Shenzhen specials

Coconut chicken hotpot 椰子鸡火锅

Although this dish originates in China’s tropical Hainan Province, it was a Shenzhen restaurant chain, Seasons Coconut Chicken, that helped make it famous around the world. An incredibly tasty dish with a Southeast Asian aroma, it comprises free-range Hainanese chicken gently poached in a bubbling hotpot soup base made from fresh coconut water. A zingy dipping sauce completes the experience, although the chicken and soup are so fragrant that it’s hardly needed.

Chaoshan beef hotpot 潮汕牛肉火锅

The Chaoshan region in the east of Guangdong Province is famous for its food, and one dish in particular: beef hotpot. Ubiquitous and wildly popular in Shenzhen, most neighborhoods have at least a couple of restaurants devoted to the dish. It helps to know your cow anatomy when ordering the thinly sliced beef to add to your hotpot soup — the best cuts take mere seconds to cook through. Start with the fattier cuts, then move to the leaner cuts and side dishes. A popular and reliable chain in Shenzhen is Shantou Baheli Haiji beef restaurant (汕头八合里海记牛肉店).

Regional Chinese cuisines

Sichuan (川菜): Spicy and mouth-numbing, thanks to the one-two punch of chilies and Sichuan peppercorns.

Hunan (湘菜): Salty, spicy, oily and sour, characterized by pickled chilies and smoky pork. Big flavors, not for the faint of heart!

Zhejiang (浙江菜): Delicate, mellow, non-greasy cooking centered on the historical capital of Hangzhou. Think shrimp poached in green tea and carp in sweet vinegar.

Yunnan (云南菜): The aromatic flavors of China’s far Southwest: rice-noodle soups, mint salads, wild mushrooms, goat’s cheese, grilled fish.

Shanghai (本帮菜): Delectable soup dumplings, sweet-and-sour ribs and other mellow, sweet-and-savory fare.

Northeast (东北菜): The hearty, rib-sticking fare of Northeast China: stews, potatoes, dumplings, pickled veggies and cornbread.

Shaanxi (陕西菜): Famous for chewy noodles, mutton soups and roujiamo, the Chinese version of a pulled-pork “hamburger.”

Northwest (西北菜): Silk-Road food from China’s Northwest deserts: hand-pulled Gansu noodles in beef broth, barbecued lamb, and wheat-based carbs.

Uyghur (新疆菜): Far-flung, Central Asian-style cuisine of oven-baked flatbreads, rice pilaf, pulled noodles and juicy lamb skewers.