UnTour Food Tours

Home
UnTour Food Tours

China's Top-Ranked Food Tour Operator

Created in 2010 to help newcomers to China discover authentic, delicious local cuisine, UnTour Food Tours offers localized food tours to showcase the best and most authentic eats in Shanghai & Beijing. Thanks to consistently high customer feedback, UnTour Food Tours are rated the #1 food tour in Shanghai and Beijing by the users of the popular online travel community, TripAdvisor. Over the past si

x years, they have explored the city’s best food streets and holes-in-the-wall with more than 10,000 guests.

08/04/2025

We’re on the hunt for Beijing’s best Guizhou restaurants and we think we’ve found some great ones. If you’d like to know our top pick so far, or have a suggestion for one we should try, leave a comment or send us a DM.

03/04/2025

Tomb-Sweeping Festival (Qingming Jie 清明节) falls on Friday, April 4 this year. Which means you still have a day to get your Qingtuan!

Tomb-Sweeping Festival is a day to honor your ancestors. (So, no, it’s not correct to say “清明节快乐” or “Happy Tomb-Sweeping Festival!”. It’s more appropriate to say: “清明节平安” or “Have a peaceful Tomb-Sweeping Festival.”)

Chinese families all over the world will clean the graves of their ancestors and send offerings, usually food or burning joss paper items for their family members to use in the afterlife, aka spirit money (but I did once see a paper-mache Lamborghini).

And to celebrate the coming of spring, this holiday serves up qingtuan, a very green steamed glutinous rice dumpling that gets its vibrant shade from Chinese mugwort (traditionally) or sage grass, loofah leaf juice, or matcha (more and more common today). You will find sweet versions stuffed with red bean paste or black sesame paste or savory: salted egg yolk or pork floss (肉松）.

#青团

01/04/2025

In the highly competitive Shanghai F&B market, a line at a new store could mean many things. It could indicate the opening of a new location of a time-honored brand (老字号), the result of an aggressive grand opening sale, or simply the frenzy of mob mentality influencing curious passerby. Regardless, new business and new food in the city is always a source of excitement.

📍蒸久膳 Zheng Jiu Shan. 816 Yuyuan Road (愚园路816号).

27/03/2025

While the first new buds and green shoots are just peeking through in Beijing, we’re already getting excited for spring and summer in the hutongs. In addition to dragging sofas, chairs and tables outside for some alfresco dining, relaxing, mahjong and cards, neighbors make make the most of every space while the growing is good to plant a few vegetables or flowers. If you’re planning a trip to Beijing this spring or summer, get in touch and let us show you what makes these neighborhoods so special.

17/03/2025

Hand cutting lamb and mutton for Beijing hot pot is a skill on par with expertly carving a Beijing duck. Depending on the cut of meat, each 500g is cut into 200-300 slices, with some thin enough to be translucent, and the tenderness of the meat depends on the way the chef aligns the meat with the grain. A great indicator of the quality of the meat and the technique used to prepare it is that you should be able to cook meat in your pot for hours without any foam forming on the surface of the broth. If you’re looking for a great place to try Beijing-style hot pot, try it on the Old Beijing Dinner Tour (link in bio to our calendar!)   

10/03/2025

The Dr. Seussian-sounding 永昌合阳综合市场 (yongchang heyang zonghe shichang - Yongchang Heyang Comprehensive Market) in Shanghai’s Putuo District lives up to its name. The 1st floor is divided into sections for prepared foods, meat, and seafood. Head upstairs for fruits, veggies, noodles, and a haircut. The place absolutely throngs with energy!

W. Yanchang Rd. and Lishan Rd. 延长西路与骊山路交叉口

06/03/2025

Thanks to SigK from Amsterdam for reviewing our Shanghai Breakfast tour on TripAdvisor! Here’s what he had to say:

“Excellent tour, discovered hidden gems on this breakfast for champions walking tour. Food was great, nice stories by our guide to understand the history and food habits better. Would fully recommend this.”
  #包子

04/03/2025

We’ve been experimenting with making our own laba suan (腊八蒜, pickled garlic), traditionally made during the Laba Festival and consumed at Chinese New Year.

We’ve asked our neighbors and our favorite restaurateurs for their recipes and so far no two have been the same. Some suggest placing peeled, unwashed garlic in a jar and covering it with rice vinegar (米醋).

Others say first trim the garlic, rub it with soft sugar (绵糖) and pour boiling rice vinegar over the top. Some have suggested placing it on a sunny window and others have told us to place it in the fridge.

We’ll keep trying until we find a method that works consistently and share the results here. In the meantime, if you have any tips or tricks, please share them!

27/02/2025

Yaojiu (药酒 or medicinal liquor) is a component of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and can be found at local restaurants throughout the country. Some common ingredients steeping in these tonics include:
• Red dates (红枣) – Nourishes blood, strengthens the spleen, and supports overall vitality.
• Ginseng (人参 or 党参) – Boosts Qi (energy), enhances immunity, and helps with fatigue.
• Chrysanthemum (菊花) – Benefits the liver and eyes, and cools the body.
• Goji berries (枸杞) – Supports vision, kidney health, and overall vitality.
• Dried longan (桂圆) – Nourishes blood, calms the mind, and supports better sleep.
• Various roots & herbs – Angelica root (当归) or other blood-nourishing herbs.

#药酒 #中药

25/02/2025

You’ve just finished your Shanghai Night Eats tour, full of good food and vibes. You and your newfound friends/tour buddies are looking for your next stop. But where to go? Whether you’re local or traveling, check out our blog for five of our favorite bars near our tour’s ending point at Jiangsu Road Station (blog in link in bio ).

20/02/2025

Two of our very favorite Sichuan restaurants in Beijing are right across the road from each other, not far from Beijing’s Drum Tower and Lama Temple.

1. Zhang Mama (张妈妈）, is one of the area’s oldest, having been in the neighborhood for over a decade. 76 Jiaodaokou Nan Dajie 交道口南大街76号。
2. ChaoChao, is among the newest, having recently taken over the space - and the chef - from Ori serves excellent Sichuan food. 47 Jiaodaokou Nan Dajie 交道口南大街47号

If you’d like rough and ready bold Sichuan flavors, washed down with local beer, head to Zhang Mama and check out the ordering guide in our blog (link in bio ).

If you’d like tapas-style Sichuan small portions accompanied by a great international wine selection, head across the road to Chaochao.

18/02/2025

Have you ever wondered why sesame seeds are so prevalent in Chinese cuisine?

Besides the fact they’re **delicious**, they are also incredibly good for you. They are rich in antioxidants, packed with fiber, and are a good source of healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, not to mention have a surprising amount of zinc, iron, copper, magnesium, and manganese. Black sesame seeds in particular have more calcium by weight than milk, which is great in a country like China where a large chunk of the population is lactose intolerant!

So whether you’re eating sesame seeds sprinkled on your dumplings, indulging in a sesame paste dipping sauce at hotpot, coating your noodles or wontons in a sesame sauce, or eating a dessert baozi stuffed with black sesame, just know — you are doing a body good!

#煎饼

11/02/2025

February 12 is Yuanxiao Jie, aka “Lantern Festival”, and the traditional end of Chinese New Year. Families gather during the festival to enjoy “tangyuan”, glutinous rice balls also themselves known as “yuanxiao”.

While these rice balls are common around the country, the method of making them differs from north to south.

In the south, glutinous rice dough is *stuffed* with sweet fillings such as black sesame paste or crushed peanuts (and sometimes pork for a savory filling), then pinched closed to make a smooth ball.

In the north, the peanut or sesame paste is the base upon which the glutinous rice is rolled onto. The multiple outer layers create a more craggy ball (as pictured here in Beijing).

Whichever way you try them, we recommend picking up some other local glutinous rice desserts to enjoy with them. Happy Lantern Festival!   #汤圆 #元宵 #元宵节

06/02/2025

We’re less than a week away from Lantern Festival (Feb 12, 2025), the official end of Chinese New Year. Lanterns have been used to celebrate festivals in China since the Eastern Han Dynasty (25-220 CE).

For such a thoroughly modern city, Shanghai dresses up in tradition real well. 
#春节

04/02/2025

After a week of non-stop feasting for Lunar New Year, sometimes all we want to eat is veggies… or rhizomes, when it comes to our favorite Chinese veg: lotus “rpot”!

What’s your favorite Chinese vegetable dish?

31/01/2025

We cant get enough of Chengdu’s iconic tianshui mian, or sweet water noodles, made with sweet soy sauce, chili oil and sesame paste. Visit the UnTour Food Tour’s blog (link in bio ) to check out our top picks for where to find them in Chengdu!    #甜水面

30/01/2025

Tell us it’s Chinese New Year without telling us that it’s Chinese New Year. Hairtail fish hanging out to dry is another surefire indicator of the holiday season in the Shanghai calendar.  Happy Chinese New Year’s! We will be closed for the next week as our vendors spend this important holiday with their families. We look forward to eating with you again in the new year. May you and your family have a healthy and happy year of the wood snake!    #春节

28/01/2025

The calm before the storm.

Are you ready for Chinese New Year?

#春节

Address

Website

http://www.untourfoodtours.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when UnTour Food Tours posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to UnTour Food Tours:

Videos

🍽️ Rich in Protein & Amino Acids 🌿 Aids Digestion 💪 Boosts Immunity ❤️ Promotes Heart Health ⚡ Source of Zinc & Selenium These marine worms (流蜞) in a simple stir-fry (流蜞小炒煌) are practically a superfood! 🐛✨ We tried them at Xingxian Restaurant in Fuzhou, Fujian, and they were surprisingly delicious! Fun fact: This place has earned a Bib Gourmand mention in the Fuzhou Michelin Guide! 📍 Xingxian Restaurant 兴仙饭店 309 Cangjian Lu, across from the Ferry Dock 福州市仓山区仓前路309号（邮轮码头对面）

🍜🐑 Lamb Soup Noodles (羊肉汤面) 🐑🍜 In the heart of Anren Town (安仁镇) on the outskirts of Chengdu, these skilled hands bring to life a regional take on lamb-based noodles.   #untourfoodtours #untourontheroad #chengdufoodtours #chengdueats #sichuanfood #chinesefood #thisischina #chinatravel

A regional Dongbei (Northeastern Chinese) feast! Featuring “散搂子”, which in Dongbei dialect means a more “grassroots” style baijiu that typically comes in less adorned packaging. This particular brand, called 东北高粱王 Dōngběi gāoliang wáng, came in a large, plastic bottle.   #untourfoodtours #chinesefood #baijiu #白酒 #dongbeifood #东北菜 #白酒 #baobaoxiong #city不city

葱油饼cōngyóubǐng, or scallion oil pancakes, are a simple but delicious grab-and-go snack you can find all over Shanghai. The only thing to complain about is how quickly they’re gone! Try them on our Shanghai Street Eats Breakfast tour (link to book in bio @untourfoodtours ).   #untourfoodtours #untourshanghai #chinesefood #chinesestreetfood #shanghaistreetfood #congyoubing #scallionpancake

Jidan guan bing, flatbreads filled with beaten eggs, are a favorite on our Beijing Hutong Breakfast Tour. Join us for a morning stroll through Old Beijing to try these and more than 10 other great Beijing breakfast items (link in bio @untourfoodtours to book!). #untourfoodtours #beijingfood #beijingeats #streetfood #chinesestreetfood #beijingstreetfood #beijingeats #beijingfoodtour #鸡蛋灌饼 #chinesebreakfast #beijingbreakfast #untourbeijing

This week features a collab with our guide Paul (aka 保保熊 @bao_bao_xiong_ ). Qinghai (青海) is the largest province in China (excluding autonomous regions) but has the third smallest population. The cuisine is heavily influenced by the country’s high altitude and minority cultures, predominantly featuring lamb, milk, and yogurt. Paul tasted his way through the province and particularly loved the Qinghai milk tea (青海奶茶 Qīnghǎi nǎichá), a sweet style in which barley powder is mixed. #untourontheroad #city不city #baobaoxiong #保保熊#qinghaifood #qinghaieats #milktea #chinesefood #qinghai

Hangzhou’s Longjing (龙井) or Dragon Well tea was granted the statue “imperial tea” by the Kangxi emperor in the Qing Dynasty. Fresh shoots in March and April are the highest grade quality, and they are pan fired and hand rolled as seen here! #chinesetea #dragonwell #dragonwelltea #longjingtea #hangzhoutea #untourfoodtours

This is “Dragon’s beard candy” or 龙须酥 (lóng xū sū). Similar to candy floss, the dessert is sweet and chewy with a melt-in-your-mouth texture. This vendor pops up occasionally on Yuyuan Road near Jiangsu Road (愚园路近江苏路) to make the traditional treat in the classic style by hand. #untourfoodtours #shanghaifood #chinesefood #chinesedesserts #shanghaistreetfood #chinesestreetfood #shanghailife

One of our Shanghai guides is sharing mini vlogs about the little joys he finds living in China - featuring plenty of food, obviously! Check him out at @bao_bao_xiong_ #untourfoodtours #untourshanghai #shanghaifood #shanghaifoodtours #jianbing #jianbingguozi #chinesefood #shanghailife

Shortcuts

Address
Alerts
Contact The Business
Videos
Claim ownership or report listing
Want your business to be the top-listed Travel Agency?

Country:

City: