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Ningbo snacks are very tempting, the most popular ones are:
Ningbo's lard-fried glutinous rice balls are renowned far and wide, and the "Gan Ya Gou" (Gan Ya Gou) is a shining example. Fragrant, sweet, fresh, smooth, and glutinous, the broth is clear and vibrant, the skin is thin and generous with the filling, and the aroma of osmanthus fills the air. Biting through the skin, the oily aroma permeates, and the glutinous, yet non-sticky, texture is unforgettable.
One of Ningbo's top ten famous snacks, it is more delicately made than fresh meat dumplings. It requires fresh pork hind leg meat, added with seasonings to make the stuffing, and then made into skins with white flour. Wontons are then steamed in a steamer and coated with sesame oil when they are taken out of the steamer.
Ningbo, home to the Hemudu cultural site, has a long history of rice cultivation. In the golden autumn, when the harvest of high-quality late-season japonica rice arrives, people use the new rice to make rice cakes. Behind the jade-white, supple, and glutinous Ningbo rice cakes lies a world of steaming, soft, and sticky rice.
Ningbo's Youzanzi is actually called "mahua" in Mandarin. It comes in both sweet and salty flavors. Ningbo people have a special liking for this freshly fried Youzanzi. There are always long queues in front of the Youzanzi store in Wenchang Wang Auntie's Youzanzi store in Gulou and the Youzanzi store in Nantang Old Street.
Ningbo's "Laocangqiao" noodle shops could easily be described as a culinary epic. Between the Huayan Street and Yuehu Market locations, it's hard to say which is the oldest and most authentic. But the perfect combination of two parts fat and eight parts lean, the dry noodles drizzled with scallion oil, and the light, non-greasy broth are all favorites.
Fenghua Thousand Layer Cake is a small, delicate square cake, yet it contains 27 distinct layers of golden and green. It comes in two flavors: sweet sesame and savory seaweed, and is soft, fragrant, and crispy.
Fenghua people call vermicelli noodles "dried noodles." This so-called "beef dried noodles" is actually beef vermicelli. Fresh beef offal and bones are simmered over medium heat with spices, and then topped off with Fenghua's locally produced red sweet potato vermicelli. The dish is fragrant and delicious right out of the pot.
Living by the sea, the people of Xiangshan are so extravagant that they top their bowls of noodles with seafood. With any seafood you choose, and a generous stomach, your bowl can be infinitely larger. How can this indulgence not inspire envy and hatred?
The key to Yuyao yellow croaker noodles is the fresh croaker, deep-fried for a crispy and fragrant texture. The broth, enriched with soy sauce, is rich and mellow, while the handmade noodles, kneaded with alkali, are chewy and chewy—a perfect combination of crispy fish, rich broth, and smooth noodles.
There are generally three types of Ninghai wheat cakes: light wheat cakes wrapped with sesame seeds or dried shrimp; salty wheat cakes wrapped with dried shrimp, green onions or garlic; sweet wheat cakes wrapped with sugar, sesame seeds, and lard. They have different colors and flavors.
Century-old stone pavements and the millennium-old Nantang River. The newly renovated Nantang Old Street, a short street, brings together the most traditional Ningbo delicacies. A bowl of tangyuan (glutinous rice balls) or a piece of gaotuan (cake) will instantly evoke childhood memories.
Address: Intersection of Yinfeng Road and Yinjiangan Road, Haishu District
Nantang Youzanzi: A century-old brand, Youzanzi comes in two flavors, salty and seaweed, with a crispy texture, a specialty of Ningbo.
Zhao Dayou: A century-old brand, it sells all kinds of cakes and pastries that are popular in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang areas, including dragon and phoenix golden cakes, crystal oil buns, pine nut cakes, cakes, seaweed strips, orange-flavored cakes, mung bean cakes, and champion cakes. The variety is dazzling and sweet but not greasy.
Sanbei Bean Crisp Candy: Bean Crisp Candy "does not break when held, melts in your mouth, does not stick to your teeth, and has no residue." It is fragrant, sweet, crispy, and loose, with a strong soybean aroma.
Shiliuge Wonton: A snack chain serving traditional Ningbo flavors, with wontons, soup dumplings, and pan-fried dumplings as its main specialties.
This century-old restaurant in Ningbo is renowned for its snacks. Their glutinous rice dumplings are plump, their sesame filling is sweet but not greasy, and they're smooth and delicious. The sweet osmanthus flower sprinkled on top is especially fragrant, blending with the aroma of glutinous rice to tantalize the senses and whet your appetite. Besides Ningbo glutinous rice dumplings, other snacks include crab meat dumplings, paddle-shaped dumplings, plum chicken wings, original-pot fermented black bean rice, seaweed rice buns, ginger egg noodles, and pickled mustard greens rice cakes.
Address: No. 68, Shuijing Street, Haishu District (Tianyi Square Branch)
Ningbo Traditional Food Street has always been a "big gathering" of food stalls and shops. It sells both traditional Ningbo snacks and local snacks from all over the country, including rice dumplings, wontons, xiaolongbao, fried rice, etc.
Address: No. 22, Xianxue Street, Haishu District
Half raw noodles, half raw wontons, and a bowl of noodle soup! For just over a dozen yuan, you can enjoy authentic Ningbo snacks. The smooth noodles are perfectly matched with the noodle soup. The noodles are tender and melt in your mouth, and the meat inside is bright red, with 20% fat and 80% lean meat, chewy and juicy. Open daily from 6 AM to 1 PM, and when they sell out, they're gone.
Address: Next to Yuehu Vegetable Market, No. 118 Zhenming Road, Haishu District
Every city has its own unique breakfast, and Ningbo's Weiyi Breakfast is a prime example. The restaurant still maintains the state-owned style of its early days. After placing your order at the cashier, you're handed a red, yellow, white, and green receipt, each representing four categories: steamed buns, wontons, noodles, and snacks. Their signature dishes are the freshly made wontons and the generously stuffed soy sauce wontons. Today, the restaurant serves more than just breakfast; lunch options include stir-fried rice cakes and shredded pork fried noodles, all under 10 yuan.
Address: Xinzhi Road, Haishu District (near Yongfeng West Road)
Many people consider it a blessing to have Lao Bai's Shengjian for breakfast. Early in the morning, the pan is overflowing with freshly fried Shengjian, steaming with the aroma of chopped green onions and sesame seeds. Each Shengjian has a plump and crispy bottom, and is delicious when eaten hot with vinegar.
Address: No. 604-606, Maocheng Middle Road, Zhonghe Street, Yinzhou District
Ningbo cuisine, also known as "Yongbang cuisine," specializes in seafood, combining freshness and saltiness. It primarily uses techniques such as steaming, roasting, and stewing, emphasizing tenderness, smoothness, and rich color. Dishes like yellow croaker wrapped in bean curd skin, roasted seaweed cubes, and stir-fried pickled mustard greens with fresh bamboo shoots are both affordable and delicious.
Ningbo's top ten dishes include: rock sugar soft-shelled turtle, yellow croaker with seaweed, yellow croaker wrapped in bean curd skin, goose liver wrapped in net oil, pot-roasted river eel, yellow croaker and sea cucumber, Ningbo-style eel, whole chicken with fried heels, grilled squares of seaweed, and yellow croaker with pickled mustard greens. In addition, the "Three Stinky Things" of Ningbo are also representative of Ningbo cuisine.
The time-honored Zhuangyuanlou, founded in 1785 during the 50th year of the Qianlong Emperor's reign in the Qing Dynasty, has long been considered the most prestigious and authentic local cuisine restaurant in Ningbo. It's also one of the few restaurants offering a complete selection of Ningbo's ten famous dishes. A visit here is about both delicious food and nostalgia.
Address: No. 2-10 Heyi Road, Haishu District (Tianyi Branch); No. 1 Zhangxi North Road, Yinzhou District (Zhousu Yejiang Branch)
"Tie Ge Bi" means "next door" in Ningbo dialect, conveying a sense of proximity, making the name itself a very friendly place. Specializing in Ningbo home-style dishes at a great value, Tie Ge Bi is a popular spot among locals. Their signature dishes include drunken shrimp, Ningbo grilled vegetables, and yellow croaker wrapped in bean curd skin.
address:
No. 16 Dongdu Road, Haishu District (Dongdu Road Branch);
No. 236, Nanjiao Road, Nantang Old Street, Haishu District (Nantang Store);
Yuehu Shengyuan (Yuehu Branch), No. 40 Daihe Lane, Haishu District
The dishes at Yongshang Waipoqiao are inspired by Jiangnan cuisine, sweet but not greasy, making them a delight for Ningbo locals. The food is exquisite and affordable, offering a great value for money. Eating here makes you feel at home.
address:
No. 258, Nanjiao Road, Nantang Old Street, Haishu District (Nantang Store);
No. 93 Zhen'an Street, Yinzhou District (Zhen'an Store);
No. 931, Tiantong North Road, Yinzhou District (Hebang Store)
Founded in the Republic of China, Dongfuyuan specializes in Anhui, Ningbo, Cantonese, and Shanghainese cuisine. Its ten signature dishes, including Rock Sugar Jade Bird's Nest, Braised Herring, and Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix, have left behind countless legends. In 2008, after years of hibernation, Dongfuyuan finally "reopened" on Gulou Park Road, delighting many Ningbo residents.
Address: No. 7 Gongyuan Road, Haishu District
Meilong Town, a time-honored establishment reborn between Nantang Old Street and Zhousu Yejiang, boasts a retro feel with its carved beams and painted buildings, double eaves, and overhanging corners. Savoring the plump and delicious Ningbo drunken crab and the tender, hot yellow croaker wrapped in tofu skin is a true tribute to tradition.
address:
Nantang Old Street (Nantang Store), Haishu District;
Zhangxi North Road, Yinzhou District (Zhousu Yejiang Branch)
Compared to other local restaurants, Zhulin Renjia boasts a more diverse menu, with each branch boasting unique decor and signature dishes. Besides seafood, farm-style dishes are also a highlight of Zhulin Renjia.
Address: No. 776, South Section of Huancheng West Road, Haishu District (Haishu Branch)
Ningbo's coastal location makes seafood a popular destination. Generally speaking, locals tend to eat at home or in Xiangshan. Going to a seafood stall is mostly about the atmosphere. If you're not keen on bargaining, you can also go to a regular seafood restaurant. While the prices may be higher, the taste and ingredients are guaranteed.
Every year during the Qingming Festival, Xiangshan Spanish mackerel comes into season. With its bluish-green hue, it's considered the "finest fish" and is known to locals as "Chuanwu" to distinguish it from other Spanish mackerel.
Razor clams are the most famous seafood in the shallow sea area of Changjie, Ninghai. They are large in size, tender and fat, white in color and delicious, and are loved by diners from all over the world.
Ordinary freshwater fish inevitably have a muddy smell, but Fuxi sweetfish not only does not have this smell, but also emits a unique fragrance, hence the name sweetfish.
Ninghai's blue crabs are available year-round, but the best season is from Dragon Boat Festival to Mid-Autumn Festival. During this period, the crabs are plump, fragrant, and fresh, brimming with fat and requiring only steaming.
The shallow waters of Ninghai's Xidian district are the perfect place for oysters (also known as oyster roe). In autumn and winter, Ningbo residents often place a plate of oysters on their tables as a home-cooked dish, dipped in soy sauce and rice vinegar, for a refreshing and delicious oyster experience.
Fenghua's hairy clams have been renowned since ancient times, having been listed as tribute during the Tang Dynasty. Ningbo is known for its "shaking clams" method: clams are placed in a wire basket. Once water boils, the basket is lowered into the boiling water and shaken continuously until cooked. The dish is incredibly delicious.
Shipu Restaurant is one of Ningbo's renowned seafood restaurants, emphasizing the preservation of Ningbo cuisine. It was awarded first place overall at the Ningbo Cuisine Exhibition at the Second China Catering Expo. Its authentic seafood attracts a constant stream of guests.
address:
Inside Tianyi Square, Haishu District (Tianyi Store);
No. 60 Yanyue Street, Haishu District (Yuehu Branch);
Wanda Plaza (Wanda Store), Yinzhou District
Ninghai Restaurant, established in 2004, is a well-established Ningbo restaurant specializing in home-style Ningbo cuisine. They specialize in seafood and local dishes, with generous portions and a truly satisfying meal.
address:
No. 77, Xiaowen Street, Haishu District (Xiaowen Street Store);
No. 96 Wangjing Road, Haishu District (Wangjing Road Branch);
No. 613 Siming Middle Road, Yinzhou District (Yinzhou Branch);
No. 280 Huxi Road, Jiangbei District (Rihu Store);
No. 1988, Airport Road, Haishu District (Airport Road Store)
This long-established Ningbo restaurant boasts fresh ingredients, including pickled seafood and live seafood kept in glass tanks. Order by looking at the ingredients. Signature dishes include fried tofu soup, fermented shrimp, drunken snails, drunken crab, clams, and steamed mixed fish in soy sauce.
Address: Downstairs of Zhongxi Building, No. 190 Zhongshan West Road, Haishu District
Known as "Ningbo's premier restaurant," Xiangyang Fishing Port is a renowned local establishment. Spacious and elegant, it's a perfect venue for entertaining guests. They offer a wide variety of dishes, primarily typical Ningbo cuisine, with a focus on seafood, making them a favorite.
address:
No. 236, Caihong South Road, Yinzhou District (near Hecheng Road) (Caihong Store);
First floor of Heyi Avenue Shopping Center, Haishu District (Heyi Store);
No. 220, Fanjiangan Road, Jiangbei District (next to International Village) (Fanjing Store);
No. 66, Hubin West Road, Dongqian Lake Tourist Resort (Qianhu Branch)
Ningbo's first seafood, beer and food theme plaza is only 2 kilometers away from Ningbo Old Bund. It brings together many specialty seafood stalls from Ningbo and Zhoushan. It is the closest place to the city for foreign tourists to taste Ningbo seafood.
Address: No. 1 Dongcaoma Road, Jiangbei District