DALIAN, CHINA: Dalian Dining

FROMMER’S OVERVIEW:

Dalian's specialty is seafood, but the city is surprisingly cosmopolitan in its international restaurant choices. For excellent dim sum head to the Shangri-La Hotel's Shang Palace (Renmin Lu 66; tel. 0411/8252-5000). A number of fast-food outlets -- McDonald's, KFC, Pizza Hut -- can also be found at Shengli Guangchang and on Qingniwa Jie. The underground market has a large food court with several point-to-choose Chinese stalls. Youhao Guangchang boasts a couple of burger and pizza restaurants.

Dumplings and Dog Meat -- Generally speaking, food is not one of Dongbei's finer attractions, but there is at least one aspect of Dongbei cuisine that will appeal to epicures: the delectable meat- and vegetable-filled ravioli-like dumplings known as jiaozi. Cheap and satisfying, jiaozi are popular all over China but are nowhere as divine as in the Northeast. Cooked in one of three ways -- boiled (shuijiao), steamed (zhengjiao), or pan-fried (jianjiao) -- they are most commonly filled with a mix of pork and cabbage (zhurou baicai) and served with a soy-and-vinegar dipping sauce, to which you add your own chopped garlic, chili oil, and mustard. Alternatives are endless. Absolutely not to be missed.

Probably more well known but significantly less appetizing is dog (gourou), Dongbei's other signature food. A Korean import shunned by Manchurians but valued among Chinese for its warming properties, it is a winter item most commonly eaten in hot pot. Dog meat turns greenish when boiled; trying it, according to one traveling companion of mine, is "like eating a piece of beef then licking a filing cabinet."

RESTAURANTS

Dàbáicài Gǔtou Guǎn

Address:  21 Zhongyuan Jie, city centre

Phone:  8263 6656

Lonely Planet: Friendly, loud and smoky, this informal eatery serves fresh seafood and fiery northern-style fare. Try baby octopus with scallions - or point to appealing dishes on display - and cool off with a local beer.

I-55 Coffee Stop & Bakery (Aiwuwu Kafeizhan I-55)

• Address:  67 Gaoerji Lu, city centre, At Jinian Jie, 2 blocks north of Renmin Guangchang, 
• Phone:  8369 5755
• Cuisine:  American
• Hours:  9am-midnight
• Transportation:  Bus: no. 701, 801, or 401
• Phone:  0411/8369-5755
• Prices:  Coffee drinks ¥20-¥30 ($2-$4/£1-£2); breakfast/lunch ¥33 ($4/£2)
• Credit Cards:  Not Accepted
  

  Frommer's - Owned by an American expatriate who made sure to include all the details -- chalkboard menus and corner couches, world music soundtrack, a Scrabble set propped on a shelf -- I-55 is a good place to get an American craving satiated. The cafe roasts its beans on-site and serves a good cup of coffee. The Philly cheesesteak is probably the best you'll get in China, with freshly baked bread, lots of flavorful beef, cheese, and mayo. It also offers good desserts and a weekend breakfast buffet for ¥55 ($6.70/£3.35). The staff speaks English. Relax with a book on the peaceful outdoor patio

Lonely Planet: With a library of English-language books, a stack of games, and treats that range from quiche to fresh-squeezed orange juice to oatmeal cookies, this contemporary café is a popular expat hang-out. English menu, English-speaking staff and free wireless internet access too.

New-Mart Shopping Mall

• Address:  Youhao Jie, city centre

Lonely Planet: You'll find lots of small eateries on the roads leading off Zhongshan Sq and Friendship Sq. The New-Mart Shopping Mall has a huge food court (dishes Y5 to Y8) on the 5th floor and a well-provisioned supermarket on the lower level.

Tiān Tiān Yú Gǎng

• Address:  41 Yan'an Lu, city centre
• Phone:  8280 1111

Lonely Planet: Choose your meal from the many sea creatures swimming in the tanks at this upscale seafood restaurant. Great veggie dishes too. There's another branch at 10 Renmin Lu.

Yīxīn Kǎo Róu

• Address:  41 Yan'an Lu, city centre
• Phone:  8280 1111

Lonely Planet:  Make like a chef on the tabletop grills at this busy BBQ joint. In spite of the name, you can cook your own shellfish or vegetables (as well as meat).

Baixing Cun

• Cuisine:  Home-style
• Hours:  10am-10pm
• Address:  Changjiang Lu 128
• Location:  Around Town
• Phone:  0411/8258-0228
• Prices:  Meal for 2 ¥60-¥100 ($8-$12/£4-£6)
• Credit Cards:  Not Accepted

Frommer's:  This is a delightful, if somewhat stiff, outgrowth of the yuppie countryside trend in Chinese dining. Servers' peasant uniforms are a bit too perfectly pressed, but the glass-topped wood tables and beautiful glazed dishes make for a pleasant setting. The restaurant specializes in clay pot soups, like the light and flavorful xianggu guishi wei tuji (chicken and mushrooms). Order yumimian bing (corn cakes) to dip in the soup or to sop up sauce left over from one of many well-prepared home-style dishes.

Le Cafe Igosso (Yigousou)

• Cuisine:  Italian, French
• Hours:  Mon-Sat 11am-2am; Sun 11am-11pm
• Address:  Nanshan Lu 45
• Phone:  0411/8265-6453
• Prices:  Main courses ¥40-¥80 ($5-$10/£2.50-£5)
• Credit Cards:  AE, MC, V
  

Frommer's:  This Japanese-run bistro, with its dark wood-paneled walls and fine white tablecloths, is as close as you'll get to authentic European dining in the Northeast. Music is subtle, service is silent and attentive, and the wine list is extensive. The English-language menu is mostly Italian, with a few French (foie gras) and Japanese (marinated octopus) selections. The beef carpaccio, drizzled with cream and generously garnished with capers and green onions, is rich but enjoyable. Fresh pasta and risotto dishes are small and simple. Desserts (posted next to the open kitchen) change daily.

Longhai Yuwan Meishi Guangchang

• Cuisine:  Seafood
• Hours:  11am-10pm
• Address:  Tongtai Lu 21
• Phone:  0411/8368-5555
• Prices:  Meal for 2 ¥150-¥400 ($18-$50/£9-£25)
• Credit Cards:  MC, V

Frommer's:  Yes, it's a gaudy sight, with its faux-marble staircase, but the dishes here will make up for it. Recommended by a local food writer, this recent addition to the Dalian restaurant scene is located near Xinghai Guangchang. Try the salt-dried yellow fish (yancheng huanghuayu), spinach with mussels (buocai ban maoxian), pig stomach cabbage soup (nongtang zhudu wawacai), and fish dumplings (bayu shuijiao). Be prepared for plenty of raw garlic. Each table is set in a private room with a flatscreen television.

Taineng

• Cuisine:  Korean
• Hours:  11am-10pm
• Address:  Shengli Guangchang 18
• Location:  G/F of Ramada Hotel, Around Town
• Phone:  0411/8263-3676
• Prices:  Meal for 2 ¥50-¥150 ($10-$50/£5-£25)
• Credit Cards:  DC, MC, V

Frommer's:  This always-packed joint offers authentic and good-value Korean dishes. Try the stone pot rice (shiguo banfan): It's tasty and not too spicy, with loads of different toppings. The restaurant also makes delicious spicy tofu soup (doufu tang) and Korean cold noodles.

Tapas (Dapasi)

• Cuisine:  Spanish
• Hours:  11:30am-10:30pm
• Address:  Tuanjie Jie 19
• Location:  Near Russian St, Around Town
• Phone:  0411/8254-0996
• Prices:  Tapas ¥8-¥30 ($1-$3.60/50p-£1.80); meal for 2 ¥70-¥100 ($8.50-$12/£4.25-£6)
• Credit Cards:  AE, MC, V
  

Frommer's: 

On the edge of Russian Street, this two-level restaurant feels more like a hacienda in Galicia than a restaurant in Dalian. The wine list features wines from Spain, and the menu offers an exhaustive list of tapas good for a snack or a whole meal. Try the gratin mushroom tart, the pancetta with garlic, and the baked peppers on toast. Staff can speak English.

Dalian Municipal Bureau of Tourism:

COFFEE SHOPS:

Ming Tien Coffee

• 1F Wenyuan Building Zhigong St. Zhongshan Dist
• 82728283

Plaza Story (6-men-Party)

• South of the Zhongshan Park
• 84549422

UCC Coffee Shop

• 6 Sanba Square
• 82722078

Ru Yi Xuan

• 1F Senmao Building
• 83608478

Xi Ke

• 16-6 Baojian St. Xigang Dist
• 83679566

Manabe Coffee

• Opposite the Pacific Department Store (east side)
• 82591177

Hirayama Coffee House

• Rm. 308 Pacific Dept. Store
• 82307450

U.B.C. Caf'e

• 47 Gaoerji Rd. Xigang Dist
• 83702727

All's Well Coffee

• 59 Gaoerji St. Xigang Dist
• 83679746

U.B.C. Caf'e

• 1F Hongfu Mansion Shanghai Rd.
• 82650644

TEAHOUSES:

Bi Ming Xuan Teahouse
Behind Huagong Palace, Zhongshan Park
Tel:84604568

Yahe Teahouse
286 Gaoerji Rd. Shahekou Dist
Tel:84355567

Bi Feng Tang
686 Huanghe Rd. Shahekou Dist
Tel:84612073