In Beijing the restaurants in the alleyways of Qian Men are renowned for hot pot, or huo guo. Here you’ll find the streets are lined with boiling pots filled with soup ingredients. Its excellent selections range from Mongolian specialties – best known for lamb and mutton dishes – and spicy Szechuan.
Some 600-plus miles away, Shanghai is best known for its street food, especially soup dumplings. But don’t stop there, Shen jian bao, steamed pork bun, makes for a perfect for snack, while jian bing, egg-based crepes with a bean sauce or chili smear, is a local power breakfast.