Grandma Sun's Scallion Pancake
This shop is quite a famous snack shop in Hangzhou. Scallion Pancake is a distinctive Hangzhou snack, where scallions and fried dough sticks are wrapped in a pancake and pressed on a griddle. The Scallion Pancake also includes roasted vegetarian goose inside. The roasted vegetarian goose is soft and chewy, without making the Scallion Pancake overly greasy.
Wen Ji Fish Balls
A small 5-square-meter shop where the owner makes only 80 fish balls a day. All fish balls are handmade with great care. The owner has been dedicated to this craft for 20 years, just to make a delicious fish ball. The owner says that those who come to buy fish balls from their place are old-time residents of Hangzhou.
Zhou Ping's Zongzi Shop
This might be the most inconspicuous little shop in the area. There is no storefront sign, only a price list hanging inside the house. Their most famous product is the meat zongzi, which is incredibly large, estimated to be over half a kilogram. The zongzi contains both fatty and lean meat, cooked to perfection, with a chewy texture that melts in your mouth. The presence of fatty meat makes the zongzi particularly fragrant, making it an excellent choice for a filling breakfast. Sometimes, you can truly feel that handmade products have more emotion and flavor compared to assembly line products.
Busan Snacks
This shop is located right next to Youbu Soy Milk. The store is small, with only four tables, and the owner lives in a small loft above. The menu is limited, mainly featuring pan-fried buns and dumplings.
Yang Ji Shaomai
This shop is located between Busan Snacks and Youbu Soy Milk. The owner is a former veteran who learned the skill of making shaomai from a comrade. Later, the couple took over this small shop in Hangzhou. The shop specializes in shaomai, with a focus on fresh meat and bamboo shoot shaomai and fresh meat and shepherd's purse shaomai.
Juying Noodle Shop
Hangzhou's undisputed number one internet-famous noodle shop, featured on 'A Bite of China'. The top recommendation is definitely Pian'er Chuan.
Zou Ji Zhao Wen Fried Goods
This shop is located at the corner of Zhongshan South Road and Chayuanqian Alley, and it is said to have been open for many years.
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, and then fried in the second oil pot, possibly due to different oil temperatures. Finally, the fried fish is placed in the soup pot to add sauce, sprinkled with chopped green onions, and it's done. It's salty and sweet, and if paired with white porridge, it's simply perfect.
A Pang Braised Duck
A Pang Braised Duck is considered a star in the braised food scene of Hangzhou. It has been open for over twenty years and has queues every day. On good business days, nearly a hundred ducks can be sold in a day. The owner does not do business in the afternoon as he needs to go home and sleep.
Xiao Lao Wonton
The wontons are freshly wrapped, and the owner stores the wrapped wontons in the refrigerator for later use. The wontons have a large filling, are well-stuffed, and are plump. The broth is rich with lard aroma. The meat is extremely flavorful, and the shop adds sesame seeds, giving it a nostalgic taste from childhood.
