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Category: Good Eats

Zhouzhuang Water Town canal pano
Zhouzhuang – China’s Most Popular Water Town

Zhouzhuang – China’s Most Popular Water Town

Zhouzhuang Water Town (周庄) is said to be the oldest water town in China [1] situated in Kunshang City just south of Suzhou and about 90-min bus ride from Shanghai. The old town is famous for its canals and traditional style buildings dating from the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368-1911) of which about 60% remain in excellent condition. Often described as the “Venice of the East”, Zhouzhuang is flooded with tourist who come to experience the historical beauty, shops, and…

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Rice cake pano
Qibao Old Street: A Shanghai Food Street

Qibao Old Street: A Shanghai Food Street

Qibao (七宝) is an old water town located about 20 kilometers from downtown Shanghai which has a very popular food street.  Most days, and especially when the weather is good, people flock there to enjoy a stroll and eat traditional snacks. Qibao means, “Seven Treasures” in Chinese and the legend is there were seven of them around the area such as a Gold Lotus Scripture, a magic tree, and a golden chicken to name a few. The old town is…

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Taikang Road pano
Stroll Around Tianzi Fang

Stroll Around Tianzi Fang

The Tianzi Fang (田子坊) neighborhood is a labyrinth of ally ways and old Shikumen style architecture which has been preserved and converted to shops. Although a bit touristy, the area is a fine example of old Shanghai and a lot of fun to walk around in. The area around Tianzi Fang also has much to do and explore such as shops, restaurants, charming neighborhoods and beautiful tree-lined streets. Tianzi Fang is a great place to wander about looking at shops…

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Taipei Weekend Lanterns
Taipei Weekend of Exploration and Discovery

Taipei Weekend of Exploration and Discovery

A bit rainy for our Taipei weekend visit but it turned out to be quite enjoyable. We had so much fun for just spending a couple days there. One of the highlights was climbing up Elephant Hill to get a nice view of the city and have a good hike. Yongkang Street is great and there are many interesting shops and restaurants. There are several popular night markets to buy food and stuff and we enjoyed most the one at…

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Narita Omote Sando
Narita Is More Than An International Airport

Narita Is More Than An International Airport

Narita, Japan is way more than an airport. Of course for most of us that’s all we know because so many international flights transit there. If you have a long layover an overnight or two in Narita is a great way to relax before continuing on. Of course now that I know about this cool little town, I will try to at least stay overnight when possible. It’s really that much fun and a great way to add to your…

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Grilled frogs
Eight Delicious Street Snacks in Shanghai

Eight Delicious Street Snacks in Shanghai

Whoa, yet another listicle of Shanghai food, really? I know, right. There are just so many wonderful street snacks around town I doubt anything less than a thick anthology could capture them all. Of course, there are many books on the subject such as “Glutton Guide Shanghai” which I recommend. However, this blog is about my favorite experiences which I’ll certainly add more as time goes. Most of these are sold at stalls or pop-up stands and are fairly inexpensive….

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soft tofu snack pano
Chengdu Spicy Sichuan Happy Flavors

Chengdu Spicy Sichuan Happy Flavors

Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province in China, is probably best known for it’s Panda Research Base. However, it’s arguably better known for the signature flavor of the hot & numbing Sichuan peppers that give Sichuan cuisine its unique taste. The flavor of Sichuan peppercorns is sort of  lemony and most interestingly has a tingling or numbing sensation. The peppers are used for flavor and actually are not really very hot. The intense spice in Sichuan cooking comes instead from…

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pano of Shouning Road
Shouning Road Night Street Market

Shouning Road Night Street Market

Shouning Road is a night street market is a lively street located in central Shanghai. It is probably most famous for craw-fish boiled in spicy chili oil and broth. You order a heaping mound of fresh craw-fish then don plastic gloves and dig in! There also are many grilled vegetables to try such as garlic shoots, mushrooms, cauliflower, and lotus. My favorites are grilled eggplant with garlic and grilled mántou (a soft steamed bun). Less “famous” but certainly worth trying…

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