Livin’ in The Chonx

Jia Chang Chuan Cai 家常川菜

This is a general entry for all the family owned and operated Sichuan style restaurants. (Chongqing was a part of Sichuan until 1997, hence the food is still referred to as “Sichuan” style) Sichuan food is increasingly popular all over the country and even internationally, so no matter where you go there is a good chance you will find a Sezchuan/Sichuan style restaurant. But here in Chongqing, you can bet it is much more authentic. The best place to find these is generally around schools and universities because they cater to the financially strapped students. It’s generally a good idea to take a glance at the menu before ordering to get an idea of the price range, but on average meat dishes cost 10-15 RMB, vegetable/cold appetizers/soups 4-7 RMB, and specialty dishes 20-30 RMB. Here are some local dishes that pretty much every family-style restaurant has on the menu: Continue reading »

Dong Bei Cai 东北菜

Here is a delicious alternative to spicy food.  Dongbei restaurants serve dishes that originate in the northeast region of China where they prefer to use garlic and vinegar over spicy and numbing peppers.  The price range is similar to that of other dishes restaurants.  Here are a couple recommendations.

•    Jiang Pai Gu 浆排骨 – Large pork ribs that have been slow-cooked in a savory sauce.
•    Guo Bao Rou 锅爆肉 – Thinly sliced pork lightly battered and fried and topped with a light sweet and sour sauce. (careful not to confuse this with another popular local dish called Guo Ba Rou 锅巴肉—Meat and veggies in a creamy sauce poured over crispy rice)
•    Gan Bian Tu Dou Tiao 干煸土豆条 – Well-seasoned homestyle fries or potato wedges.
•    Ba Si Ping Guo 拔丝苹果 – Flash fried apple wedges covered with a sticky caramel sauce.  Often the restaurants have sweet potatoes prepared like this also.

Gan Guo 干锅 (Daping Map)
• 15-20/small pot (2-3 people); 25-30/large pot (3-4 people)

Gan Guo literally means dry pot, but don’t let the name deceive you, the pot is filled with oil. Here is how it works, you choose the ‘flavor’ you want—usually your choice of meat or various things that locals consider meat like pig elbows and intestines, then the chef cooks it up with an assortment of spices, afterwards freshly cut celery, peppers, potatoes, bean sprouts go into a pot of oil and the chef tosses the meat on top and brings the pot out to your table where it sits over a small flame to keep everything bubbling and hot. Continue reading »

Lao Ma Chao Shou* 老麻抄手
•    4-6 RMB/bowl

Chengdu is to Dragon dumplings, as Chongqing is to Lao Ma dumplings. Both are hand wrapped with pork stuffing, but like almost everything in Chongqing the Chao Shou dumplings here come with a spicy kick. There are numerous La Ma Dumpling shops around town, but the authentic ones will allow you to choose the level of heat.  To be honest, even the least spicy of the options will still make your eyes water and your mouth tingle.  So if you think your stomach is ready for the Lao Ma challenge, step up and choose one.  Wei La-微辣=Least spicy.  Zhong La-中辣=Medium spice.  Lao Ma-老麻=Bring on the pain.

*Chaoshou are similar to wontons (Hun Dun-混沌) except that the wrapper is not as thin.

Lan Zhou La Mian 兰州拉面
• 4-6 RMB/portion

Take a break from the peppers at any of these family-owned noodle shops. Originating from the northwest region of China (Lanzhou is the capital of Gansu), these restaurants are generally owned and operated by Hui people (Chinese speaking Muslims). Hui men can be identified by their white caps, and the women wear scarves over their heads. At the most authentic places you will see them hand pulling the noodles. You can order up the noodles in a variety of styles: the traditional pulled noodles (拉面), knife cut noodles (刀削), flat-wide noodles (宽面). And cooked up in a variety of ways: with or without soup, fried, with vegetables only, or eggs, or beef (the Hui owned restaurants do not serve pork). There’s plenty of options to keep you coming back again and again. Continue reading »

Ha Er Bin Shui Jiao* 哈尔滨水饺
• 2-4 RMB/serving

In China they say the best noodles and dumplings are made in the North. So it should be no surprise that the best place to find Shui Jiao dumplings is at the Harbin restaurants (Harbin is in the Northeast tip of China). Shui Jiao dumplings come in a variety of flavors, pork, beef, lamb, or chicken (rare) mixed with a wide assortment of vegetables. One of the best places is located near the south end of the Nanping walking street. This two story Harbin dumpling restaurant offers one of the widest selections in town, including pork and corn dumplings, which are very difficult to find elsewhere. Dumplings are not the only things on the menu, these places also specialize in Northern dishes which are usually not spicy.

*Shui Jiao are tightly wrapped dumplings that are boiled, they can also be steamed (Zheng Jiao-蒸饺) or fried (Guo Tie-锅贴)

Bus Tip: 四小区(南岸区府) or 南坪西路(金台) Located along Nan Ping Da Dao (南坪大道) west of the walking street (there is a large dragon bell at the south end of the walking street)

Tian Jin Bao Zi 天津包子
•    ~.5 RMB/bun

Another staple that has trickled down from Northern China, small shops that sell these dot every street.  But don’t settle for just any steamed bun shop, keep a look out for the Tianjin characters.  Tianjin is a city located north of Beijing and the most famous brand of steamed buns, Gou Bu Li* 狗不理, originates in Tianjin.  They can be stuffed with meat or vegetables, or for dessert opt for sweet red bean paste (Dou Sha-豆沙) or sesame seeds mixed with sugar.

*According to historians and oral accounts, the name of this brand comes from the story of an abandoned boy.  According to the story, a family found the boy in a dumpster and adopted him, nicknaming him “Doggy” (a reference to how lucky he was to not have been eaten by dogs).  The boy grew up to create a prosperous steamed bun business and soon he was too busy with the teeming business to pay attention to his old friends and customers.  Thereafter they referred to him as Gou Bu Li “The dog ignores [us]“.

Xiang Cun Ji 乡村基
•    8-15 RMB/set meal

This local Chinese fast food chain has stores throughout the city, and they are almost always packed with people.  Get a lifetime supply of cholesterol with their fried chicken meals (they come with French fries and fried rice).  Or choose the alternative Chinese style set meals like the stewed beef with carrots, the fried pork chop, or the curry chicken.  No Chinese speaking ability necessary as you can just point to the pictures on the menu when you order.  Plus an added bonus, you can get free refills on your rice or tomato soup by just taking your empty plate/bowl back to the counter (a little elbow throwing may be required).

Guilin Zhu Tong Fan 桂林竹筒饭 (Jiefangbei Map)
•    10-12 RMB/bucket

Dark wooden buckets lined with bamboo leaves.  Unfold the leaves and the aroma of fresh peppers, onions, tender bamboo shoots, and savory morsels of meat rises up to greet you.  This specialty comes all the way from southern Guilin.  The portions are so generous that one bucket is often more than a single person can eat, but you may find it too delicious to share.  Choose from a wide variety of styles.  Some are not spicy, like the beef with broccoli, the all vegetable bucket (perfect for vegetarians), or my personal favorite sweet barbecued slices of lean pork Cha Shao 叉烧 with veggies.  Even more varieties are spicy, but be forewarned, the spicy ones can be extremely spicy, even by Chongqing standards.  Also, unless you enjoy dealing with tiny bones, give the chicken a miss.  Try to bring someone along who can read Chinese because the menu has no English translations.

  Bus Tip: 较场口 Located on the side street behind the Marriot.
Light Rail Tip: 较场口 (Jiaochangkou)