Food & eating in China
How to order, what the regional specialities actually are, and how to handle dietary needs.
What everyone needs to know
- Chinese food is regional, not national — Cantonese, Sichuan, Shandong and Hunan share almost no dishes.
- Menus are increasingly QR-based; translation apps with camera OCR handle most of it.
- Vegetarian food exists everywhere but is not the default; "no meat" needs to be stated clearly and repeatedly.
- Breakfast is a specific street-food meal in most cities and often the best value of the day.
The numbers
| Item | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Street breakfast | ¥5–15 |
| Mid-range restaurant | ¥60–120 per person |
| High-end tasting menu | ¥400–1,500 |
| Tipping | Not expected |
Do it in this order
- Learn three characters: 素 (vegetarian), 辣 (spicy), 不要 (without).
- Use your phone camera to translate the menu — this works better than asking staff.
- Order one dish per person plus a shared soup or vegetable at family-style restaurants.
- Eat where there is a queue — turnover means freshness.
Mistakes to avoid
- Assuming "Chinese restaurant" means one cuisine.
- Ordering rice at a northern noodle restaurant — it may not be on the menu.
- Underestimating chilli in Sichuan and Hunan even when you order mild.
Sources
Food & eating city by city
- Beijing
- Shanghai
- Xi'an
- Chengdu
- Chongqing
- Guilin
- Zhangjiajie
- Hangzhou
- Guangzhou
- Shenzhen
- Harbin
- Sanya
- Lijiang
- Kunming
- Suzhou
- Xiamen
- Zhengzhou
- Taiyuan
- Guiyang
- Fuzhou
- Yiwu
- Tianjin
- Nanjing
- Wuhan
- Changsha
- Qingdao
- Jinan
- Shenyang
- Dalian
- Changchun
- Hohhot
- Urumqi
- Lhasa
- Xining
- Lanzhou
- Yinchuan
- Dunhuang
- Luoyang
- Kaifeng
- Datong
- Pingyao
- Qufu
- Tai'an
- Huangshan
- Hefei
- Nanchang
- Wenzhou
- Ningbo
- Wuxi
- Yangzhou
- Shaoxing
- Zhuhai
- Foshan
- Dongguan
- Haikou
- Nanning
- Yangshuo
- Dali
- Shangri-La
- Xishuangbanna