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Clams, crabs, crayfish, shrimp, oysters—it’s no surprise that Qingdao's specialty is seafood. A shoal of excellent seafood restaurants can be found in or around Minjiang Lu and Yunxiao Lu, where the time between choosing your catch and having it arrive steaming on your plate is about three minutes. For seafood with sea views, there are some cheap and cheerful lunch spots on Qinyu Lu just west of Lu Xun Park.
In Qingdao’s seafood restaurants you’re usually expected to order on entry at the row of tanks, and tell whoever’s assisting you how you’d like your food cooked. Here’s a quick guide: qing zheng means simply to steam; xiang la means to stir-fry with chilies, garlic, and ginger; zha de is deep-fried; and hong shao is braised in soy sauce, rice wine, and a little sugar.
A market-fresh spread of seafood, meats, and vegetables greets you at the entrance of this excellent eatery, a hit with well-heeled locals. Browse the live seafood (a small lobster, freshly steamed, will set you back about Y240), point at the dishes you want to try, and take your seat.
Inside the posh Marina City Mall beside the Olympic Sailing Center, Din Tai Fung serves up its brand of precisely pleated dumplings to CBD execs and tourists staying at the InterCon nearby. The xiaolongbao dumplings from this renowned Taiwanese brand contain delicate fillings and scalding soup—the perfectly steamed crab dumplings pair well with the ocean view.
At this quintessential seafood place, one of many on or around Minjiang Lu, rows of tanks swarm with live sea creatures, with prices marked per jin (about 500 grams, enough for two to share). Order the Qingdao signature: clams fried with chilis and garlic (gala in the local dialect), which pairs perfectly with Tsingtao beer, or try the scallops served suanrong fensi (steamed with garlic and vermicelli noodles).
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