip. I've organized them by region so you can plan your eating around your itinerary.

Beijing & The North

These are the dishes that put Chinese food on the world map — hearty, savoury, and built for cold winters.

1. Peking Duck (北京烤鸭)

The most famous Chinese dish in the world, and for good reason. Crispy skin, tender meat, wrapped in thin pancakes with spring onions and hoisin sauce.

**Where to eat it:** Quanjude (oldest, touristy but still good), Siji Minfu (my pick — better value, shorter queues), Dadong (modern take, higher price).

**Price:** ¥150–300 for a whole duck (serves 2–3).

**The ritual:** Watch the chef carve it tableside. Eat the skin first — dip it in sugar, the traditional way. Then wrap the meat in pancakes.

2. Jianbing (煎饼)

China's best breakfast. A thin crepe made from mung bean batter, spread on a hot griddle, cracked with an egg, brushed with chilli bean paste, sprinkled with scallions and coriander, folded around a crispy fried cracker.

**Where to eat it:** Any street corner in Beijing before 10am. The ones with queues are the good ones.

**Price:** ¥6–12.

3. Beijing Zhajiangmian (北京炸酱面)

Thick wheat noodles topped with a rich sauce made from fermented soybean paste (huangjiang) and minced pork. It's the comfort food of Beijing — every family has their own recipe.

**Where to eat it:** Fangshan Restaurant in Beihai Park (the imperial version), or any busy noodle shop in the hutongs.

**Price:** ¥15–30.

4. Lamb Hotpot (涮羊肉)

Beijing's answer to the cold winters. A copper pot of simmering broth in the centre of the table. Thinly sliced lamb, vegetables, tofu, and noodles cooked at the table, dipped in sesame sauce.

**Where to eat it:** Donglaishun (oldest, established 1903), or any hutong restaurant with a copper pot visible in the window.

**Price:** ¥80–150 per person.

5. Tanghulu (糖葫芦)

Candied hawthorn berries on a stick. The sugar coating shatters when you bite into it, revealing the tart fruit underneath. A Beijing street snack that's been around since the Song dynasty.

**Where to eat it:** Wangfujing Snack Street, or any street vendor in winter.

**Price:** ¥5–15.

Shanghai & The East

The food here is sweeter, more refined, and built around fresh ingredients from the Yangtze River delta.

6. Xiaolongbao (小笼包)

Soup dumplings. Thin-skinned parcels of pork (or crab) filled with hot broth. The technique: pick it up gently with your chopsticks, bite a small hole to let the steam escape, slurp the broth, then eat the rest.

**Where to eat it:** Din Tai Fung (the chain, but it's excellent), or Jia Jia Tang Bao in Shanghai (more authentic, longer queue). The one near Yu Garden is my go-to when I visit Shanghai with clients.

**Price:** ¥40–80 for 8 pieces.

7. Shengjianbao (生煎包)

Pan-fried pork buns. Crispy on the bottom, soft on top, filled with pork and broth. Like xiaolongbao's crispy cousin.

**Where to eat it:** Yang's Fried Dumplings (a Shanghai institution). Multiple locations, always busy.

**Price:** ¥8–12 for 4 pieces.

8. Shanghai Braised Pork (红烧肉)

Pork belly slow-braised in soy sauce, sugar, and Shaoxing wine until it's meltingly tender. The fat renders into the sauce, creating something that coats every grain of rice.

**Where to eat it:** Any local Shanghai restaurant. Old Jesse (老吉士) is famous for it.

**Price:** ¥60–100.

9. Smelly Tofu (臭豆腐)

Fermented tofu with a... distinctive aroma. Don't let the smell put you off — it tastes much better than it smells. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, served with chilli sauce.

**Where to eat it:** Any night market in Shanghai or across China. The version at Nanjing Road's night market is a good introduction.

**Price:** ¥10–15.

10. Beggar's Chicken (叫花鸡)

A whole chicken wrapped in lotus leaves and coated in clay, then slow-baked. The clay is cracked open at the table, releasing an incredible steam of aromatics. It's as much theatre as food.

**Where to eat it:** In Hangzhou (where it originated) at Lou Wai Lou restaurant, overlooking West Lake.

**Price:** ¥120–200.

Xi'an & The Northwest

Xi'an's food reflects its history as the Silk Road's starting point — bold flavours, heavy on lamb and wheat, with influences from Central Asia.

11. Biang Biang Noodles (Biangbiang面)

Wide, hand-pulled noodles (as wide as a belt, locals say) served with chilli oil, garlic, and soy sauce. The character "biang" is the most complex Chinese character — 58 strokes.

**Where to eat it:** Muslim Quarter in Xi'an. Look for shops hand-pulling noodles in the window.

**Price:** ¥15–25.

12. Yangrou Paomo (羊肉泡馍)

Lamb soup with crumbled flatbread. You tear the bread into tiny pieces (this is part of the experience — locals take it seriously), then the kitchen adds lamb broth and slow-cooked meat.

**Where to eat it:** Old Sun Family (老孙家) in Xi'an's Muslim Quarter. It's been there for decades.

**Price:** ¥25–40.

13. Liangpi (凉皮)

Cold skin noodles made from wheat or rice flour, served with gluten chunks, bean sprouts, cucumber, and a tangy chilli vinegar dressing. The perfect summer dish.

**Where to eat it:** Street stalls across Xi'an.

**Price:** ¥8–15.

14. Roujiamo (肉夹馍)

"Chinese hamburger" — braised pork (or lamb) stuffed in a freshly baked flatbread. The meat is slow-cooked for hours with star anise, cinnamon, and cloves.

**Where to eat it:** Any roujiamo shop in Xi'an. The ones near the Drum Tower are reliable.

**Price:** ¥8–15.

15. Persimmon Cakes (柿子饼)

Pan-fried cakes made with fresh persimmon puree and filled with sweet bean paste or nuts. A seasonal treat in autumn.

**Where to eat it:** Muslim Quarter, Xi'an. The best ones are freshly made at street stalls.

**Price:** ¥5–10.

Chengdu, Chongqing & The Southwest

This is where Chinese food gets serious. Sichuan cuisine is about more than heat — it's about the complex interplay of chilli, Sichuan peppercorn (má), and savoury flavours.

16. Chongqing Hotpot (重庆火锅)

The dish that defines my hometown. Beef tallow-based broth (not vegetable oil — this is crucial), bubbling with dried chillies and Sichuan peppercorns. You cook your own ingredients: tripe, duck intestines, beef, lotus root, tofu skin.

**Where to eat it:** In Chongqing, anywhere busy. Skip the chains. Find a place with plastic stools outside and a queue. Ask for 微辣 (wei là — mild spicy) unless you're genuinely brave. I've seen people cry at "mild."

**My favourite spot:** There's a small place near Jiefangbei that's been open for 30+ years — no English menu, no website, just a faded red sign. It doesn't have a name you can find on Google Maps. But any Chongqing local can point you to a good hotpot place within walking distance. Find it.

**Price:** ¥80–150 per person.

17. Mapo Tofu (麻婆豆腐)

Silken tofu in a fiery sauce of doubanjiang (fermented chilli bean paste), minced pork, and Sichuan peppercorns. The numbing sensation (má) is the signature.

**Where to eat it:** Chen Mapo Tofu in Chengdu — the original restaurant, established 1862. The queue is always long. It's worth it.

**Price:** ¥25–40.

18. Dan Dan Noodles (担担面)

Spicy noodles with minced pork, preserved vegetables, chilli oil, and Sichuan peppercorns. Originally sold by street vendors carrying baskets on a pole (dan dan).

**Where to eat it:** Xiaotan Douhua in Chengdu, or any street stall that looks busy.

**Price:** ¥10–20.

19. Yuxiang Qiezi (鱼香茄子)

"Fish-fragrant eggplant" — despite the name, there's no fish in it. Eggplant stir-fried in a sauce of pickled chillies, ginger, garlic, and scallions. The flavour profile is a perfect balance of spicy, sour, sweet, and savoury.

**Where to eat it:** Any local Chengdu restaurant. It's a standard dish that every kitchen makes well.

**Price:** ¥25–40.

20. Chuan Chuan (串串)

The street-food cousin of hotpot. Skewers of meat, vegetables, and tofu cooked in a spicy broth, eaten as you walk. You pay by the skewer at the end.

**Where to eat it:** Street stalls across Chengdu and Chongqing. In Chongqing, look for the ones with the biggest crowds after 8pm.

**Price:** ¥1–3 per skewer. A full meal: ¥30–60.

Guangzhou & The South

Cantonese cuisine is about freshness and subtlety — the ingredients speak for themselves.

21. Dim Sum (点心)

Not a dish but a meal: small plates of dumplings, buns, rolls, and pastries served with tea. Har gow (shrimp dumplings), siu mai (pork dumplings), char siu bao (BBQ pork buns), cheung fun (rice noodle rolls).

**Where to eat it:** Guangzhou is the dim sum capital. Dian Dou De (点都德) is a reliable chain. For something special, go to Panxi Restaurant (泮溪酒家) — it's been serving dim sum since 1947.

**Price:** ¥50–100 per person for a full spread.

22. White Cut Chicken (白切鸡)

Poached chicken served at room temperature with ginger-scallion oil. It sounds simple because it is — the magic is in the quality of the chicken and the precision of the cooking.

**Where to eat it:** Any traditional Cantonese restaurant in Guangzhou. Wenji (文记) is known for it.

**Price:** ¥60–100 for half a chicken.

23. Claypot Rice (煲仔饭)

Rice cooked in a claypot with Chinese sausage, cured pork, or chicken. The rice at the bottom gets crispy — that's the best part. Served with soy sauce and scallions.

**Where to eat it:** In Guangzhou's old city. The shops with claypots lined up outside are the ones you want.

**Price:** ¥20–40.

24. Char Siu (叉烧)

Cantonese BBQ pork — lacquered with a sweet-savoury glaze, roasted until the edges caramelize. The best char siu has a perfect ratio of lean meat to fatty edges.

**Where to eat it:** Any siu mei (BBQ meat) shop in Guangzhou or Hong Kong.

**Price:** ¥40–80 for a portion.

25. Wonton Noodle Soup (云吞面)

Thin, springy egg noodles in a clear broth with shrimp wontons. The hallmark of good wonton noodles is the texture of the noodles — they should have a slight bite (what locals call "彈牙").

**Where to eat it:** Mak's Noodle in Guangzhou, or Ho Hung Kee in Hong Kong.

**Price:** ¥20–40.

From Other Regions

26. Crossing-the-Bridge Noodles (过桥米线) — Yunnan

A Yunnan classic. A bowl of boiling hot chicken broth arrives at your table, and you add raw ingredients — thin slices of meat, vegetables, rice noodles, herbs — that cook in the broth. The broth stays hot because a layer of chicken fat seals the surface.

**Where to eat it:** In Kunming. Any restaurant that specialises in "过桥米线."

**Price:** ¥30–80.

27. Guilin Rice Noodles (桂林米粉) — Guilin

Silky rice noodles in bone broth, topped with beef, roasted peanuts, pickled green beans, and chilli oil. It's simple, cheap, and absolutely addictive.

**Where to eat it:** In Guilin, look for shops with "老字号" (old brand) in the name — they've been around for decades. Go before 9am for the best batches.

**Price:** ¥8–15.

28. Lanzhou Beef Noodles (兰州牛肉面) — Lanzhou

Hand-pulled beef noodles in a clear, aromatic broth. The noodles are made fresh to order — you can watch the puller stretch and fold the dough.

**Where to eat it:** Any Lanzhou Beef Noodle shop (they're everywhere in China, but the best are in Lanzhou itself).

**Price:** ¥10–20.

29. Xiaochi (小吃) — Street Food Snacks

The catch-all for China's incredible street food culture. The variety is endless: lamb skewers (chuan'r), stuffed buns (baozi), steamed dumplings (jiaozi), egg tarts, grilled squid, candied fruit, and a hundred other things you've never heard of.

**My rule:** If a street stall has a queue of locals, join it. Don't worry if you can't read the sign — point at what the person in front of you ordered and say "one of those."

30. Mooncakes (月饼) — Mid-Autumn Festival

The seasonal treat you need to know about. Mooncakes are dense pastries filled with lotus seed paste and salted egg yolk, eaten during the Mid-Autumn Festival (September–October).

**Where to eat it:** Bakeries across China during the festival season.

**Price:** ¥20–80 each (gift boxes can cost much more).

My Eating Tips for China

**Start your day with local breakfast** — jianbing, congee (rice porridge), or baozi (steamed buns). Skip the hotel buffet when you can — you'll eat better and cheaper outside.

**Learn 5 food phrases** — "好吃" (delicious), "不要辣" (not spicy), "微辣" (mild spicy), "买单" (check please), and "这个" (this one — just point).

**Carry tissues** — many local restaurants don't have napkins. A pack of tissues in your pocket is standard practice in China.

**Don't be afraid of street food** — look for stalls with high turnover (lots of customers, food cooking fresh). If locals are eating there, it's safe. I've been eating street food across China for 15 years, and I've never had a serious problem.

**For Muslim travelers** — Look for green signs with Arabic script. These are halal restaurants run by Chinese Muslims (Hui people). Xi'an's Muslim Quarter is a highlight. I wrote about this in more detail in my [FAQ](/faq).

**The most important rule:** If a dish is famous in a city, eat it there. Peking duck in Shanghai isn't the same. Hotpot in Beijing isn't the same. The regional specialties are at their best in their home cities. That's the whole point of travelling through China by eating.

**Want to plan a food-focused China trip?** [Tell me what you're craving](/plan-your-trip) and I'll build an itinerary around the dishes you most want to try.