Food

Coming to food, Hangzhou won't disappoint you. In fact, Hangzhou cuisine is currently one of the most popular and fashionable styles of cooking in China. Many "Hangzhou" restaurants have been opening up throughout the country, and the cuisine from this city is considered to be of a superior status. The very famous poet Su Dong Po in ancient China once wrote that "there are no better banquets in the world than those in Hangzhou."

Hangzhou Cooking

Hangzhou cooking is characterized by natural flavor, beautiful presentation and a light and palatable taste. Recipes here usually contain a great deal of seafood, including fish, shrimp, crab and oyster.

Among those famous dishes of Hangzhou, which are not only delicious but also accompanied with many touching stories, there are Beggar's chicken (an entire chicken wrapped and slowly cooked in a ball of mud), West Lake fish (vinegar coated fish from the lake), Dong Po pork (braised pork) and stewed shelled shrimp cooked in Dragon Well tea, the famous tea from Hangzhou area.

The great thing about eating in Hangzhou is the city has retained a few traditional restaurants serving authentic Hangzhou dishes. You will enjoy the dining experience in these places.

Restaurants in Focus

Zhi Wei Guan" Restaurant

"Zhi Wei Guan" is a very old and famous restaurant in Hangzhou of 100 year history. It specializes in the local dishes and snacks, ranging from Won Ton soup and Xiaolongbao (small steamed pastries with rice), to noodles and desserts. The food is very delicious and cheap, averaging about RMB5 to RMB10 for one dish. Xiaolongbao and Won Ton soup are among the most popular dishes.

How you order the food and pay is a bit of fun. First of all, you will have to buy some tickets, with each ticket worth RMB1, and then exchange your tickets for any food you order at the counter. Right behind the counter, the staff is busy preparing all sorts of food while serving customers the food they order. There is constant movement in the restaurant, either in the kitchen area, which is right behind the counter, or in the dining area where the crowd comes and goes. It is a good place for people watching while enjoying delicious food.

The eating ritual is not over yet. Before you go, you have to do one more thing. You return the unused tickets to the cashier in exchange for cash of equivalent value. Now you can walk away contentedly. (Add: 83 Ren He Road, West Lake).

"Lou Wai Lou" Restaurant

"Lou Wai Lou" is Hangzhou's oldest, most authentic and best restaurant. It is said any trip to the city must include a visit to this Hangzhou restaurant, if only to sample the great atmosphere of the place. The restaurant is located at the lake side and has great views over the West Lake. It is lit up like a beacon at dusk, a symbol of the restaurant's superb status. (Add: Solitary Island, West Lake).

"Yao Bu De" Restaurant

"Yao Bu De" restaurant is a specialty shop selling fried buns. The bun's bottom part is slightly burned and crispy, and upper part soft. The bun is so juicy that when you take a bite, the hot juice splashes in all directions from your mouth. You have to be careful and skillful eating it. That is why the restaurant is named "Yao Bu De'", meaning not to bite. Not to bite, but you want to bite - that is the interesting part about the bun.

The making of such buns has a long history. It was said to be a favorite food of the Emperor Gao Zhu in Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD). In Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) Dynasties, it became popular in the region of Shanghai, Hangzhou and their neighboring areas.

"Yau Bu De" restaurant is always full because of its popular fried buns. (Add: Wen Er Road)