Yin's Chicken Soup Dumplings
Recommendation: Five stars. There are several Yin's chain stores in Nanjing. At this store, we only ordered the chicken soup dumplings. The appearance of the dumplings wasn't great, but the soup inside was very tasty, and the meat filling was generous! They were so delicious that we didn't even want to dip them in vinegar or chili!
Lao Qijiawan Beef Potstickers
This stop is definitely a pleasant surprise. The beef wontons have thin skins and large fillings, and the filling tastes very good. The beef tendon vermicelli soup seems to be made from a repeatedly simmered old broth, a flavor that can't be achieved by just adding some seasoning. The price is very, very friendly; the beef wontons and beef tendon vermicelli soup together cost only 15 yuan.
Lan Laoda Sweet Lotus Root Porridge
This shop's sweet lotus root porridge and marinated tofu are both quite good. The sweet lotus root porridge is sweet and sticky, with the glutinous rice lotus root being very sticky and tasty, but the dark porridge doesn't leave much of an impression. The marinated tofu is much more flavorful than the fried tofu you usually eat, with a delicious five-spice flavor. Additionally, this shop also sells other specialty snacks like sweet taro seedlings and fermented rice balls.
Jiang Youji
The beef potstickers here are one of the Eight Delicacies of Jianghuai. Unlike the potstickers I've had before, the ones here are fried to a golden yellow. Both ends are sealed, and when you take a bite, the skin and filling blend perfectly in your mouth. The filling has a unique flavor similar to chicken soup dumplings, but the meat filling is sparse and in smaller quantity.
Huang Qinji
It is the kind of thick rectangular noodles that I used to eat. These noodles are thicker than vermicelli but thinner than cold noodles. The taste is very similar to the vermicelli frog fish I ate when I was a child. The chili is a bit strong, not fragrant spicy, but directly spicy.
Fang Po Cake Shop
This shop's black rice balls can be paired with items like fried dough sticks and pork floss. We chose the classic combination of 'black rice + fried dough sticks'. The rice is very chewy, and especially when you bite into the fried dough stick, the texture and flavor achieve a perfect fusion. One of these is usually enough to fill you up.
Qingzhen Anleyuan Restaurant
Anleyuan's beef buns are loved by all Nanjing people. Old Nanjing residents often buy a large bag of these buns to take home for breakfast. In 1954, it was renamed Qingzhen Anleyuan Restaurant and has since become one of Nanjing's five most famous halal old brands. Its famous dishes include beef soup buns, duck gizzard shumai, and six-color dim sum, which have won the titles of Chinese famous snacks and Jiangsu famous dishes. The innovative halal dishes developed by the restaurant, such as braised beef tendon in sauce, sizzling beef fillet, and the first bowl of aftertaste, are deeply loved by Muslim friends.
Yadebao Duck Blood Vermicelli
In Nanjing, the more famous duck blood vermicelli soups are Yadebao and Huiwei. It is said that Yadebao serves a thick soup, while Huiwei serves a clear soup.
Yi Ji Pi Du Mian
Pi Du Mian contains pi du (fried tofu skin), shredded meat, tomatoes, eggs, green vegetables, and wood ear mushrooms. There are quite a variety of ingredients. Friends who are interested in pi du can give it a try, as it is a specialty snack of Nanjing.
Douhua Zhuang (Laomendong Branch)
The tofu pudding is freshly ground, and the soup base has the taste of mung bean syrup. It also contains taro balls and other ingredients, making it very rich. Definitely worth a try!
