Eating in Chongqing

This is where the HOTPOT originated and Chongqing residents are still very keen on their native dish, tucking in even when the sun is shining.

As one branch of Sichuan cuisine, Chongqing cuisine is noted for its distinctive spicy and pungent flavors. Different from Chengdu cuisine, Chongqing dishes are spicier and stronger in taste. Chili pepper, sesame, fermented black beans, scallions, ginger, garlic, wine, soy sauce and an array of flavorings are used in almost 40 different cooking methods. These methods include drying, salting, spicing, pickling, frying and smoking. Color, smell, flavor, shape, and nutrition are all carefully balanced in Chongqing dishes - no wonder people say that Chongqing food is not only attractive but nutritious.

Chongqing is the birth place of the hot pot in China. Once upon a time, it was a seasonal food designed to protect against the low temperatures and frigid winds of the winter. People would sit around a table, eat hot pot, and revel in the instant warmth that would flood their bodies. Hot pot has become more and more popular today, and it is widely enjoyed by people and regardless of seasons and regions.

Eating hot pot is a joyful experience. First, you need to choose the pot - spicy, pure or a combination of two - for the soup and dipping sauce. After the spiced soup boils with a hazy steam, fish, meat, bean curds and vegetables can be added. When the soup boils again, you can eat by dipping them in a little bowl of special sauce but be careful of the burning hot soup!

In Chongqing, hot pot restaurants can be found everywhere and many have become very popular among the local people. Xiao Tian E (Cygnet Hot-Pot Palace) and Su Da Jie, E Zhang Men are the restaurants most suited for mass consumption. The hot pot restaurants in the Chongqing 5-star Harbour Plaza also serve decent food in a cozy environment.

Hai Yi Xuan, the hot pot restaurant in Chongqing Harbour Plaza, is one of the most luxurious dining places. It has a reputation for authentic food, an elegant environment and excellent service. Nine different soup bases and a menu of over 200 selections are served. You can also pick food from the buffet. Popular choices of soup base are Chongqing Spicy Hot Pot, Ham and Marrow Hot Pot and herbal hot pots.

The most famous hot pot restaurant in Chongqing must be the Cygnet Hot-Pot Palace, which is a forerunner among the Chongqing catering service. As you enter the restaurant, you will be deeply attracted by the atmosphere. The decoration here is unique--stone walls and red poles, with winding corridors and brilliant eaves. Shows are put on every night--beautiful songs, graceful dances and some folk dramas all make the dinner special. Here, you can really taste the fervor of the spice and enjoy the flavor from a boiling hot-pot. The specialties are medicine meal hot pot and red and white composite hot pot. The location of Cygnet is on the 6th floor of New Chongqing Square, Yuzhong District.

E Zhang Men is also a well-known hot pot restaurant in Chongqing. It is noted for its sour and hot soup base. Until now it has 14 chains throughout the city, the main locations include:
Da Tong Jie Restaurant: No.28 Da Tong Street, Yu Zhong District
Sha Nan Restaurant: No.49 Sha Nan Street, Sha Ping Pa District
Long Hu Xi Yuan Restaurant: No.112 Jiu Long Lakeside, Yu Bei District

Apart from the Hot Pot, you can try the authentic Sichuan dishes of Chongqing. The food at the Tao Ran Ju Flavor Restaurant reflects the spicy feature of Chuan cuisine and caters for most Cantonese. The restaurant serves in a cozy environment and the price is reasonable. Dishes are innovative and have received the national award every year. The signature dishes are: Spicy Winkles, Fish with Sour Chili, Crispy Toothpick Rabbit Meat, Steamed Sticky Rice Sparerib, Taoran Chili Chicken with Taro.

By the bank of Yangtze River, there is a famous restaurant named Wai Po Qiao (Grandma's Bridge) on Nan Bin Road. The hotpot is served on the first floor. And the second floor is only for Sichuan food. When having the Sichuan food, we would recommend that you choose a river view box where you can appreciate the spectacular night view of the Yangtze River and Chongqing City in the moonlight. The extraordinary dishes and hospitable service make it a wonderful place to hang out with friends and families.

Since the catering business is thriving in Chongqing, many food streets are forming gradually and naturally. The area around Jiefangbei (called Jiefangbei Central Business District), Nanbin Road, and Bayi Street teem with street vendors and restaurants. Many local specialities like tea-smoked duck, dry-stewed fish, chicken with spring water, Dan Dan spicy noodle, etc. are worth tasting, but only if you are adventurous with hot and spicy experiences!

The western food in Chongqing is not as popular as the local food; therefore, it is a tough thing for you to find a decent western restaurant on the street. If your stomach is crying out for western food and your budget is available, you can go Portico's in Harbour Plaza which serves an international buffet at breakfast, lunch and dinner and a lavish brunch buffet on Sundays. The dinner buffet on Saturday is especially great value. Don't forget to book a table in advance to ensure a panoramic window seat.

The Manhattan Steakhouse in Marriott Hotel, Chongqing is one of the best places in town to have western food, the classic steak of imported beef and seafood is offered at lunch buffets and dinner. The Marriott Cafe is a good place for a western breakfast, and lunch and dinner are also served.