Best Food In China

Location

When friends, family, or foodies come to town, I always know where my first stop is going to be. Located far enough off the beaten path to make you look like a local and with savoury delights unlike the typical Chinese fare, Cai Jia Po will impress your guests and delight their tastebuds.

Despite the fact that Cai Jia Po touts itself as a Shanxi homemade noodle shop, it’s the pot stickers that will keep you coming back, sometimes three to four times a week. Not your typical pan-fried dumplings, Cai Jia Po’s variety come with four different meat fillings (taco meat, pork with seafood, pork with celery and just plain pork) all priced at a reasonable 12 kuai. The taco meat dumplings can be summed up in one word: addictive. While the thought of fusing Mexican and Chinese flavors might not make the discerning Epicurean take note, it would be a shame to miss these. With extra dumpling skin and a spice that makes you sit up and take note, these pot stickers are not to be missed.

If you want to add more lip-tingling to your meal, order up some cold dishes served with a kick. Remember that “Pat the Cucumber” dish that practically every other Xiamen restaurant serves? Well, Cai Jia Po adds liquid lajiao to this staple dish for a big hit of flavor. For only 6 kuai, you’ll be tempted to order another round. But before you do that, dig into the “Bamboo Tofu” dish (10 kuai). A combination of tofu, wood ear fungus, and
green bell peppers, "Bamboo Tofu" has a texture that slides from silky to crunchy in one bite. The best part? This dish looks more like bamboo than a chop off the old tofu block, so you can trick the soy-haters into trying a tofu that is anything but bland.

Cai Jia Po serves up several ways to cool down your mouth after you’ve downed your share of spicy goodness. Tofu with green onions (8 kuai) reduces the fire with a flavor and texture reminiscent of feta cheese. Not to mention that Cai Jia Po whips up their tofu on the premises daily, making it the freshest and most delicious you’ll sample. If you come with a group and aren’t afraid of picking around some chicken feet, get the Big Plate of Chicken (48 kuai). Waiters also serve up Qingdao and Great White Shark beer (4 kuai) in mugs and steins, a welcome relief when you want to actually drink your beer and not take shots of it. Not in a drinking mood? No problem. There’s a Hong Kong style juice bar connected to the restaurant. Try the plum juice (6 kuai) for something new.

If Cai Jia Po's food doesn't make you a believer, then just wait for the ambiance. Down a back alley in the Xiamen University West Village labyrinth, Cai Jia Po offers outdoor seating on a patio that shimmers with strings of light. Located between two residential buildings, the restaurant is an escape from the loud university crowd. If you're lucky, the resident piano prodigy in one of the apartment buildings might put on a private concert during your dinner. Indoor seating is available too, if you prefer air-conditioning to shade and a breeze. Try to get a table you can actually put your legs under!

Cai Jia Po is located inside Xiamen University’s West Village at 21 Dingwozai Road. Phone number 0592-208-6765. From XiaDa’s West Gate, walk toward Siming Lu. Take a right at Dingwozai Road (you’ll see an EMS, China Post, hotel and ICBC bank on this road). Walk to the end of Dingwozai Road and take a right. Walk left down the second alley you see. If you see Brown Sugar on your right, you’ve gone too far. There’s usually
a woman hocking fruit or sesame candies standing in the mouth of the alley. You’ll pass a small outdoor restaurant with plastic tables and a motorcycle with sidecar on your right. Directly beyond that is stairs on your right leading up to Cai Jia Po, an outdoor café with a green gate, yellow sign and brick building. You can take bus 2, 20, 22, 29, 47, 48, 50, 59, 87, 96, 501, 503, 531, 616, or 809 to XiaDa XiCun Zhan (Xiamen University West Village) bus stop.

-- by Jamie Barys