I Tried The Best Street Food in China

TL;DR

China's street food across Xi'an, Chengdu, Shanghai, and Chongqing delivered world-class flavor for under $3 a dish.

Key Points

• 1.Xi'an: Eggplant bao (2 for $0.50), egg-stuffed youtiao, pork loin jiamo sandwich, and Biang Biang noodles — the city where noodles were invented — all stunned the host as among the best he'd ever eaten
• 2.Xi'an's Xun Rou Da Bing: Smoked pork shoulder chopped 50/50 lean and fat, wrapped in a deep-fried crispy shell — described as "the perfect blend of pork" and a childhood staple for locals
• 3.Chengdu: A whole duck hot pot dunked in Sichuan chili oil with vegetables, tofu skin, and jelly noodles cost just $7.25 and was called better than a full Peking duck meal
• 4.Chengdu's Tian Shui Mian (Sweet Water Noodle): Pinky-thick handmade noodles hitting all five tastes — salty, sweet, umami, spicy, and bitter — at a spot that made the Michelin list and may be one of the last serving this style
• 5.Shanghai: Loaded jianbing with fried chicken, sausage, youtiao, and sweet fermented bean sauce for $3; plus shengjian bao and guotie (pot stickers) for $1, and lard-cooked cai fan rice with mushrooms and cured pork
• 6.Chongqing: You Cha (chewing tea) — congee with fried dough and pickled vegetables — plus a $2 wok-fried twice-cooked pork fried rice and flamethrower beef skewers with numbing Sichuan spice
• 7.The host estimated spending roughly $100 total across the entire trip covering four cities, concluding that nearly any street corner in China delivers Michelin-level cooking at working-class prices