Chinese food is eight great cuisines, not one. Here's what to eat, where, and how to order it.
The regional map
| Region | Style | Must-try |
|---|---|---|
| Sichuan | Fiery + numbing peppercorn | Hotpot, mapo tofu, dan dan noodles |
| Cantonese | Fresh, delicate | Dim sum, roast goose, wonton noodles |
| Beijing/North | Wheat-based, hearty | Peking duck, zhajiangmian, dumplings |
| Xi'an/Northwest | Lamb, hand-pulled noodles | Roujiamo, biangbiang noodles, paomo |
| Hunan | Pure chili heat | Chairman Mao's red-braised pork |
| Jiangsu/Shanghai | Sweet-savory, refined | Xiaolongbao, hairy crab, lion's head meatballs |
| Yunnan | Fresh + ethnic minority | Crossing-the-bridge noodles, wild mushrooms |
| Xinjiang | Silk Road | Lamb skewers, big-plate chicken, naan |
Street food rules
- Busy stall + cooked in front of you = safe and delicious
- Grilled skewers (chuan'r), jianbing breakfast crepes, stinky tofu (hold your nose, it's good), candied hawthorn
- Prices are absurdly low — ¥5–15 per item
How to order without Chinese
- Scan the table QR code — photo menus are standard
- No QR? Point at dishes on neighboring tables (locals find it charming, not rude)
- Learn: 不辣 bù là (not spicy), 微辣 wēi là (mild), 不要香菜 (no cilantro)
Dietary notes
- Vegetarian: say 我吃素 (wǒ chī sù) — temple restaurants do amazing mock-meat
- Halal: look for the green 清真 sign — Lanzhou noodle shops are everywhere
- Allergies: get them written in Chinese on a card before you travel