Dalian Food

Seafood is the main content of Dalian cuisine. Although seafood can be found in most downtown restaurants, your best bet is the seafront or the pricey hotels. One of the nicest restaurants on the seafront is the New Orient Seafood City, which serves possibly the best crab cooked by chefs from the popular Cantonese food chain, Bifengtang.

For those not after seafood, Tianjin Street (Tianjin jie) is the place to come. It is dotted with stalls and restaurants serving the usual Chinese fare, and also the local Dalian fried dumplings and pancakes. The Donglaishun Restaurant on Changchun Road also sells good hotpot dishes for cheap prices.

Western food is all over the shop, especially KFC. But you'd better head for the Greenery Beerhouse on Renmin Lu available with a variety of western style snacks at different prices. Or head for Jinshan Restaurant that serves medicinal food, mainly turtle or snake, apparently good for health. Don't forget to sample the local fruits, including apples, pears and cherries.

Steamed Sea Bream (清蒸鳊)

This is a very famous Shandong cuisine. Sea Breams are steamed with ginger, spring onion, mushroom, ham pieces and bamboo shoots for fifteen minutes. It is a favorite dish served with wine.

Steamed Scallops (清蒸海贝)

Fresh scallops are steamed with lima beans, shallots, wine and sauces - preserving the original taste of the seafood. When cooked they are served on tender egg white pieces with vegetables and diced carrot to present a pleasing appearance. It tastes light and fresh.