Seafood

Surrounded by the Yellow Sea and inland Bohai Sea, Dalian has a coastline of nearly 2000 kilometers (1,243 miles). The north temperate zone climate with high rainfalls endow Dalian with an ideal seawater environment to produce a variety of rich nutritious marine products including fish, prawns, crabs, shells, echinus, sea cucumbers, abalone and algae and so on. Therefore sea food is undoubtedly king of the Dalians dining scene.

Wanbao Seafood Restaurant is reputed as king of the numerous sea food restaurants in Dalian with extravagant decorations and the best service. Of course the price is the highest too. They have two main branches in the downtown area. An equivalent is the century-old Shuangshengyuan Restaurant which started as a small food stall owned by a woman who sold the traditional Dalian snack - Xian Yu Bing Zi. Shuangshengyuan has many branches throughout the city, the most famous being the one at No. 643, Huanghe Lu near Xian Lu in the western part of the downtown area. Tian Tian Yu Gang with eleven locations in the city serves fresh fish at extremely reasonable prices.

Actually, a more budget choice is to choose a home restaurant in the scenic coastal area and cook the fresh sea food yourself.

What to eat

 Stir-fried Prawn
Gutted prawns stir-fried with ginger, spring onion and spice, and then stewed on a low heat. The finished prawn should have a bright appearance, like a red flower. It tastes fresh and tender.

 Steamed Sea Bream
This is a very famous Shandong cuisine. Sea Breams are steamed with ginger, spring onion, mushroom, ham pieces and bamboo shoots for fifteen minutes. It is a favorite dish served with wine.

 Steamed Scallops
Fresh scallops are steamed with lima beans, shallots, wine and sauces - preserving the original taste of the seafood. When cooked they are served on tender egg white pieces with vegetables and diced carrot to present a pleasing appearance. It tastes light and fresh.

 Lantern-shaped Steamed Abalone
Shelled abalones are elaborately cut into the shape of lanterns and steamed with the seasonings of shallot, gingers and salt for seven minutes. The finished dish should keep the fresh flavor of abalone. It is usually served with simmering shellfish soup.

Where to eat

 Wanbao Seafood City
Address: No. 125, Tianjin Jie, Zhongshan District

 Shuangshengyuan
Authentic century-old seafood restaurant in Dalian; a good place for a friends get-together, Salted Fish& Corn Pancake
First Branch: No. 1, Anle Jie, Zhongshan District
Second Branch: No. 643, Huanghe Lu, Xigang District
Third Branch: Qinjian Jie, Zhongshan District
Four Branch: No. 71, Anshan Lu, Shahekou District

 Tian Tian Yu Gang
Tian Tian Yu Gang is a locally well-known chained restaurant brand, renowned for their seafood. The service in different branches may vary a little.
First Branch: No. 72, Tianjin Jie, Zhongshan District
Second Branch: No. 41, Yanan Lu, Zhongshan District
Third Branch: No.10, Renmin Lu, Zhongshan District
Fourth Branch: Minzhu Square
Fifth Branch: No. 45, Tongtai Jie

 Pinhailou
This restaurant is elaborately decorated in blue with designs of the worlds oceans on the walls. The service is considered to be one of the best of the seafood restaurants in the city.
Address: No. 46, Er Qi Square, Beidou Jie

 Bangchuidao Hotel
A seaside restaurant in the southeastern coastal area provides fresh scallops, abalone served with mustard juice.
Address: No. 1, Yingbin Lu, Zhongshan District

 Wanfulu
This restaurant is on the 3rd floor of Wanda International Hotel providing a buffet of a variety of local seafood.
Address: 3rd floor of Wanda International Hotel at No. 539, Changjiang Lu, Xigang District

 Jinshitan Chunni Restaurant
Address: Jinshitan Scenic Area

Dalian Snacks

The inexpensive snacks are always on the travel itinerary of most travelers. Sampling the local snacks is a way of eating and exploring the local life. The most popular snack in Dalian is Men Zi and Salted Fish and Corn Pancake. Other delicacies include dumplings, thin pancakes rolled with smoked meat, tea eggs and bean-milk and so on. The kebab-style grills of beef, mutton and Dalians sleeve-fish are also very popular among street diners.

 Men Zi
This is a traditional snack in Dalian. A protein-rich food coagulated from an extract of pachyrhizus (something like potatoes) is cut into pieces and fried on a pan to create a crisp cover. A mixed seasoning of smashed garlic, sesame, and sauces is added on eating. Many small food stalls provide this.

Packed Men Zi can be found on most supermarket shelves in the city.

 Salted Fish and Corn Pancake (Yan Xu Bingzi)
This title actually refers to two things: the baked salted fish is served with a kind of crisp corn pancake. Legend goes that fishermen going out fishing in the morning couldnt return home to have lunch and so they baked the fresh fish to eat with the pancakes, the habit being passed down from generation to generation from the early days.

Shuangshengyuan, a time-honored seafood restaurant in Dalian, is the best place to taste this.

Where to eat

There are two famous dining streets in the city. One is the dining street in Tianjin Walking Street to north of Zhongshan Square and east to Shengli (Victory) Square. You can take Tourist Bus 801 (B) and K901 at the railway station to reach there. The other one can be found in Hei Shi Jiao opposite the Distance Bus Station. Bus 081, K901 and Bus 202 can reach there.