Livin’ in The Chonx

Han Gu Ji Ting Tan Huo Kao Ba 韩古吉亭炭火烤吧
• 30-40 RMB/person

This small, slightly out of the way restaurant, is the most popular Korean Barbecue in town. In part because they make a real effort to provide an authentic experience, and secondly because the price is one of the lowest in town. Choose from a wide range of thinly sliced and well-marinated meat and barbecue it yourself on the grill (your server can show you how) or order from their selection of entrees, stone rice pots. The bacon wrapped green beans are fabulous. Bring someone who knows some Korean or Chinese though since the menu doesn’t have any English on it! Phone: (023)6845-3334
Continue reading »

Xin Jiang Tian Shan Can Ting 新疆天山餐厅
• 15-25 RMB

Located between the 18 Staircases Teahouse and the Mosque, this seems to be the only place in town where you can get fresh baked Naan bread. Be sure to come before the lunch and dinner rushes because the bread is made fresh and often sells out quickly. This is also a good place to get other authentic Xinjiang specialties from noodles to lamb dishes. In the last couple of months the grill man has changed though, so their barbecued lamb on a stick is not quite what it used to be.

Bus Tip: 较场口
Light Rail Tip: 较场口 (Jiaochangkou) Exit A (Towards Shi Ba Ti Road). Less than 5 minutes from here. Look for the Shi Ba Ti Road sign and cross the street until you are on the far sidewalk of that street (Shi Ba Ti turns into Zhong Xing). Take a right (you may be able to see the Mosque ahead of you). The restaurant is on the left.

Bi Ke Le Xi Can Ting 必客乐西餐厅
•    20-35 RMB/pizza

Located across the street from main gate of Chongqing University’s B campus, this little pizzeria is an excellent (cheaper) alternative to Pizza Hut when you get those cravings for pepperoni and cheese.  There is a wide range of toppings to choose from, including standards like Italian sausage to slightly more unusual fare like squid.  The crusts are extra thin and crispy, and the one-size-fits-all pizza is usually the perfect amount for one hungry Westerner.  Besides pizza there are also pastas and salads, and the new manager (Natasha, from Australia) plans expanding the menu further to include more Western fare.  They even offer free delivery to nearby locations (for more distant locations they may charge a fee)
•    Phone: (023) 6541-5804; Mobile: 1-359-416-5033

Bus Tip: 重大 From the main gate of Chongqing University A campus (the bus stop), continue walking up the street to the B campus entrance.  Piccolo’s is across the street on the second floor of the building

Jin Wang Shao Kao 金王烧烤
•    ～20-30 RMB/person

Conveniently located in the center of Three Gorges Plaza (Shapingba), this restaurant is a great place to go to get some tasty street barbecue minus the street aspect.  Granted, some enjoy flirting with intestinal parasites, but Golden King welcomes those who prefer the comfort and peace of mind that comes from eating at a place with regular health inspections (we hope).  Order a la carte from the menu to cook for yourself at the table or leave the work to the experts in the open kitchen.  It can be quite fascinating to watch them barbecue frogs on a stick.  Or consider ordering entrees and restaurant specialties such as barbecued fish.

Bus Tip: 沙坪坝

Mai Dang Lao 麦当劳
•    15-30 RMB

Western restaurants are still a tough find in Chongqing, but that hasn’t stopped McDonald’s.  There are branches in Three Gorges Plaza (Shapingba), Jiefangbei, Nanping, and Jiangbei, and most of them are open 24 hours a day.  The most popular items on the McDonald’s menu in China are the double cheeseburger and the soft-serve ice cream.  The quarter pounders come with special sauce (like a Big Mac), lettuce, tomato, and cucumber—a surprisingly refreshing alternative to soggy pickles.  Recently they have started serving breakfast from 8 to 10am.  Unfortunately, McMuffins are not yet on the scene, but the coffee and pancakes are pretty standard.

De Ke Shi 德克士
• 12-25 RMB/person

A slightly cheaper alternative to KFC when you miss fried chicken. This chain caters to Chinese taste buds, so the more expensive chicken sandwich is all dark meat. If you prefer your chicken white, go for the cheaper sandwich or give the mini-fried chicken steak a try (the original fried chicken steak is both white and dark meat, there are some bones). The Magic Chicken Bites (魔法鸡块) give the Colonel’s popcorn chicken a run for its money with better flavor and bigger pieces of chicken. Come after 8 pm and most stores in Chongqing offer “Buy 1 Get one Free” specials on the chicken sandwiches. Plus, if you live less than a ten minute walk away, they will deliver for free! (Must order a minimum amount, usually 25-30 RMB)

Check out the official website for location addresses (Chinese only)

Ken De Ji 肯德基
•    15-30 RMB

The Colonel’s original fried chicken is very popular all over China.  In Chongqing, every major shopping district has at least one branch.  Believe it or not, here KFC is an acceptable location for a first date.   Sweep the girl of your dreams off her feet with some spicy chicken wings.  It’s still finger lickin’ good.  There are a couple differences between KFC here and the ones back in America.  Mashed potatoes and green beans have not yet made it onto the menu, instead there are French fries, lotus root slices, and egg custard tarts (these are much pricier here than at bakeries around town).

Ding Dang Tu 叮当兔
•    20-40 RMB/person

Here is a place for the particularly adventurous or curious.   The restaurant, always packed with locals, specializes in rabbit…heads.  Goose heads are also available, or get a mixture of the two.  Armed only with a pair of disposable gloves and chopsticks, you pick a head out of the pot of spice and oil, and dig in.  All of them are split down the middle to make the excavation process slightly simpler.   This specialty is extremely spicy, so handle with care!

Bus Tip: 直港大道 or 杨家坪 and a 5 RMB taxi

Xiang La Xia 香辣虾
• ~20-30 RMB/person (order by the pot, small/medium/large)

Shrimp lover’s rejoice, for this was made just for you. Just imagine a mountain of fresh jumbo sized shrimp, immersed in a hot bath of oil and spices until they are transformed into tender, perfectly pink curls. The aroma alone is enough to make your mouth water, and it’s almost guaranteed that you’ll burn yourself once or twice trying to devour them faster than they can cool. It’s tempting to refer to this as Shrimp Hot Pot, as it is basically Gan Guo with shrimp. As is common practice among Chinese restaurants all over China (and the more authentic ones back home) the whole shrimp is thrown into the pot, tentacles and all. But at the better restaurants they butterfly them first, making them considerably more convenient to eat. Be forewarned, this is usually extremely spicy. Continue reading »

Jia Fu Huo Guo 家福火锅
• ~25-30 RMB/person

The Nanshan branch of this restaurant, located just outside the gates of the Post and Telecom University, was one of our favorite gathering places. There are dozens of branches across the city, which are equally as popular with the locals. Frequently, the place is so happening that you have to stand outside for a bit and wait for a table to open up (a surprisingly rare occurrence in China). One of the perks or quirks at the Nanshan branch are the chopsticks, long enough to poke someone’s eye out… on the other side of the table [mild exaggeration]. A bigger draw though is that it is relatively inexpensive for a Hot Pot restaurant. Ordering conservatively (less meat, more vegetables), it’s possible to spend less than 20 RMB/person. Plus, most locals will attest to the fact that the taste and freshness is comparable to any of the higher end chains. After all, freshness is in direct proportion to the amount of business, and as mentioned previously this place is always happening.

Nanshan Branch 家福火锅 (黄角垭店), Phone: 023-62463888

Bus Tip: 邮电学院 or 南坪东路 and change buses