If you have not been to China, but had lunch at a Chinese restaurant, forget about it: everything is cooked differently in China.
Each province has its own dishes. Dumplings and noodles are eaten everywhere, but they are cooked in different ways. For example, in the north of China, dumplings are served as a second, in the south — in a rich broth.
In Sichuan province, they came up with a hot pot – a hot pot. Guests are served a pot in which they cook vegetables, tofu or meat themselves. Then everyone catches with chopsticks what they like. Boiled foods are dipped in sesame-peanut paste or hot sauce. The price of such a feast for a company of three or four people in the Haidilao Hot Pot Restaurant chain is about 200 rubles. A cheaper option is Xiabu-Xiabu establishments. There, a hot pot will cost 100 rubles for two.
In China, I fell in love with stewed and fried vegetables. Chinese chefs cook them in the stir-fry technique: quickly fry the vegetables in a hot frying pan in a small amount of oil. I advise you to try stir-fry eggplant and okra — a vegetable that tastes like pea pods.
Tourists love Peking duck. In decent restaurants, it is cooked entirely, the price starts from 160 rubles. I also advise you to order steamed dumplings with shrimp. After them, I stopped thinking that this is food for bachelors. The price for three pieces is about 15 rubles.
If you are not sure about the sharpness of the dish, just in case, ask for “boo la de”. Translated from Chinese, it means “not sharp”. I don’t like burning spices — and this phrase saved me from heartburn like a magic spell.