Grandma Sun's Scallion Pancake
A well-known snack shop in Hangzhou, Grandma Sun's Scallion Pancake is a distinctive Hangzhou snack. It consists of a scallion and fried dough stick wrapped in a pancake, then pressed and fried on a griddle. Grandma Sun's version also includes vegetarian roasted goose inside. The addition of this sauce-brushed vegetarian roasted goose is truly the highlight. The roasted goose is soft yet resilient, preventing the scallion pancake from being overly greasy.
Wen Ji Fish Balls
A small 5-square-meter shop where all the fish balls are handmade bit by bit. 20 years of perseverance, just to make a delicious fish ball. The owner says that those who come to buy fish balls from their place are old Hangzhou natives.
Zhou Ping Zongzi Shop
Their meat zongzi is the most famous, and the size is really enormous, estimated to be more than half a kilogram. The zongzi contains both fatty and lean meat, cooked to perfection, chewy yet melts in your mouth. Because of the fatty meat inside, the zongzi is especially fragrant, making it an excellent breakfast choice to stave off hunger. Sometimes you can really feel that handmade products indeed have more emotion and flavor compared to assembly line products.
Youbu Soy Milk
The most famous breakfast shop in Hangzhou city, it's hard to imagine a breakfast shop where you need to queue for a seat. The purchase, consumption, and payment are all self-service. You take as much as you want to eat, and before leaving, you calculate the price and pay by yourself. The large flow of people makes it difficult to manage the payments.
Busan Snacks
This shop is located right next to Youbu Soy Milk. The store is small, with only four tables, and above is a small loft where the owner lives. The menu is limited, mainly focusing on pan-fried buns and dumplings, priced at 0.7 yuan each.
Yang's Shaomai
This shop is located between Busan Snacks and Youbu Soy Milk. The owner used to be a veteran and learned the skill of making shaomai from his comrades. Later, the couple took over this small shop in Hangzhou. The shop specializes in shaomai, with fresh meat and bamboo shoot tip shaomai and fresh meat and shepherd's purse shaomai being the main offerings. If you ask the owner, they can sell you a half basket of each, a little-known secret among regular customers. The shaomai skin here is particularly thin, made personally by the owner. The owner's technique is so fast that even a camera shutter can't capture it. No matter how much you eat, the shaomai never feels greasy. The overall taste is very refreshing, especially when paired with their small wontons, making for an energetic start to the morning.
Juying Noodle Shop
Hangzhou's undisputed number one internet-famous noodle shop, featured on 'A Bite of China'. Expect to queue for at least an hour, even during school holidays. The owner once mentioned that due to health reasons, Juying Noodle Shop might close at any time, which worried many food lovers in Hangzhou. This is their new shop, continuing the original taste, and the owner no longer has to cook noodles every day. It's best to visit on weekdays; even then, you might still need to wait during meal times. It's advisable to avoid peak dining hours.
Zou Ji Zhaowen Fried Goods Shop
This shop is located at the corner of Zhongshan South Road and Chayuanqian Alley. It is said to have been open for many years. The first time I started eating at this shop was because I was attracted by the smell of fried peanuts. Later, I found out that this shop has everything: pecans, fried peanuts, sugar-fried chestnuts, sesame powder, and more.
Chef Jiang's Delicious Crispy Fish
There are a total of three pots: two oil pots and one soup pot. The small fish pieces need to be fried in the first oil pot first, then fried again in the second oil pot, possibly due to different oil temperatures. Finally, the fried fish is placed in the soup pot to add sauce, and sprinkled with chopped green onions to finish. It's a perfect balance of salty and sweet, and pairs perfectly with white porridge.
A Pang Braised Duck
There is a small table at the entrance of the shop for customers to use. When I visited that day, I happened to meet an old man who was drinking beer and eating braised duck. They use local ducks, which are mostly lean meat. The braising sauce is an old sauce that has been simmered for years, making it particularly flavorful.
Xiao Lao Wonton
The wontons are freshly wrapped, and the owner stores the wrapped wontons in the refrigerator for later use. The wontons have large fillings, are well-stuffed, and are plump. The broth is rich with the aroma of lard. The meat is extremely flavorful, and the shop adds sesame seeds, giving it a nostalgic taste reminiscent of childhood.
