Shandong food comes in two flavors - spicy and salty and usually both. Steamed bun is more prevalent than noodles here and the seafood is generally quite fresh. Weifang has many restaurants on offer, especially on the Si Ping Road which is lined with eateries. Menu's are generally not in English though most restaurants have picture menu's or food displayed in the entrance. Enjoy. Weifang boasts a great variety of cuisines and local delicacies, including braised joint of pork in brown sauce, Hele (noodles with chicken and duck), Qiaotian pot, Weifang radish, to name just a few.
Chaotian Pot and Hele
Chaotian Pot
It originated from a folk morning market during the reign of Emperor of Qianlong years [the fifth emperor of Qing dynasty (1368AD-1911AD)]. At that time, the peasants who go the market of Weifang city to sell goods from far away counties could not have hot meals to eat. Zheng Banqiao, the officer of Weifang send someone cooked meals in a big iron pot for the peasants. Because the pot is without lid, people called it "Chaotian Pot". The pot has become popular since then. People first cook pork, meatball, dried bean curd in boiling water first with a large pot, then add some cilantro and soy sauce, and prepared pancake. Customers can sit around the pot and make it themselves.
Tips: Chongqing Chaotain Pot Restaurant is the most famous in Weifang. It is located at the juncture of Shengli Street and Wenhua Road.
Hele (Noodles with chicken and duck)
Hele ( literally harmony) is mainly made of noodles, chicken and duck. First, press the non-fermented flour into the round thick noodles (about 5MM diameter). Then boil it. Later, put the noodle in a large pot of chicken and duck soup with chicken, duck, sweet garlic, carrot, Chinese chives and meatball. A small amount of chili oil will make the noodles more delicious.
Concerning the name of the dish, there is a folktale in Weifang. Once up on a time, there was a rich man in Weifang. He had two sons. The wives of the brothers often quarrelled with each other. The two brothers were influenced by their wives and became inharmonious and even fought some times. The father can not help but cook a dish for his sons and their wives which they had never eaten before. His sons and their wives all like the dish very much and asked what the it was called. The father told them that the dish was called Hele which presented his wish for the harmony of the family. His sons and their wives all felt ashamed of their behaviors. And they became harmonious ever after. The dish has been popular since then.
Huoshao
The word “huoshao” originates in the dialect of Shandong which refers to sesame seed cake. The most delicious is Chenghuang Temple’s. Huoshao Stuffed with Meat looks like a bulging air sac with a lot meat in the middle. The stuff is mainly pork with the sauce made from the special recipe of Weifang people, mushrooms, dried shrimp, and sometimes shellfish. They are available in the canteens of the universities and colleges in Weifang.
Here are some places where you can find the most popular and famous delicacies and foods in Weifang:
●Sea Palace 海王府, (bus 16, 56). For seafood the Sea Palace can't be missed. Elegant dining in an enormous hotel-like building. Easy to order food display in the lobby area makes eating here a cinch: pick and point what looks tempting. Patrons to this restaurant are given a private room to eat in with anxious staff ready and willing to help.
●The restaurant of YuanFei hotel 鸢飞大酒店: For fine Chinese dining, just stop at the restaurant where the delicate dishes are served up in a traditional, clean environment.
●Green Leaf 绿叶火锅, (bus 56). Fantastic Hot-Pot can be found at the Green Leaf located on East Fushou Jie.
Weifang radishes are famous in Shandong for their nutrition and zesty flavor, and studying in Weifang should also involve a bite of radish. International students are advised to head to the supermarket or bargain with a guy selling them on the sidewalk.
●Weifang Ren Jia 潍坊人家, (bus 16). Excellent local dishes can be found here. Try the wasabi chicken.
Other useful links:
Accommodation
Weifang transportation guide
