High-quality route 8: A bite of Shenyang

Recommendation: Complete Man-Han Banquet, Laobian dumplings, Ma's Steamed Dumplings, Bao Fa Yuan, Li Liangui Bacon Pie, Xita Korean food.

A complete Manchu-Han Banquet, or Man Han Quan Xi, features royal delicacies and local cuisine that highlight the different styles of Manchu dishes (barbecue, hot pot cooking etc) while also presenting culinary skills gleaned from the ethnic Han Chinese, including broiling and deep frying. Shenyang’s Lu Ming Chun restaurant is a highly recommended restaurant serving Man Han Quan Xi.

Famous for their ingredients and production process, Laobian dumplings are made by frying a meat stuffing, then stewing the stuffing in chicken or bone soup to increase its flavor.

Ma's Steamed Dumplings, created by Ma Chun in 1796, is a popular snack among the Hui ethnic group that features springy skin, soft stuffing and delicious flavor.

Bao Fa Yuan is a time-honored restaurant with a history dating back over 100 years. In 1980, four Bao Fa Yuan dishes – fried liver, pork kidney, scrambled eggs and fried meatballs – were declared “four famous dishes” by Shenyang’s municipal government. The four dishes also won Shenyang’s top cuisine award for five consecutive years.

The Li Liangui Bacon Pie brand was first established in 1842 by Li Liangui, who was inspired by a traditional Chinese medicine doctor to infuse herbal remedies into the smoked pork pie, producing a dish that’s fatty but not greasy,

Xita (Korean Town) is a hotspot for South Korean cuisine including Korean barbecue, cold noodles, tteokbokki (spicy sauteed rice cake), and beef tripe hotpot.