Chongqing: Must-eat Foods

All of the most amazing and must-try foods in Chongqing!

Hotpot

With more than 50,000 hotpot restaurants in Chongqing, you have to try it! Traditional Chongqing hotpot is split into 9 sections so that you can keep an eye on the things that you put into the hotpot. It arrives as a mound of spiced beef fat, which slowly melts in front of you.

Hotpot in Chongqing is a way of life, with many places staying open until 3 am each night (morning?). You won't have any difficulty finding a good one, but the one I recommended is Piejie Hotpot – it has a 4.8 rating from more than 32 000 reviews. I suggest either heading here before or after the dinner rush (around 5 pm or 10:30 pm), otherwise, you will have a 2-hour wait for a table. They do have a ticket system, so you can pop past, get yourself a ticket (so that you are in line for a table), and then go exploring somewhere else while you pass the time. Note – if you do this, scan the QR code using WeChat, and you will be able to track how many tables you still have ahead of you - they will give your table away if you aren’t there when they call the number!

Dry chilli fried chicken (La Zi Ji)

One of my favorite foods in China! Crispy chicken with amazing aromatic spices and LOTS of chilies!

Spicy green beans

Green beans tossed with garlic, spices, and chilies - yum!

Fresh garlicky cucumber

A lovely fresh pop of refreshing cucumber in a garlic and chili oil sauce.