The main theme of my trip to Qingdao was eating seafood—you could say every meal featured it. Since Qingdao is a coastal city, the locals really know how to eat, and the seafood here is prepared exceptionally well. Restaurants that attract long lines of locals are generally reliable. Because we stayed near the Olympic Sailing Center this time, we had several meals in the vicinity. On the first day, I wanted to try Yihaiwan, but there were so many tables ahead of us in line that we had to give up. Instead, we tried Langang, which I’d visited on a previous trip to Qingdao, but unfortunately its quality has declined noticeably—not only was the food not tasty, but the hygiene standards were also mediocre…
Yihaiwan Steamed Seafood
The restaurant is located on the first floor of Belle Plaza at the Olympic Sailing Center and is extremely popular. Since it was during the Dragon Boat Festival holiday, there were too many people waiting when we went on the first day, so we gave up. We finally got to eat there when we went at noon on the second day. The tables are quite large, and there aren’t that many of them in total. Moreover, steaming seafood takes a long time, and you have to wait quite a while for the dishes to be served. So if you encounter a long queue, I’d suggest giving up early…
The ambiance is very nice and spacious, with outdoor seating available as well, though the outdoor seats don’t feature the live steaming setup at the table. The whole equipment setup feels very similar to what you’d see at a stone pot fish restaurant. We ordered a large platter and added starfish and swan eggs separately. They arrived in two steamers. Indeed, seafood tastes best when steamed—fresh and delicious. It was my first time eating starfish; although the outer shell was quite hard, the inside was surprisingly tasty—a truly magical experience. We also ordered stir-fried razor clams; although they were a bit small, the flavor was quite good.
The restaurant even gave us complimentary Laoshan Cola~~ It tasted a bit like traditional Chinese medicine~~~
Kaihai
This restaurant is also very famous in Qingdao. Actually, I wanted to try it during my last visit, but I couldn’t get in because of the long queue. This time, I finally managed to dine here. It’s located inside MixC Mall, which is quite convenient—you can even grab a Heytea downstairs before heading up to eat~~
We ordered the Family Reunion Dumplings, which included fillings of cuttlefish, Spanish mackerel, shrimp, and sea urchin. Of course, the sea urchin dumplings can’t compare to those at Xiding, but I thought all of them were delicious, especially the shrimp ones—they truly deserve their reputation as the house specialty. As for the Nine-Second Garlic-Sautéed Sea Intestines, this is a more refined preparation method: quickly stir-fried over high heat, the sea intestines come out still crispy. However, I actually prefer sea intestines served over rice~~
Boluo Youzi
“Boluo Youzi” refers to the old Jiaodong Road, a twisting, spiral-shaped road paved with cobblestones, about 5 meters wide, formed in the early days of Qingdao’s opening as a port. At that time, it fell under the jurisdiction of Renhua Township in Jimo. Around 1924, Boluo Youzi was paved with cobblestones, earning its place among Qingdao’s century-old roads, winding its way to connect several streets including Jiaozhou Road, Rehe Road, and Laiwu Yi Road through Laiwu Si Road. Its name, “Boluo Youzi,” comes from “boluo,” meaning conch, whose interior spirals around an axis—much like the shape of this road. “Youzi” is a term Qingdao locals use to describe someone who has become slick and worldly-wise through life’s hardships. Naturally, this old road has also been worn smooth by countless pedestrians, becoming a “youzi” in its own right.
As for this restaurant, it borrows the name of this now-vanished landmark, serving traditional local specialties and seafood. There’s usually a long queue, but fortunately, the turnover rate is very fast, so we didn’t have to wait long to be seated.
The sea intestine rice bowl is incredibly affordable—even with extra sea intestines added, it remains very cheap, and the taste is excellent. The signature conches are also delicious; though small, they’re so flavorful that you just can’t stop eating them. We also ordered a portion of oysters—they weren’t very large, but they were fresh, and the oil-splashed yellow croaker was tasty too.
The décor has some distinctive character, but if you’re seated in one of the smaller inner rooms, it can feel a bit cramped. Service is adequate, and the value for money is truly outstanding—very satisfying overall.
Tianxia Yipin Chinese Restaurant
After eating seafood for so many days in Qingdao, on the last day I didn’t feel like going out, so we decided to have dinner right in the hotel. The hotel’s Chinese restaurant offers a wide variety of cuisines, which was perfect for a change of pace.
The oil-blasted conch slices were indeed delicious, served atop water chestnuts to add texture and a refreshing note. The ice-roasted triple-layer pork belly, while not quite on par with Lei Garden’s version, came in generous portions and was slightly fatty, yet still executed to a very high standard—certainly among the best you’ll find in Qingdao. The braised shredded tofu was satisfying in both flavor and temperature, warming to both heart and stomach, though the tofu shreds weren’t cut particularly finely. Unfortunately, the scallops were disappointing—they contained sand…
Since it was the Dragon Boat Festival, the hotel also presented us with a zongzi gift box. It included a bottle of Huadiao wine, but since we couldn’t bring it on the plane, we decided not to take it home and finished it right there. The restaurant additionally gifted us some zongzi, and as members, we received a 15% discount—overall, a very satisfying experience~~~
The restaurant’s ambiance is classical and elegant, but the tables always felt somewhat greasy. There were enough staff members, and service was generally fine—it’s just that when seated deeper inside, it was sometimes hard to catch a server’s attention…
Overall, I feel that Qingdao is an excellent destination for enjoying seafood~ People here have high standards for both flavor and freshness, and the overall cost of dining is quite reasonable~~
Support
