Qingdao
Dining And Drinking

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Unlike many other Chinese cities whose idea of culinary diversity entails either Cantonese or Cantonese, Qingdao explodes with regional and international deliciousness. By virtue of its seafront location, seafood rightfully dominates the menus, ranging in cooking styles from spicy Sichuan to sweet and heavy Shanghai. There are also plenty of foreign fare options including Italian, German, Japanese and Korean. Prices are flexible enough to accommodate all budgets.

No other restaurant in town bolsters Qingdao’s lofty reputation as the "cradle of Shandong cuisine" more than the cleverly named Qingdao Seafood Restaurant. In true Shandong fashion, the dishes come laden with garlic and soy sauce. Crab, shrimp, conch, scallops and sea cucumbers are just a few of the marine offerings that diners can expect to find listed on its menu. The views from its seaside location are especially conducive for couples in search of a romantic setting. The Dongfang Hotel’s Yuexi Dining Hall also scores high for authentic Shandong cuisine. The seafood is just-plucked-out-of-the-Yellow-Sea fresh. In addition, as a true sign of the restaurant’s quality, it boasts a massive local clientele. The Crowne Plaza Hotel’s Etsong Palace also enjoys a high standing for its Shandong dishes. All of its chefs are Hong Kong trained and are known for working culinary magic on the menu’s long list of seafood offerings, which include tilapia, rock cod, shrimp and clams. Emphasis is on fine dining so expect higher than normal prices.

If the taste moods hanker for something with a spicier smack try to snare a table at the Blue Wave Gulf Restaurant. All of the seafood is flopping fresh, which is not surprising considering that if it were any closer to the Taiping Gulf its façade would be lined with barnacles. The seaside views are outstanding, making it extremely popular with tourists returning from a day at the nearby Zhanshan Temple. The Qingdao Ocean Hotel does not afford seaside views, but compensates with superb cuisine.

Authentic Cantonese dishes can be experienced at the Peacock Restaurant. By virtue of its location inside the regal five star Grand Regency diners can expect an elegant setting. The menu is ever changing but usually contains such noted Cantonese dishes as shark’s fin and Bird’s Nest. The Shangri-La Hotel’s Shang Palace also delights diners with five star service in a five star setting. Or try the Gloria Inn’s or White Spray Seafood Restaurant offers everything from Sichuan seafood to Beijing duck. Its seaside views and close proximity to the Badaguan Scenic Area makes it very popular with tourists. Or for truly exceptional views ride an elevator to the Rolling Restaurant TV Tower. It sky scrapes at 230 meters inside Qingdao’s Sightseeing Tower. The varying menu offers everything from shrimp and scallops to mutton and beef.

Murano’s, inside the Crowne Plaza Hotel towers as Qingdao’s first and only authentic Italian restaurants. Pizza and pasta rule the menu. The Dongfang Hotel’s Forum Restaurant goes one "western" step further by not only serving Italian fare but also Texas-smiling prime cuts of beef. For pizza and barbecue ribs in a lively setting wander out to the Surf Plaza’s New Orleans’s Music Restaurant. Besides dining, it also offers live music and dancing.

The appropriately named Korean Restaurant offers an impressive menu full of impressive Korean dishes ranging from hot pots and cold noodles to kimchi and fish cakes. And the Shimbashi Restaurant wows the taste buds with impossibly delectable Japanese dishes highlighted by blowfish, the kitchen’s specialty.