10 Best Restaurants in Eastern China, China

There's no better place to sample the city's famous tangyuan (multicolor sugar dumplings served in a bowl of syrup and eaten like soup) than Gang Ya Gou. To get here, look for the hard-to-miss logo depicting a dog and a duck fighting over a pot of rice—or simply follow the crowds.

Thanks to its bright-red sign and big tower of steamers out front, this little hole-in-the-wall is easy to spot. Although the family who runs it doesn’t speak English, they will happily play charades in an effort to take your order for dishes such as steamed Hangzhou-style xiaolongbao (soup dumplings).

If you need to take a break, the best place for coffee in Xiamen is on the waterfront outside the Marco Polo hotel. Along Yundang Lu, aka Coffee Street, you will find nearly five blocks of cafés—some more modern looking than others. There are dozens of spots to choose from, but we recommend hitting up Coffee Club (Shop 10, 1 Jianye Lu, 0592/531–2246) on the corner, which serves quality, if slightly pricey coffee, fresh juices and good sandwiches.

The theme is heavy-handed, but Xiamen's most beloved Mexican restaurant serves steak fajitas and genuinely good burritos. Don't expect generous sides of sour cream or guacamole, but it won't matter after a few well-poured margaritas.

Don't opt for this restaurant just for its location down the street from the Nanputo Temple. Come for its house-special rice noodles, mock duck, or sizzling beef with pepper buns. The menu has English descriptions.

To get here, turn right out of the temple's main entrance and continue for about five minutes down Siming Nan Lu until you see a yellow sign on your right.

All day, lines form at the takeout window here, with people eager to order sesame-coated naan bread and plump, well-seasoned, skewered meats. Sit inside for a large picture menu of Western Chinese and Middle Eastern dishes.

This Himalayan café brews some of the city's best java. The eclectic space is outfitted with quilted tablecloths, comfy sofas, knit blankets, and walls stacked with books and knickknacks.

Trendy Hangzhou locals pack in at all hours for the inventive and exotic creations. The mango or durian pancakes filled with fresh whipped cream are especially yummy.

There's no more authentic Chinese experience than fighting your way through crowds to tuck into delicious and inexpensive street food. Scores of stalls and pint-size restaurants line this street and even in winter the place is super popular with domestic tourists, young couples walking hand-in-hand, and a mixed group of locals. On offer are spicy noodles (available in broth or dry), barbecued oysters and crayfish, steamed buns filled with meat and vegetables (baozi), beef and lamb kebabs, and soup dumplings (xiaolongbao), their skins dyed purple, green, and orange from vegetable juices. It's chaotic here and you will smell the dumpsters as you walk past, but it's a fun, truly local experience with good eats to boot–and for a pittance.

Bring tissues or wet wipes.

Inside the Temple of the Soul's Retreat (Lingyin Si), this restaurant has turned the Buddhist restriction against eating meat into an opportunity to invent a range of delicious vegetarian dishes. Soy replaces chicken and beef, meaning your meal is as benevolent to your health as to the animal world.