Livin’ in The Chonx

Bai Shi Wei Tai Guo Yu Chi 百世威泰国鱼翅
• 50-100 RMB/person

Update: This restaurant will be moving/closing? in the next couple months!  If anyone knows of another Thai alternative, do let us know! [thanks Sharleen for the heads up]

Located upon the upper levels of one of the ritziest department stores in the city, everything about this restaurant from the food to the décor provides an exotic escape from. Ensconce yourself upon one of the plush throne-like chairs and indulge yourself with some elegantly prepared Thai favorites like vegetable Pad Thai and green curry chicken.

Bus Tip: 临江门
Light Rail Tip: 临江门 (Linjiangmen) Exit D (the Liberation Monument exit). Located on the 5th floor of Maison Mode Department Store (美美).

Quan Ju De 全聚德
• 100-150 RMB/person

The most famous Beijing Duck restaurant has opened a beautiful branch in Chongqing’s Hong Ya Dong. Besides having the chance to taste authentic slow roasted Beijing duck, this restaurant has a couple of advantages over the original Beijing counterparts. First, the view overlooking the river. Book a private room on the river side in advance to enjoy your meal under the warm glow of the setting sun. Second, and perhaps more important than the atmosphere alone, is that the Chongqing location, although popular, is still not as insanely overrun as the original Beijing locations. As a result the food is prepared more carefully, and the delectable taste serves as a witness to that attentiveness. Continue reading »

Huo Guo 火锅

So you’ve decided your stomach is finally strong enough to handle the infamous hot pot. Or perhaps the Dean of the Foreign Languages Department just called and they’re taking you whether you like it or not. Here are some tips for the uninitiated that should hopefully make your first hot pot experience not the last one.

Choose your pot. Every hot pot restaurant offers at least two kinds of pots. One is all spicy, and the other has two sections, one spicy and one not (usually a chicken/fish broth). The second option, recommended for beginners, is called Yuan Yang 鸳鸯. When you graduate to the all spicy pot, some restaurants offer you a choice on the level of spiciness ranging from Wei La 微辣 (least spicy) to Zhong La 中辣 (medium spice) to Ji La 极辣 (very spicy)

Choose your food. If you are going with locals, then be prepared for some of the favorites here that may take some getting used to. Mao Du 毛肚 (tripe) and Ya Chang 鸭肠 (duck intestines) are fairly standard on the line-up, but even native Chongqing people enjoy potatoes and green vegetables, so there is bound to be something you are used to. Nonetheless, here are some choices that are usually more popular with the expats. You might try to slip a checkmark next to some of these during the ordering process—the actual names may vary slightly from place to place: Continue reading »

Tao Ran Ju 陶然居
•    45-70 RMB/person

Upscale atmosphere coupled with upscale Sichuan specialties.  Locals consider this one of the best restaurants for authentic Sichuan flavor.  The signature dish at this restaurant is their La Zi Tian Long 辣子田螺, a blisteringly spicy dish piled high with snails and peppers (disposable gloves and a long toothpick are provided).  Other recommendations include Yu Er Ji 芋儿鸡 (chicken and taro) and Nuo Mi Pai Gu 糯米排骨 (ribs in sticky rice).  There are eight locations for this chain scattered around town, typically in the center of major walking squares or wealthy districts.

Bi Sheng Ke 必胜客
•    40-70/person

The prices being well beyond the means of average college students in the area, the clientele at Pizza Hut in China is considerably different from back home.  Here Pizza Hut is nearly a fine dining experience, with linen tablecloths and mood lighting.  Just about all the standard toppings and choices of crusts are available, including stuffed crust.  In addition there are some interesting additions to the menu, like smoked salmon with wasabi, or whatever seasonal special is running that month.  But since most of the pizzas are prepared ahead of time there is not as much freedom to mix and match.  Something to note, the salad bar is not unlimited refills, you get one chance and one chance only to pile your plate as high as possible.

4 locations in the major shopping districts of Shapingba, Jiefangbei, Yangjiaping, and Jiangbei

Zhi Gang Da Dao 直港大道 (Yangjiaping Map)
• 30-70 RMB/person

Yet another popular area for Guanxi dinners, wedding banquets, and drunken reunions with old classmates. Compared to Nanbin Road and Southern Garden, this strip of restaurants is considerably more affordable. With a little exploring and conservative ordering, it is possible to find eateries along this strip that fit the mid-range budget. Here are a couple destinations to get you started:

• Ha Er Bin Bing Xue Jiao Zi Wang 哈尔滨冰雪饺子王 [Jiaozi Dumplings and Northern dishes]
• Leng Guo Yu Huo Guo Zuo Fang 冷锅鱼火锅作坊 [Fish Hot Pot] – Phone: (023) 6812-0310
• E Zhang Men Suan La Tang Guo 鹅掌门酸辣汤锅 [Hot and Sour Soup Pot: Specialty is goose feet]

Bus Tip: 直港大道

Nan Bin Lu 南滨路 (Nanping Map)
•    50-100 RMB/person

The trendy and the nouveau riche collide here along this strip of restaurants and bars.  Impress your business partners by wining and dining them in a private chandeliered room overlooking the river and the nightscape.  With these restaurants most of the time you are paying a premium for the atmosphere and location rather than a higher quality of food.  But only the best restaurants can afford this riverfront property, so no matter which one you choose it is bound to be better than the usual fare around town.  Here are some of the more popular locations where you can rub elbows with the rich and influential of Chongqing:

•    Yu Xin Chuan Cai 渝信川菜 – Phone: (023) 6282-2088
•    Liang Ping Zhang Ya Zi 梁平张鸭子 [Specialty is duck] – Phone: (023) 8988-2818
•    Shun Feng 123 顺风123 – Phone: (023) 8902-3123
•    Yi Guan Piao Xiang 一罐飘香 – Phone: (023) 6281-0338

Bus Tip: 南滨路(饮食街) or 国际会展中心(南桥头) + 5 RMB taxi
Alternate Route: Take the Yangtze River cableway across the river, then walk or take a taxi.

Nan Fang Hua Yuan 南方花园 (Daping Map)
• 50-80 RMB/person

Located between Daping and Shiqiaopu (Computer City) this street is lined with high end restaurants. Restaurants along this street are popular destinations for welcome and farewell banquets. Like most upscale restaurants, the items on the menu typically have exotic sounding names that sometimes are mysterious even for locals. Luckily, the menus are usually fully illustrated taking some of the guess work out of ordering. Here are a couple of the most popular restaurants in this area:
• Tao Ran Ju 陶然居 – Phone: (023) 6869-1999
• Qi Shi Er Hang Min Su Jiu Lou 七十二行民俗酒楼 – Phone: (023) 8908-0883

Bus Tip: 歇台子 + a 5 RMB taxi

De Zhuang Huo Guo 德庄火锅 (Jiefangbei Map)
• 30-45 RMB/person

If Chongqing is the birthplace of Hot Pot, then De Zhuang is the father. This is the original Hot Pot restaurant. The people who started a craze that hundreds of others have latched onto and recreated in their own style. These are the people who built a hot pot worthy of Guinness for the Hot Pot extravaganza held last year for over 10,000 people along Nan Bin Road. One of the trademarks at De Zhuang is the soup. This is one of the few, possibly only, hot pot restaurants that has soup that you are expected to drink (the non-spicy one). At the beginning of the meal your server will ladle out a bowlful for each guest. Having said all that, most of the locals feel that the Hot Pot here is just average. They certainly receive a lot of hype and have managed to spread branches throughout the country, but if given a choice most Chongqing people would choose other places over this one. (See General Tips)

Continue reading »