What does a true foodie look like? Just like how a real literati would be someone like Tony Leung, who flies to London on a weekend just to feed pigeons—true foodies will go to great lengths just for a good meal. Especially in winter, what’s the most stylish thing to eat? That’s Northeastern Chinese cuisine.
But don’t assume all Northeastern cuisine is just pork with pickled cabbage and vermicelli stew. The Northeastern cuisine mentioned here refers to what young people in the region love the most. For example, Korean barbecue—in southern regions, barbecue meat is often not authentic and overpriced, but in Shenyang, the flavor is unforgettable and the price is great; there's also hot pot, where traditional old-style copper hot pots give the meat and vegetables a uniquely rustic taste; of course, there are also representatives of Liaoning cuisine such as sweet and sour pork (guōbāoròu), pork blood sausage with plain boiled pork (báiròu xuěcháng), sliced fried pork (liūròuduàn), and sautéed potato, green pepper, and eggplant (dìsān xiān), all with distinct sweet and savory flavors, vibrant colors, and rich tastes that are sure to delight you.
Recently, there’s great news: the extension of Shenyang Metro Line 2 will directly connect to Taoxian Airport. This means foodies from all over the country can reach Hunnan, Shenyang’s food paradise, in just half an hour by subway.
Home-style Northeastern dishes that taste like mom’s cooking
The food and beverage industry is perhaps one of the most competitive sectors in Shenyang. Beyond flavor and quality, restaurant décor and dining ambiance are also fiercely contested. For diners, getting delicious food while enjoying a nice view is the best of both worlds.
The decor at Mama’s Restaurant on the 3rd floor of Building B in Xinglong Outlets exudes a strong homely vibe. Sitting at old-fashioned wooden tables and chairs, surrounded by various little ornaments and decorations in the shop that instantly relax you, as you smell the faint aroma of food wafting from afar, it’s like waiting hungrily at home for the delicious meal about to arrive.
For inland Shenyang, people’s obsession with the ocean is often beyond imagination. That’s why this buffet restaurant, located on the B1 level of Yifeng Everbright City at 16 Jin’ka Road, has gained such fame. The Seafarer Club Buffet isn’t just famous for its themed style and seemingly shabby but valuable decorations, but also because it offers unlimited Boston lobsters, and even Evian water. Just hearing about it is enough to make anyone yearn to visit.
While the dining environment is important, those delightful culinary surprises you “never thought of but definitely want to try” should not be overlooked.
No. 6, Minfu South Street, Artist Garden 6-15, Spoon Garden Restaurant, is a place that excels in refined flavors. This long-established eatery in Shenyang specializes in “traditional Shandong cuisine,” with relatively strict ingredient selection and cooking techniques, making you feel “secure and reassured” while eating. It’s widely known among foodies that the sweet and sour pork here is a “masterpiece”—the meat is fried to a “golden” hue, the sauce is “just right,” sweet and sour with a lingering aftertaste. Though its décor lacks elaborate designs or the seduction of light and color, its “rustic simplicity” and “unpretentiousness” seem more suited for family gatherings.
Come to Shenyang—how can you miss having authentic Korean barbecue in Hunnan?
And we can’t forget about dedicated barbecue restaurants. In Shenyang, a city that loves barbecue, such spots are absolutely essential.
At Bizikke Teppanyaki & BBQ on the 3rd floor of Olympic Wanda Plaza, 17 Yingpan West Street, you get both great food and fun. Herring roe steamed egg: the egg is nestled safely on an egg tray, then herring roe is added, and when you cover it with the lid, it actually spurts water and cooks up quickly; Flame Western Sausage: under the waiter’s handling, you can watch flames shoot out on the spot, and the moment the flames burst forth, it’ll surely make you gasp and hold your jaw. At Luyuan Charcoal Grill Specialty, located at 1125-1130, B1 level, Yifeng Times Square, Hunnan Olympic Center, another charcoal-grilled spot specializing in stone pot dishes, the charcoal is the legendary chrysanthemum charcoal, keeping the heat strong throughout. Among the dishes, the most praised is “One Whole Cow,” featuring beef tongue, steak, and beef brisket. The beef tongue is juicy, the brisket comes in original and flavored versions, and the steak is also juicy and tender.
At HanDiYuan BBQ on the B3 level of Xinglong Outlets, the log-style décor and spacious layout allow for a thoughtful division between the grilling and non-grilling areas. The generous portions of stone pot bibimbap have an authentic flavor; the hot miso soup warms your stomach as you sip it. There are so many barbecue restaurants that it’s hard to list them all, but their existence means they each have their own specialties and signature flavors—just go enjoy them one by one.
Shenyang people’s love for hot pot is on par with their love for barbecue. In the Olympic business district, chefs prepare hot pot in various flavors: Sichuan hot pot is spicy, fish head hot pot is fresh, chain hot pot is safe, and traditional hot pot stays classic... On Shenyangying Street west of the Olympic Center, on Hunnan 3rd Road to the northeast, or at Yifeng Times Square south of the Olympics—all forming a triangular area of three food hubs—you can easily find diverse and rich-flavored hot pot restaurants. Around steaming, fragrant tables, friends and family gather together to enjoy the heartfelt warmth of “togetherness like a single flame,” which is truly delightful.