Eating in Jinan
| This guide uses the following price ranges for a typical meal for one, including soft drink:
|
| Budget |
Under ¥15
|
| Mid-range |
¥15-40
|
| Splurge |
Over ¥40
|
Shandong cuisine is known as Lu cai (named after the ancient Lu State) and is one of the eight culinary traditions of China and a major influence on the present day food in northeastern China. Jinan cuisine represents a branch of Shandong cuisine famous for its soups.
There are the usual mediocre international fast food chains, plenty of street food, scores of little restaurants, etc. The easiest is either street food or one of the many buffets where you can see the food and order that way. Or if you want expensive and exotic (eg Japanese, go to the 4-5 star hotels). There are some nice local restaurants, but if you can't read Chinese it is not worth the hassle and the free entertainment you provide to onlookers. Each restaurant seems to specialise in a style of cooking and a special dish or two. However, finding what you might like can be quite a challenge, as many restaurants don't have menus with pictures, and next to none have English menus. Some of the smaller places have a part of their menu printed into a large poster on the wall, with photos, and provides an easy way to get something you want.
Quanjude, (Down Heping Lu near Shan Da Lu). A good roast duck restaurant �
Dingy-looking restaurant street [Foshan Lu/佛山路], (Just off of Quancheng Lu). Twists and turns for about 2 blocks. Despite the narrow and pitted road, there are some nice restaurants here. �
Bbq places and beer, (Behind the big mosque at Yongchang Lu). The muslim quarter of town. The food is fresh, as earlier in the day sheep where standing where you are now eating (look for the red stain on the ground). You can't get fresher than that. However, the smell is off putting in the summer with no refridgeration and swarms of flies laying eggs in your about to be eaten lamb (cat meat according to local news sources has been used in these places to boost profits and keep the cat population down). �
Pakistani restaurant, (In the Muslim quarter). Great restaurant, which Westerners seem to frequent. �
Night market, Jing Er Lu (In the NW of the city). Sidestreets full of food. �
Lydia restaurant, 38 Shanda Road (山大路38号; Shandalu) (Not far from the technology market), ☎ +86 531 88918866. An italian restaurant. Fauvorite place of foreign students and young chinese. The food is not as good and tasty as in Jenny's, but cheaper. About ¥40 for a lunch with drinks. �
Xiaochi Cheng, Jingshiyi Road (Under Yingxiong (Hero) Hill). A cluster of restaurants, cheap and expensive, different Chinese and western cuisines. �
Da Guan Yuan, (A central shopping area with plenty of restaurants, shops, a big shopping mall and a big book store. Buses K51, 18 and many others can take you there.). Big restaurant like Da Guan Yuan Beijing Duck and Gou Bu Li Baozi. Small snack stalls selling Jinan specialties including You Xuan and lamb skewers. �
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Jinan
