Sara's China Travel Blog

The Wall Street Journal just posted a great article on eating in Beijing. Most of the eight restaurants on author Stan Sesser’s list are unknown to me so I’ve already printed out the list and will carry it with me next time I go to Beijing.

I’m always looking for good recommendations, especially from fellow travelers. However, I have to argue with his “Best Avoided: Eating in Hotels” tip. Made in China in the Grand Hyatt is still one of my all-time favorites. Touristy? Yes. Expensive? OK, yes, compared to local restaurants. Delicious? Heck yes! There’s good food everywhere, that’s the joy of eating your way through China.

Read Mr. Sesser’s article at here.

The weather is beautiful in Shanghai these days. If you find yourself here and wishing to spend a little bit more time enjoying the outdoors, may I suggest a trip to Hangzhou?

Hangzhou is a beautiful city only two hours from the teeming hulk of Shanghai. Decidedly quieter and slower paced, Hangzhou has a lot to offer a temple lover or a nature lover. If it’s the city you want to see, most of the sights are centered around Hangzhou’s famous West Lake. You can spend the whole day there wandering the classical gardens, taking slow boat rides on the lake or meandering around the lake’s exterior on bicycles.

If escaping the city is what you’re after, make Hangzhou your launchpad to Fuchun Resort, where you can live in style and luxury for a few days while getting pampered. Or, head to the hills. The Long Jin (Dragon Well) tea from the hillsides surrounding Hangzhou is the most famous in China. Book a room in an old villa through Moganshan Lodge and spend the weekend breathing fresh air and walking through the forest.

Photos of the West Lake, © 2007 Sara Naumann, licensed to About.com, Inc.

May is usually my favorite month in China. You can pretty much depend on it being warm and balmy but the heat and humidity of the summer have not yet set in. The country has greened up and flowers are in full bloom. You often get some clear blue skies in the major cities and there's just an overall good feeling in the air.

Northern China, such as Beijing and Qingdao, are beautiful. You'll be relatively dry and the temps are lovely. Across central and southern China, such as Yangshuo or Guangzhou, it will still be damp, but the temps have warmed to such a degree that it won't feel uncomfortable. You'll still need your rain gear, but you should see a lot of nice days.

Don't forget, Labor Day kicks off May on the first so if you are wondering what all those flags are suddenly doing out, that's why. It got shortened to a one-day holiday this year so traveling during the first week of May won't be such a hassle. Get out and enjoy China in May!

Xiao Long Bao has made a deep impression into my very soul. I find myself wondering what I will do without them should we ever leave Shanghai. This is how darn good they are. Shanghai's signature dish, "little basket dumplings", are the epitome of unbelievable Chinese cuisine and part of a well-kept secret. While Chinese food may be ubiquitous worldwide, you can't get anything like what they serve in China outside. Ever heard of Xiao Long Bao? I didn't think so.

So, let me introduce you to this wonder of all Chinese dumplings, of all Chinese food, in my mind. Served in bamboo steamers, these little round dumplings – when made right – combine paper thin flour wrappers, succulent minced pork and a delicate broth to bring you a taste sensation like nothing else.

Read my article about Xiao Long Bao and you'll want to come visit China to eat, if for no other reason.

Photo: above, truffle-infused foie gras xiao long bao from Le Platane, below, the steaming window of Nanxiang's take-out xiao long bao stall in Shanghai.

Southern Barbarian has garnered a faithful and loving following and for good reason. Not only is it the only restaurant in Shanghai offering authentic Yunnan cuisine, it does so consistently in a low-key, no frills atmosphere. Folks come for good (seriously good) food, not for fancy drinks or a house DJ in the corner.

Southern Barbarian (the nickname of the owner) is giving its loyal patrons another reason to go: they’ve opened an upstairs lounge. Having taken over the pole dancing (!) school upstairs, they've turned it into a very cool lounge with free wireless and a corner bar offering Shanghai’s most diverse range of brews from all over the world.

Have a drink before dinner or hang out upstairs after. Either way, you’ll probably find me in the corner hovering over my laptop and a bowl of Yunnan Street Noodles.

Are you going to be in China during August? Were you giving Beijing a miss because you don’t have tickets to the games and you figure hotels were booked out months ago? I’m happy to report that as of this week, rooms are still available.

CTrip, China’s leading online travel agency, found rooms available when I inquired for as little as 1044rmb (that’s about US$ 150 right now) in a Chinese 2-star hotel. This is not bad considering the China Daily recently quoted hotel prices on average being inflated by 800% during the Olympics.

So, don’t despair. Even if you don’t have tickets to the games, you can book a hotel now and at least hang out and soak up the atmosphere in Beijing. Despite the controversy surrounding the torch relay, the Olympics are sure to be a spectacular celebration.

Many of you have read and hopefully experienced my Walking, Shopping Tour of Fuxing Road. If you enjoyed Fuxing Road, you’ll love a walk down Shaoxing Road and Taikang Road.

Shaoxing Lu (“lu” is Chinese for street or road) is a gorgeous little street tucked between two main north-south arteries in the French Concession. Only about a block long, there are some great galleries and cafes as well as an adorable little park.

Turn the corner and walk a bit and then you’ll find yourself on Taikang Lu. The alley at #210 is very popular with locals wanting to chill with a coffee at a café or do a little shopping. The alleys off Taikang Road are packed with cafes and shops. You’ll enjoy a day of strolling during this lovely walk in the French Concession.

Photos: top, the entrance to Shaoxing Park, bottom, a view of the alleys down #210 Taikang Lu in the autumn. © 2007 Sara Naumann, licensed to About.com, Inc.

Once you land in China and take a look through a local magazine’s restaurant listings, you’ll quickly realize that “Chinese food” doesn’t exist in China. That is to say, you have to get specific. Every region has local specialties, like Peking Duck from Beijing or Xiao Long Bao from Shanghai. Greater provinces also have famous cuisine and Sichuan cuisine is undoubtedly one of the most famous and popular.

Known for spicy flavors, you can find a Sichuan restaurant in every major city in China. The best, of course, is in Sichuan itself and I compiled a list of some of my favorite dishes from my recent visit to Chengdu.

Be warned! Sichuan cuisine is SPICY. Have a bowl of white rice, a cold beer and a damp towel on hand, and you’ll be equipped to enjoy some of the most delicious food China has to offer.

Photos: top, dan dan mian (noodles in spicy sauce), bottom, ma la ji (chicken in spicy soup with coriander and bamboo shoots). © 2008 Sara Naumann, licensed to About.com, Inc.

CTrip is China’s preeminent online travel service and I’ve recently used them to book airline tickets to Chengdu. Their website is all in English, takes international credit cards and is very easy to use. If you’re in China, you can call them and helpful English-speaking staff can book tickets for you quickly. In fact, I just booked 3 tickets to Taiyuan for my family over Labor Day (May 1) and the transaction was completed in less than ten minutes. Fantastic!

I had the luxury to stay with JIA Shanghai over the Qing Ming holiday and I’m sold. I’ve been wary of “boutique” hotel offerings as the word is stretched to cover a lot of territory here in Asia. But JIA has won my heart.

With JIA, luxury is assumed, not heaved upon you. They’ve brought in distinguished designers to create an intimate and fashionable oasis tucked inside a 1920s heritage building off one of Shanghai’s busiest shopping and business streets. With 55 rooms and suites, a small gym, a lobby bar and celebrated Issimo, the in-house Italian restaurant, JIA makes it very hard for you to leave and discover Shanghai. You’d better book yourself in for an extra night.

Read more:

• JIA Shanghai Complete Review
• Shanghai Boutique Hotels
• Where to Stay in Shanghai

Photos: top - JIA exterior, bottom - studio. Courtesy of JIA Shanghai. All rights reserved.