travelbliss

I can't wait to try many of these suggestions. Almost everything will be new for me. I printed out a list to take with me to the restaurants.

The only problem is that I have just 10 days and 1 stomach.

tentseller

So many food to try and so little time.

Be careful, many foodie who tried to try everything under the sky in China had to put up with the after-effects either by over indulgence, digestive system not use to the cooking styles or standards.

mnredfox

Tripe is actually more commonly beef stomach (牛肚）。 If you want pig intestine you can get either the large intestine (大肠） or the small (小肠）. As for ducks, don't forget to try duck webbing/feet.

Well, lots of places in China love eating fish head, which includes everything including the lips (yes even the eye balls). Yes, you should try chou doufu. But should we tell him what it means in Chinese?

Definitely should try. There is a great place in Shanghai near People's Square. PM me if you want to try this place.

Tripe is actually more commonly beef stomach (牛肚）。 If you want pig intestine you can get either the large intestine (大肠） or the small (小肠）. As for ducks, don't forget to try duck webbing/feet.

Well, lots of places in China love eating fish head, which includes everything including the lips (yes even the eye balls). Yes, you should try chou doufu. But should we tell him what it means in Chinese?

While you can find chou doufu in many places in China, I thought it originated in Shanghai (or at least they claim to have the most authentic). Not that I have tried that many types myself.

Oh, and nangua bing (Simplified Chinese for small cake or bing 饼, more common in mainland China) has personally kept me 5 pounds heavier, delicious.

My personal recommendations:
PEK:
Roast Duck 烤鸭 - Goto Quanjude and/or DaDong. 3rd recommendation is 鸭王 (Ya Wang).
Sichuan - there is a famous Sichuan place where apparently all the Sichuan officials go there (supposedly they brought their best chefs along). I'll have to post the name/location later.
Lamb Hot Pot called Shuan Yang Rou (涮羊肉). Best place is right outside the south gate of Temple of Heaven. I only see locals there and all my local contacts always take me there.

PVG:
-Xiaolongbao 小笼包 - Should try the XLB at Nanxiang at YuYuan Garden, but lots of good places on the street. I can recommend a few places in Jing-An if you're interested.
-Though seemingly out of the OP's budget range, try the Hairy crabs if you're in town in the next month. Dazhaxie (大闸蟹）. Likely at least around 200+ RMB/person though.
-Chou dou fu. Can't recommend where to go as I don't really know, but head to ZhangJiang Subway Station and you'll find lots on the street there.
-Lanzhou La Mian - People's Square, actually behind the Raffles mall/office complex
-If you like Cantonese in Shanghai, head to Jing-An where at the B1 level just outside the subway station (you're underground still) there is a restaurant called Long Ji (龙记）. There is ALWAYS at least a 10 minute wait packed with mostly locals. Phenomenal place and perfectly in the OP's budget range.
-Need a break for western food, head to West Nanjing Road Subway station, exit the station and you'll find plenty of sorts like McD's, KFC, Subway, DQ, Pizza Hut, Papa Johns, and yes (I'm excited to go) Carl's Jr. The very best baker I've found in all of China is there (called Cafe 85) right on the shopping street. (Cafe 85 actually is a chain, but after sampling at least 6 stores in Shanghai this by FAR is the best and most fresh).

bbmatt

OOh! please post the name/locale of the sichuan place in beijing!

I love sichuan/hunan (the spicy stuff) and its not right that the best restaurant I have found is in HK, not the mainland! so Must give it a shot!

Chinatrvl

Deleted.

drewguy

Without getting into the philosophical questions, is dog/donkey/cat worth eating for a reason other than saying you did? Or does it just taste like chicken?

Chinatrvl

Dog stew/soup tastes interesting and worth a try.

Donkey is not even that uncommon in old Europe (espec. around the (eastern) Mediterranean), beef/game taste.

Cat: Never eaten.

What you should be aware of is that -probably except for Guangzhou- all these things are not commonly found on menus in China. You need to look for a specific restaurant that serves such exotics. (Certainly except of the tourist-only stalls off Wangfujing in Beijing for seahorses, maggots & co)

anacapamalibu

Dog has medicinal value in winter. Its not bad tasting. Its kind of gross though
when you can hear the dogs barking in back of the restaurant. Well actually
real gross.

Donkey-Had this in Shanghai at Guizhou restaurant. Actually pretty good.

Cat- Refused the offer as I heard it tastes sour. Plus I don't think it has
any medicinal value.

Rat-Refused it in Guangdong provence, that's about as gross as you can get,
eating rats?

mosburger

I think it would be safer to eat dog in Korea. AFAIK, stolen pet dogs often end up in cooking pots in China.

Jamoldo

I'd be more than happy to try dog and cat, just for the heck of it.

I've had donkey in Beijing. 驴肉火烧 (lv rou huo shao) is a traditional beijing dish (more like a roasted/marinated donkey sandwich - street style) and is absolutely fantastic.

I don't see why eating rat is different than say, eating pork. We know rats can be diseased, but pigs do kind of roll around in their own filth, like all the time...

anacapamalibu

From what I was told the rats aren't rice field rats, but they are sewer
rats. No short supply of those in Guangdong province.

Chinatrvl

I didn't believe that until I actually 'baidu-ed' it! Officially, eating rats is prohibited (also in Guangzhou) and officials alert against eating them because of diseases.
Some stalls sold it to tackle their rat problem (=sewer rats).

Furthermore, rat and mice (these two are used synonymously) meat is considered toxic without any "benefits" for the body (except stopping hairloss).

Source: http://cq.qq.com/a/20100604/000193_1.htm

So don't eat it, but you'll probably won't find it anywhere excpet in the dodgiest corners...

tentseller

Like other odd animal organs, people in Asia will eat it for the benefit.

mnredfox

Ok, just found it, in Chinese:
四川驻北京办事处 - 餐厅
东城区建内大街贡院头条5号
65122277-6101

English:
Chuan Jing Ban Canting
Dongcheng Distruct, Jian Nei Da Dao, #5 Gong Yuan Tou Tiao

kamchatsky

Or you can try something not too exotic, but sounds scary enough: Husband and Wife Lung Slices

http://iloapp.europeansmeetchinese.c...w?Home&post=11

http://www.chinatravel.com/sichuan/c...fuqi-feipian)/

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2...et-recipe.html