Delicious food in Dalian        7/24/2008 12:16:45 AM

Though the city area of Dalian is not very large, it has numerous restaurants providing a variety of cuisine from the best seafood to authentic Brazilian grills.

Surrounded by the Yellow Sea and inland Bohai Sea, Dalian has a coastline of nearly 2000 kilometers (1,243 miles). The north temperate zone climate with high rainfalls endow Dalian with an ideal seawater environment to produce a variety of rich nutritious marine products including fish, prawns, crabs, shells, echinus, sea cucumbers, abalone and algae and so on. Therefore sea food is undoubtedly king of the Dalian's dining scene.

Wanbao Seafood Restaurant is reputed as 'king of the numerous sea food restaurants in Dalian' with extravagant decorations and the best service. Of course the price is the highest too. They have two main branches in the downtown area. An equivalent is the century-old Shuangshengyuan Restaurant which started as a small food stall owned by a woman who sold the traditional Dalian snack - Xian Yu Bing Zi. Shuangshengyuan has many branches throughout the city, the most famous being the one at No. 643, Huanghe Lu near Xi'an Lu in the western part of the downtown area. Tian Tian Yu Gang with eleven locations in the city serves fresh fish at extremely reasonable prices.

Actually, a more budget choice is to choose a home restaurant in the scenic coastal area and cook the fresh sea food yourself.

Tip: We suggest seafood lovers to avoid the period from July to August when fishing is prohibited and the choices of seafood are limited.

What to eat

Stir-fried Prawn
Gutted prawns stir-fried with ginger, spring onion and spice, and then stewed on a low heat. The finished prawn should have a bright appearance, like a red flower. It tastes fresh and tender.

Steamed Sea Bream
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
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.

Lantern-shaped Steamed Abalone
Shelled abalones are elaborately cut into the shape of lanterns and steamed with the seasonings of shallot, gingers and salt for seven minutes. The finished dish should keep the fresh flavor of abalone. It is usually served with simmering shellfish soup.

Where to eat

Wanbao Seafood City
Address: No. 125, Tianjin Jie, Zhongshan District

Shuangshengyuan
Authentic century-old seafood restaurant in Dalian; a good place for a friends' get-together, Salted Fish& Corn Pancake
First Branch: No. 1, Anle Jie, Zhongshan District
Second Branch: No. 643, Huanghe Lu, Xigang District
Third Branch: Qinjian Jie, Zhongshan District
Four Branch: No. 71, Anshan Lu, Shahekou District

Tian Tian Yu Gang
Tian Tian Yu Gang is a locally well-known chained restaurant brand, renowned for their seafood. The service in different branches may vary a little.
First Branch: No. 72, Tianjin Jie, Zhongshan District
Second Branch: No. 41, Yan'an Lu, Zhongshan District
Third Branch: No.10, Renmin Lu, Zhongshan District
Fourth Branch: Minzhu Square
Fifth Branch: No. 45, Tongtai Jie

Pinhailou
This restaurant is elaborately decorated in blue with designs of the world's oceans on the walls. The service is considered to be one of the best of the seafood restaurants in the city.
Address: No. 46, Er Qi Square, Beidou Jie

Bangchuidao Hotel
A seaside restaurant in the southeastern coastal area provides fresh scallops, abalone served with mustard juice.
Address: No. 1, Yingbin Lu, Zhongshan District

Wanfulu
This restaurant is on the 3rd floor of Wanda International Hotel providing a buffet of a variety of local seafood.
Address: 3rd floor of Wanda International Hotel at No. 539, Changjiang Lu, Xigang District

Jinshitan Chunni Restaurant
Address: Jinshitan Scenic Area

The inexpensive snacks are always on the travel itinerary of most travelers. Sampling the local snacks is a way of eating and exploring the local life. The most popular snack in Dalian is Men Zi and Salted Fish and Corn Pancake. Other delicacies include dumplings, thin pancakes rolled with smoked meat, tea eggs and bean-milk and so on. The kebab-style grills of beef, mutton and Dalian's sleeve-fish are also very popular among street diners.

Men Zi
This is a traditional snack in Dalian. A protein-rich food coagulated from an extract of pachyrhizus (something like potatoes) is cut into pieces and fried on a pan to create a crisp cover. A mixed seasoning of smashed garlic, sesame, and sauces is added on eating. Many small food stalls provide this.

Packed Men Zi can be found on most supermarket shelves in the city.

Salted Fish and Corn Pancake (Yan Xu Bing'zi)