Chongqing Cuisine

Local cuisine tends to be heavy with oil and spices!

Prepare your stomach and sight-seeing, good or bad!

If you are interested in local gastronomy instead of touristy food options (as you may experience in Taiwan or Thailand), you could book or refer to the tour product here.

it is 'dangerous' to travel here because you may walk away with an empthy wallet and a lot of carbs.😂

Some well-known food spots

--you never go wrong with these options, but taste is adjusted to be touristy!🥴

Down-to-earth neighborhoods -- not touristy places!!

--A cluster/agglomeration of local cuisine,🤩 all for local residents

--ideal for foodies and vloggers/content writers!🎉

--Food challenge!

Signature Snacks/Dessert/Street food

--The concept of Dim sum harly applies in Chongqing

If you are interested in local gastronomy instead of touristy food options (as you may experience in Taiwan or Japan), you could book or refer to the tour product here.

A Quick Guide to Dining in China: What to Expect & How to Enjoy

Dining is a wonderful way to experience our culture, but it can be quite different from what you might be used to back home. To help you navigate the experience smoothly, here are a few helpful tips:

1. Authentic Chinese Food is Different

The Chinese food you find overseas is often adapted to local palate (such as, heavy dressing, saucy, salty, etc). Authentic Chinese cuisine features a wider variety of flavors, textures, and ingredients. Also, portion sizes for individual dishes are typically larger and are meant to be shared family-style, rather than served as individual plates. Note soy sauce (gluten) is very common in Chinese cooking, so use extra caution if you have any member allergic to gluten. Chicken is common, but not the main meat source.

2. Sharing is Caring (and Practical!)

In China, meals are a communal experience. Dishes are placed in the center of the table for everyone to share (thus many restaurants have a turnstile glass on the table). Ordering one dish per person is usually too much. A good rule of thumb is to order one or two dishes per person, plus a staple like rice. This ensures everyone gets to taste a variety of flavors without excessive leftovers.

3. Ordering & Paying: A Few Logistics

Ordering: Many restaurants use QR codes at the table for ordering. If multiple people scan the code at the same time, it can sometimes lead to duplicate or missing orders. To avoid this, it’s best to designate one person to handle the ordering for the whole table. Make sure to turn on Translation widget!

Paying: The concept of "going Dutch" (splitting the bill) is less common in China, especially among family or close friends, where one person often treats the whole table. Even we agree to split the bill, we would do after the one pays in sum to expedite the process (and it’s a bit embarrassing to count the money to penny!* we may think this is a sign of being mean). If you follow western practice, please let the staff know before ordering so that he could take notes - who orders what.

Be aware that splitting a single bill down to individual items (beer, coke) can be very time-consuming and challenging for the staff, particularly during busy hours. 

A simpler approach is to agree on an even split (total sum divided by total number of pax) or take turns treating each other. If there are multiple tables available, it's better to scan codes from another table. 

4. Utensils: Chopsticks are Key!

Most local restaurants, especially street-side eateries, only provide chopsticks and at most spoons. Knives and forks are not standard. For larger groups or if utensils are a major concern, we recommend bringing your own utensils, and choosing a restaurant that is accustomed to hosting international guests, as they are more likely to have English menus (or menus with images/visuals) and provide cutlery, even western toilet!