China Food Guide by Region: Signature Dishes, Spice Levels, Halal and How to Order

Chinese food is many cuisines, not one

Chinese cooking is strongly regional, with different ingredients, flavours and techniques in each area. People often speak of the "eight great cuisines": Sichuan, Cantonese, Hunan, Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian and Anhui. On top of that come city specialities such as Beijing duck, Xi'an noodles and roujiamo, Yunnan food, Chongqing hotpot and Xinjiang lamb. Thai visitors do best by eating what each city is known for instead of ordering the same dishes everywhere.

Region, signature dishes and spice level

Where to try the headline dishes

• Beijing: Peking duck (北京烤鸭) comes with thin pancakes, spring onion and sweet bean sauce. Popular restaurants often need advance booking.
• Xi'an: the Muslim Quarter serves roujiamo (肉夹馍), the Chinese "burger", and wide hand-pulled noodles in chilli oil.
• Chongqing: red-broth hotpot (重庆火锅) is dipped in sesame oil. If you fear heat, order a split pot (鸳鸯锅) with a mild side.
• Yunnan: crossing-the-bridge noodles (过桥米线), wild mushrooms and edible flowers, with sour-spicy flavours close to Thai food.
• Xinjiang: lamb skewers (羊肉串), polo rice and naan from Uyghur restaurants, most of them halal.

How to order when you can't read Chinese

1. 1Look for a picture menuRestaurants in tourist areas and malls often have photo menus. Point and show quantity with your fingers.
2. 2Scan the QR code at the tableMany restaurants take orders through a WeChat or Alipay mini-program. Scan, pick dishes, use the in-app translate or a camera translator for names, and pay in the same app. Set up payment first via the linked guide.
3. 3Ask about spice firstTell staff you want mild or no chilli. Ordering apps often have a spice option.

Halal options for Muslim travellers

Look for green signs or the characters "清真" (qingzhen, meaning halal) at restaurants run by Hui (回族) and Uyghur owners. They are common in Xi'an's Muslim Quarter, Lanzhou, Ningxia and Xinjiang. Big cities such as Beijing and Shanghai also have halal restaurants near long-established mosques. Ask again about lard and stock, since kitchens can share them, and check the certificate on display.

Chinese phrases for spice and allergies

Table etiquette and meal rhythm

Chinese meals are shared: order several central dishes and take small portions. Rice often arrives last or must be requested, so ask for it if you want it with the meal. Never stand chopsticks upright in a rice bowl, since it resembles incense at a funeral. Most restaurants serve tea or hot water, and lunch and dinner tend to start earlier than many Thai travellers expect. Popular places fill up fast, so go before noon or around six in the evening, or reserve through an app such as Meituan Dianping, which has its own guide. Lunch menus are often quicker and lighter than dinner menus, which suits a busy sightseeing day.

Tipping and street food hygiene

Tipping is not customary in China at restaurants, taxis or typical hotels. Some upmarket places add a service charge to the bill. For street food, choose stalls with a steady local queue, since turnover keeps food fresh. Pick items cooked hot in front of you, skip food that has sat warm for long, clean your hands or use sanitiser before eating, drink bottled or boiled water, and carry your own stomach medicine.

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