60 Dishes You Should Try In Shanghai, Nanjing, Hangzhou (2025)
Introduction
This list has been curated by me, a person who has worked part-time for 8 years in Chinese restaurants and takeouts in a European country. Yes, I’m from a restaurant family. 👨🏻🍳
I’m now back in China and frequently explore new dishes, with an aim to recommend them to family and friends.
I have hand-picked these dishes to give you a balanced perspective of traditional cuisine in Shanghai, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Suzhou.
You can mix and match - most of these dishes will be widely available in all cities across Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces - you just need to look for regional cuisine restaurants.
Just some of the main highlights. Literally hundreds more.
Two of the Eight Culinary Traditions of Chinese cuisines, Jiangsu and Zhejiang, are represented by their provincial capitals, Nanjing and Hangzhou.
Suzhou dishes mainly represent the city and the surrounding region only.
These cuisines are known mostly for original, light, and sweet flavours, in contrast to some of the inner provinces which rely more on spices.
You may have tried a few of the dishes like xiaolongbao, if you’ve been to Chinatown restaurants in your country.
Or you may have been lucky enough to have Shanghainese restaurants in your city! In most countries, a majority of these dishes are not easily available.
I hope you will become a huge fan of Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang cuisine too. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by this list, just focus on the top of each section.
Do your best to “collect” as many of these tasty dishes as you can. Wishing you an amazing food journey throughout China! 🥢
上海 Shanghai
1. soup dumplings | xiǎo lóng bāo | 小笼包
2. pan-fried pork buns | shēng jiān bāo | 生煎包
3. stuffed glutinous rice roll | cì fàn tuán | 次饭团
4. scallion oil noodles | cōng yóu bàn miàn | 葱油拌面
5. scallion oil pancakes | cōng yóu bǐng | 葱油饼
6. Shanghai fried noodles | shàng hǎi chǎo miàn | 上海炒面
7. spring noodle soup | yáng chūn miàn | 阳春面
8. red braised pork | hóng shāo ròu | 红烧肉
9. braised lion’s head meatball | hóng shāo shī zǐ tóu | 红烧狮子头
10. smoked fish | xūn yú | 熏鱼
11. drunken chicken | zuì jī | 醉鸡
12. Shanghai hairy crab | shàng hǎi máo xiè | 上海毛蟹
13. sweet and sour spare ribs | táng cù pái gǔ | 糖醋排骨
14. Shanghai Borscht | luó sòng tāng | 罗宋汤
15. pan fried crepe | jiān bing guǒ zǐ | 煎饼果子
16. Shanghai pork and glutinous rice dumplings | shàng hǎi shāo mai | 上海烧卖
17. (“three fresh”) meat, shrimp, vegetable won ton | sān xiān hún tún | 三鲜馄饨
18. pan-fried dumplings | guō tiē | 锅贴
19. steamed duck with stuffings | bā bǎo yā | 八宝鸭
20. assorted meats and vegetables (“eight treasures”) in spicy sauce | bā bǎo là jiàng | 八宝辣酱
21. fried crystal shrimp | shuǐ jīng xiā rén | 水晶虾仁
22. Shanghai stir-fried shrimp | yóu bào xiā | 油爆虾
23. Shanghai white-cut chicken | shàng hǎi bái zhǎn jī | 上海白斩鸡
24. Songjiang sea bass | sōng jiāng lú yú | 松江鲈鱼
25. red date stuffed with glutinous rice | xīn tài ruǎn | 心太软
❗Check out my Shanghai ultimate travel guide here
苏州 Suzhou
26. sweet and sour squirrel fish | sōng shǔ guì yú | 松鼠桂鱼
27. whitefish, silverfish, white shrimp (“three whites”) | tài hú sān bái | 太湖三白
28. fried shrimp in Bilochun tea | bì luó xiā rén | 碧螺虾仁
29. noodle soup with fried fish and braised duck | ào zào miàn | 奥灶面
30. steamed hairy crab | dà zhá xiè | 大闸蟹
31. sweet and sour pork “cherry pork” | yīng táo ròu | 樱桃肉
南京 Nanjing
32. Nanjing salted duck | nán jīng yán shuǐ yā | 南京盐水鸭
33. Jinling roasted duck | jīn líng kǎo yā | 金陵烤鸭
34. duck blood vermicelli soup | yā xiě fěn sī tāng | 鸭血粉丝汤
35. soup dumplings | tāng bāo | 汤包
36. beef pan-fried dumplings | niú ròu guō tiē | 牛肉锅贴
37. Yangzhou fried rice | yáng zhōu chǎo fàn | 扬州炒饭
38. jade pork dumpling | fěi cuì shāo mai | 翡翠烧卖
39. steamed shad fish | qīng zhēng shí yú | 清蒸鲥鱼
40. phoenix prawns | fèng wěi xiā | 凤尾虾
41. stewed beaten eel and pork belly | dùn shēng qiāo | 炖生敲
42. braised shredded tofu in broth | dà zhǔ gàn sī | 大煮干丝
43. egg pancake | jī dàn bǐng | 鸡蛋饼
44. osmanthus taro soup | guì huā táng yù miáo | 桂花糖芋苗
45. sweet osmanthus cake | guì huā gāo | 桂花糕
❗Check out my Nanjing ultimate travel guide here
杭州 Hangzhou
46. red-braised pork belly | dōng pō ròu | 东坡肉
47. Longjing shrimp | lóng jǐng xiā rén | 龙井虾仁
48. Beggar’s chicken | jiào huā jī | 叫化鸡
49. West Lake fish in vinegar | xī hú cù yú | 西湖醋鱼
50. Hangzhou braised duck | háng zhōu jiàng yā | 杭州酱鸭
51. Songsao fish broth | sòng sǎo yú gēng | 宋嫂鱼羹
52. pork noodle soup with pickled mustard and bamboo shoots | piān er chuān miàn | 片儿川面
53. deep-fried tofu skin rolls | gàn zhà xiǎng líng | 干炸响铃
54. braised bamboo shoots | yóu mèn chūn sǔn | 油焖春笋
55. Hangzhou steamed pork bun | háng zhōu xiǎo lóng bāo | 杭州小笼包
56. victory cake | dìng shèng gāo | 定胜糕
❗Check out my Hangzhou ultimate travel guide here
Regional
57. pan-fried cake with red bean paste | hǎi táng gāo | 海棠糕
58. baked sesame pastry (“Crab Shell Yellow”) | xiè ké huáng | 蟹壳黄
59. green glutinous rice dumpling | qīng tuán | 青团
60. sweet osmanthus lotus root stuffed with glutinous rice | guì huā nuò mǐ ǒu | 桂花糯米藕
