No. 7 Huaiyang Cuisine
We chose a highly-rated Huaiyang cuisine restaurant located in the Badaguan area of Qingdao. The main reasons for having Huaiyang cuisine in Qingdao were that my dining companions don’t live in the Jiangsu-Zhejiang region, and we wanted something a bit lighter. A unique feature of this restaurant is that there is no menu; the chef prepares the dishes based on the number of guests and budget, so advance reservations are mandatory. Moreover, the restaurant is situated within a military management zone, with a “No Unauthorized Entry” sign hanging at the gate of the compound. Without a reservation, it’s unlikely anyone would just wander in.
The entire restaurant is housed in a small villa, which appears to have four private rooms inside and two outdoor seating areas. Although there were only two of us, we were seated in a large private room. The overall ambiance of the restaurant is quite average, and the interior decor is also very plain, looking somewhat old. However, the food was exceptionally delicious, even surpassing many local Huaiyang restaurants in Shanghai. It was truly a rare find.
There was quite a lot of food… The cold dishes included Crystal Pork Knuckle and Plum-Flavored Peanuts, both of which were very tasty.
Fish Lip Soup, served individually
Braised Shredded Tofu, a dish that requires great skill. The tofu shreds were cut very finely, and the broth was extremely savory.
Taihu White Fish. This fish was very fresh and tasted excellent; the only downside was that it had too many bones.
Black Pepper Beef Tenderloin. This dish was somewhat average, as the flavor seemed slightly adapted to local tastes.
Stir-Fried Seasonal Vegetables
Langang Seafood Kitchen
With numerous branches across Qingdao, this place offers high-quality seafood at affordable prices. Since it was located right downstairs from our hotel, it was incredibly convenient. Having opened recently, it wasn’t crowded, the environment was excellent, the seafood was of high quality, and the cooking was superb. As a result, we ended up dining here twice… On our first visit, we ordered Extra-Large Tiger Prawns, Steamed Scallops with Garlic, and Stir-Fried Razor Clams with Eggs. Everything was delicious, especially the razor clams with eggs, but I must say the portions were huge… We simply couldn’t finish it all.
On our second visit, we skipped the massive portion of Razor Clams with Eggs and instead ordered Stir-Fried Sea Intestines with Shredded Potatoes. Unexpectedly, the portion was even larger, with an abundance of shredded potatoes… The taste was also excellent. We also had Steamed Oysters; although they weren’t as large as regular oysters, they tasted fantastic and had absolutely no fishy smell. There were also Fresh Shrimp Dumplings. Living by the sea is truly wonderful…
Overall, I felt that the service industry in Qingdao is highly developed. The ingredients are fresh, the cuisine is excellent, and the service is consistently good. I really like this place.
Photos in this post taken with SONY A5100 + 16-50 f3.5-5.6, post-processed in Lightroom.
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