Food and wine in China (Shanghai, Beijing, Hangzhou)

[K_F_o_l_e_y]

Any particularly interesting or unique suggestions for food and wine in these cities? Not really looking for high-end places, since those will be picked by my hosts, but for my time off, what is not to miss?

Best Xiao Long Bao in Shanghai?

Best Peking Duck in Beijing?

Best Crabs in Hangzhou?

Wine bars?

[Marcus Montanile]

Sorry as I don't have any specifics to give you as most of my coworkers are the ones to pick hole in the wall spots, but wine is usually prohibitively expensive to drink anything nice in China. I tend to stick to Tsingtao/Snow beer and baijiu. For hot pot chains, Laowang and Haidilao are my go-to's.

[John Chapman]

In Shanghai, you can go to Nanxiang, the famous XLB place adjacent to Yu Yuan, which is itself a nice place to visit. There are usually long lines both for the sit down restaurant and for the take-out windows on the street. The best bao I've had was at Din Tai Fung, in Xintiandi. Very nice restaurant.

If you're up for hot hunan, try a restaurant called Di Shui Dong, on a busy but not touristy street. Very local flavor, many dishes come smothered in red chilies, so a cold beer is important.

In Beijing I had great Peking Duck at Duck de Chine, a French-inspired restaurant. The more traditional place suggested by my Beijing-born neighbors is Quanjude, but I never made it there.

[ClarkstonMark]

In Shanghai, you can go to Nanxiang, the famous XLB place adjacent to Yu Yuan, which is itself a nice place to visit. There are usually long lines both for the sit down restaurant and for the take-out windows on the street. The best bao I've had was at Din Tai Fung, in Xintiandi. Very nice restaurant.

If you're up for hot hunan, try a restaurant called Di Shui Dong, on a busy but not touristy street. Very local flavor, many dishes come smothered in red chilies, so a cold beer is important.

In Beijing I had great Peking Duck at Duck de Chine, a French-inspired restaurant. The more traditional place suggested by my Beijing-born neighbors is Quanjude, but I never made it there.

DTF in Xintiandi was closed earlier this year ... not sure if it has re-opened.

[K_F_o_l_e_y]

I've had XLB at the original DTF in Taipei, and they are the best I've ever had.

[PCLIN]

The more traditional place suggested by my Beijing-born neighbors is Quanjude, but I never made it there.

You didn’t miss anything.

[Mark Y]

Yah. Da Dong duck is the place to go in Beijing I think. QJD is yester years.

[Ramon C]

In Beijing, been to both Da Dong and another place that's very Euro-slick establishment whose name escapes me, with both touting roast duck. Da Dong by a mile.

Limited wine list and ordered a Bourgogne at about $100.

[doug johnson]

De gustibus...Da Dong is awful.

[Andrew Kotowski]

Yah. Da Dong duck is the place to go in Beijing I think. QJD is yester years.

Da Dong was good, but super-expensive, iirc.

Local handler took me to the pic below for duck, which I liked more than Da Dong. Looks like it is called Xi He Ya and iirc was one of the older restaurants in a chain. This one was cool because it was pretty much in the middle of nowhere and a really nice courtyard

[Andrew Kotowski]

Other Beijing thought, if you're looking for unique - try Yaoji Chaogan (Yao's fried liver) for lunch. Local guy took me there for lunch and it was a great visit, but I had somebody ordering/communicating for me. Not the cleanest restaurant I've ever been to, but if Joe Biden can eat there, what the heck

[Mark Y]

Yah. Da Dong duck is the place to go in Beijing I think. QJD is yester years.

Da Dong was good, but super-expensive, iirc.

Local handler took me to the pic below for duck, which I liked more than Da Dong. Looks like it is called Xi He Ya and iirc was one of the older restaurants in a chain. This one was cool because it was pretty much in the middle of nowhere and a really nice courtyard

lol so localized

Yah Da dong is expensive relative to Beijing local pricing. But I mean a really nice meal for $150 dollars for 4 people is pretty normal if you are visiting? Haha

there are local spots but helpful if I had a local person taking you haha

[Andrew Kotowski]

Yeahhhh our bill at Da Dong was $1500 for 3, no wine. I don’t know the breakdown, other than the Chinese version of Kobe and some “rare” mushrooms from a village one of my friends grew up in were pretty steep. Can show ya the pics at our next wine/beer GT.

[Mark Y]

Yeahhhh our bill at Da Dong was $1500 for 3, no wine. I don’t know the breakdown, other than the Chinese version of Kobe and some “rare” mushrooms from a village one of my friends grew up in were pretty steep. Can show ya the pics at our next wine/beer GT.

1500 USD?!?!?! hmm i wonder if you were scammed. you had a local with you?? yah show me the bill, would be fun to see

[Andrew Kotowski]

Yeahhhh our bill at Da Dong was $1500 for 3, no wine. I don’t know the breakdown, other than the Chinese version of Kobe and some “rare” mushrooms from a village one of my friends grew up in were pretty steep. Can show ya the pics at our next wine/beer GT.

1500 USD?!?!?! hmm i wonder if you were scammed. you had a local with you?? yah show me the bill, would be fun to see

They were locals (friends from b-school, later work). We at half the menu, but the Chinese Kobe and the mushrooms were supposed to be the exceptions. Maybe they exaggerated?

[K_F_o_l_e_y]

Had a great 2+ weeks in China. And yes, the Chinese food is MUCH better than in the US (although unlike Andrew Zimmern, I appreciated good Chinese American cuisine).

Had Peking Duck twice and couldn't tell you the names of the restaurants, but fantastic. Never had duck hearts before and now I'll have to figure out how to cook them. The crispy duck skin with sugar is unlike what is served with any duck I've had in the US (Boston and Philly). Instantly melts in your mouth. One restaurant actually served it with 2 different sugars, one of which had pop rocks in it lol.

Among many memorable street foods was a big bag of miniature soft shell crabs bought in a hutong in Beijing.

Didn't go out of my way to search out wines (interestingly, Chinese yellow wine is sort of like sherry), but did have a half bottle of 2015 Réserve de la Comtesse at 1 Michelin star Moose in Shanghai (a pleasant restaurant, but actually not in the top 5 meals we had).

And at our farewell dinner in Shanghai, our host byob'ed the same wine President Trump served President Xi at the White House!

[David K o l i n]

Had a great 2+ weeks in China. And yes, the Chinese food is MUCH better than in the US (although unlike Andrew Zimmern, I appreciated good Chinese American cuisine).

Had Peking Duck twice and couldn't tell you the names of the restaurants, but fantastic. Never had duck hearts before and now I'll have to figure out how to cook them.

I make duck heart confit a couple of times a year. Easy peasy

[Yao C]

I highly recommend Kongyiji Restaurant (孔乙己酒楼) in Shanghai. It's a bit of a journey to get to the original location, which is in a sketchy part of town, and you'll need a driver who knows what he's doing. The food is highly authentic, and they have a pretty good alcohol selection (huangjiu and baijiu) although my go to is baijiu