Food & Drink

How to eat well in China — customs, dishes and where to go.

Where to Eat [吃饭地点]

• Street food stalls and wet markets — The best meals happen at unmarked stalls in alleys and night markets—look for queues of locals, not tourists. These vendors specialise in one or two dishes perfected over decades and cost 10-30 RMB per serving.
• Restaurant chains vs. independents — Chain restaurants like Dicos and Yoshinoya are reliable but forgettable. Seek out family-run neighbourhood spots with handwritten menus and DIY décor—these have authentic flavour and honest pricing.
• Avoid tourist-trap restaurants near attractions — Restaurants directly facing the Great Wall, Forbidden City, or riverside promenades charge 3–5× normal prices for mediocre food. Walk 5–10 minutes away and prices drop dramatically with quality improving.
• Hotel restaurants and malls — Safe but bland and expensive. Shopping malls (especially basement food courts) offer decent mid-range options at fairer prices than street level.

Reading the Menu [菜单]

• Use translation apps for characters — Google Translate's camera feature works instantly on menus—point your phone at the characters and get English. This is faster and more reliable than asking staff in many regions.
• Recognise spice levels — Red chilli peppers (🌶️) marked on menus indicate heat level—more peppers mean more spice. Sichuan dishes with black peppercorns (málà) cause mouth-numbing tingling, not just heat.
• Watch the portion sizes — Dishes served in China are often larger than expected and meant for sharing. Order 1–2 dishes per person plus rice or noodles, not one dish per person.
• Check prices before ordering — For seafood or wild vegetables, always confirm the price upfront—some restaurants charge per 100g without clear signage, leading to expensive surprises. Ask 'duōshao qián yī fèn?' (how much per portion?).
• Look for speciality marks — Dishes with ★ or 本店招牌 (běn diàn zhāopái—house specialty) are usually the chef's best work and worth ordering.

Must-Try Dishes [招牌菜]

• Mapo Tofu [麻婆豆腐] — Silky tofu in a fiery Sichuan chilli oil with minced pork and Sichuan peppercorns. The málà (mouth-numbing heat) is addictive and the dish costs around 15–25 RMB at local spots.
• Peking Duck [北京烤鸭] — Whole roasted duck carved tableside with paper-thin skin and tender meat, eaten wrapped in crepes with hoisin and scallions. Order at Beijing's famous spots like Quanjude or cheaper local restaurants.
• Xiaolongbao [小笼包] — Delicate steamed pork dumplings with a soupy, gelatinous filling made from pork aspic. These Shanghai specialities are best eaten immediately while hot, then dipped in vinegar with sliced ginger.
• Chongqing Chicken [辣子鸡] — Diced chicken stir-fried with whole dried chillies, peanuts, and Sichuan peppercorns—numbing, spicy, and wildly flavourful. Not for chilli-averse eaters but unforgettable.
• Hand-Pulled Noodles [拉面] — Lanzhou-style beef noodle soup (牛肉面) is the most common—silky noodles in aromatic broth topped with tender beef, radish, and coriander. A full meal costs 12–20 RMB.
• Street-Food Crepes [煎饼] — Thin savoury crepes stuffed with egg, crispy fried wonton, scallion, and spicy bean sauce, folded and eaten hot. A breakfast staple costing 3–5 RMB and completely satisfying.

Dining Customs & Etiquette [用餐礼仪]

• Use chopsticks correctly (or ask for a fork) — Never stick chopsticks upright in rice—this mimics funeral offerings. If you struggle, politely ask for a fork (叉子, chāzi); locals won't mind and servers appreciate the courtesy.
• Arrive on time for group meals — Lateness is considered disrespectful, especially at formal dinners or with business associates. If invited, arrive 5–10 minutes early.
• Let the host order first — In formal settings, the oldest or highest-ranking person orders. Don't order for yourself until invited to do so. At casual meals with friends, it's fine to order what you want.
• Don't pour your own drink—pour for others — At meals with others, fill neighbours' glasses first, never your own. They'll reciprocate. This applies to beer, wine, and baijiu. Never refill your own cup without offering to others.
• Rotate the lazy Susan (turntable) — If dishes are on a rotating turntable, turn it gently and only to reach what you need. Don't hog a section for yourself. Take smaller portions to leave food for others.
• Expect toasts and say 'Gānbēi!' (cheers) — At dinner, hosts or seniors may propose toasts with baijiu—it's polite to stand, make eye contact, and clink glasses. Saying 'Gānbēi!' (literally 'dry cup') signals respect, though you don't have to drink it all.
• Burping and slurping are acceptable — Loud eating noises (especially when eating noodles) show enjoyment and are perfectly normal. You don't need to suppress them.

Drinks & Spirits [酒水]

• Baijiu—China's firewater — A clear, powerful grain alcohol (40–60% ABV) that dominates dinner toasts. Brands like Moutai and Wuliangye are premium and expensive; cheaper versions (15–30 RMB) are perfectly drinkable. Drink it in small sips or as toasts, never casually.
• Beer culture — Tsingtao and Snow are the most common brands, cheap (5–8 RMB for 500mL), and lightly flavoured. Beer is often served ice-cold and is the safest choice for casual drinking without formal toasting.
• Tea instead of alcohol — It's completely acceptable to decline alcohol and drink tea, especially if you're unwell or driving. No one will pressure you, and offering tea as an alternative is always respected.
• Huangjiu and rice wine — Shaoxing wine (黄酒), a sweet fermented rice wine, is used in cooking and as a warm drink. It's gentler than baijiu and common in eastern China, costing 20–50 RMB a bottle.
• Avoid tap water—drink bottled or boiled — Tap water is not potable in most regions. Restaurants provide free hot water (白开水, báikāi shuǐ) or you can buy bottled water. Tea and hot drinks are safer choices.

Coffee & Café Culture [咖啡文化]

• Coffee is emerging, especially in cities — Major cities like Beijing, Shanghai, and Chengdu now have vibrant specialty coffee scenes with independent roasters and third-wave cafés. Expect 25–40 RMB for a cappuccino in trendy neighbourhoods.
• Instant coffee and powdered mixes are common — Nescafé and local brands like Yuanyang are ubiquitous in convenience stores and small cafés, often paired with condensed milk packets. Quality varies, but they're cheap (3–8 RMB) and convenient.
• Yuanyang—the local hybrid drink — A beloved mixture of strong black tea and sweetened condensed milk (Hong Kong style), served hot or iced. It's cheaper (5–10 RMB) and more authentic than coffee for many Chinese drinkers.
• Chain cafés are everywhere but soulless — Luckin Coffee, Manner Coffee, and Starbucks dominate urban areas with cheap drinks (15–25 RMB for specialty options). They're reliable but lack local character—seek out independent spots instead.
• Cafés are social hubs, not grab-and-go — In China, cafés are for sitting, working, or meeting friends for hours, not rushing through. Expect minimal pressure to leave, free WiFi, and sometimes surprisingly good food.

Practical Food Tips [实用建议]

• Use Dianping (Chinese Yelp) to find real restaurants — Dianping (大众点评) shows user photos, prices, and honest reviews. It's far more reliable than Google Maps in China, where many restaurants lack online presence or accurate listings.
• Payment methods: WeChat Pay and Alipay are essential — Cash is increasingly rare; most restaurants require mobile payment via WeChat Pay (微信支付) or Alipay (支付宝). These apps are free to set up and can be linked to foreign cards or bank accounts.
• Tipping is not expected — Unlike Western countries, tipping is neither expected nor customary in China. Rounding up or leaving small change is kind but unnecessary.
• Check for hidden fees (service charge, table charge) — Some upscale restaurants add a 10–15% service charge automatically. Ask about this upfront to avoid surprises. Cheaper restaurants never charge this.
• Eat where locals eat—follow the crowds — The busiest, most crowded restaurant with the longest queues is almost always the best choice. Local preferences don't lie.