Dining
Beijing
You can eat simple Chinese meals such as noodles at decent, simple restaurants for under a dollar but western restaurants are much pricier – you can pay at least a hundred dollars for two at some of the classier places in town. The north of China has a wheat-based rather than rice-based diet due to the climate and as a result you have delicious buns, unleavened breads, dumplings and noodles in infinite variations. Xinjiang Mongolian cuisine, with its barbecued meats, is also popular as is the famous “hot pot” a kind of Chinese fondue with spicy and non-spicy broths to cook the meat in.
For dining options see:
www.thebeijinger.com That’s Beijing
www.timeout.com/travel/beijing Time Out Beijing
Beijing is constantly changing with new restaurants and bars opening on a regular basis. For our latest recommendations, please contact beijing@hughes-castell.com.hk
Shanghai
Shanghai considers itself the most cosmopolitan city in China and the standard of cuisine rivals Hong Kong in quality and variety. From the simplest Shanghai dumpling shop, to the famous “onion cake” and the fresh water hairy crab delicacy, Shanghai is both a gourmet’s delight and a gourmand’s heaven. Prices range from the sublimely silly to a few dollars for a satisfying basket of pork dumplings and you are spoilt for choice as quality is generally very high.
www.timeout.com/travel/shanghai/restaurants.html
www.expatsh.com/
For dining options, it is best to pick up a copy of the monthly “that’s Shanghai” magazine. New restaurants open up every day, it seems and expats living in Shanghai are spoilt for choice. They also have a website www.thatssh.com