As a result of hundreds of years of culinary experimentation, Suzhou cuisine has developed a unique flavor and a famed reputation. Each course is individually prepared and the emphasis is on the use of quality ingredients, tender meat, fresh vegetables and care in preparation. The result is a selection of fabulous dishes that are unique in color, aroma, shape and taste. Suzhou cuisine is often sweet to taste and beautifully presented.

The fish and vegetable dishes of the area are well known throughout China and some of the best local dishes to try are; Songshu Guiyu (Mandarin Fish, stewed and fried), Qingtang Yuchi (braised shark's fin in a clear soup), Xiangyou Shanhu (stewed shredded eel) and Xigua Ji (young chicken buried in watermelon rind and steamed). The best places to try for good and authentic Suzhou cuisine are on Gangzhou Lu and around the middle of Renmin Lu.

The snacks in Suzhou are also tasty. Try the bean curd cakes with honey, pine nuts in syrup, melon seeds fried with rose juice and sesame cake with mashed date.

International cuisine has made its way to the city restaurants, largely thanks to the fact that Suzhou is a tourist town. The big hotels do some great western food and there are even a couple of smaller independent restaurants around town branching into the continental cuisine area. KFC and McDonalds are already well established!

Famous Restaurants:

Deyue Lou
Deyue Lou Specializes in Suzhou cuisine like watermelon chicken (xigua ji), jiyou caixin and house creations like deyue tongjiand xishi wanyue. (Address) 25/27 Taijian Long, Guanqian Jie 25/27⑤ (Phone number) 6522 2230 (Opening hpirs) 10am to 10pm

Kunshan aozao restaurant
Famous for their fish noodle soup (hong you baoyu mian). (Address) 155 Tinglin Lu, Kunshan County 155 (Phone number) 5755 3979 (Opening hpirs) 5:30am to 1:30pm, 4:15pm to 7:45pm

Shijia restaurant
Established during the Qing dynasty, known for their three-shrimp tofu (sanxia doufu), jiyou caixin and ba fei soup (bafei tang), a kind of fish soup. (Address) 15-1 Jinshan Lu, Mudu Town 15-1 (Phone number) 6626 1401 (Opening hpirs) 10:30am to 9:30pm

Song he lou
Visited by Emperor Qianlong who provided the calligraphy for the restaurant’s doorway tablet, restaurant specializes in the squirrel shaped mandarin fish (qingliu daxia), meat and sticky rice steamed in a lotus leaf (heye fenzhengrou) and jiyou caixin. (Address)141 Guanqian Jie 141⑥ (Phone number)6727 7006 (Opening hpirs) 10:30am to 10pm

Suzhou snack restaurant
Specializes in Suzhou snacks such as baitang wushu' ou, osmanthus rice dumplings (guihua tangyuan), sticky rice with duck’s blood (chao xuenuo) and snails in soy sauce (jiang tianlluo). (Address) 19 Taijian Long, Guanqian Jie 19 (Phone number) 6523 7603 (Opening hours) 10:30am to 1:30pm, 4:45pm to 9:30pm

Wangsi restaurant
Specializes in youji, a succulent chicken dish and aoshan niao, a kind of bird, also try their homebrewed liquor (zizhi guihua baijiu)-it’s strong stuff. (Address) 35 Taijina Long, Guanqian Jie 25 (Phone number) 6522 7277 (Opening hours) 11am to 2pm, 4:30pm to 9:30pm

Special Touring Regions:

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