A Chinese Banquet
In a country so overpopulated, the availability of food is something to be celebrated and the Chinese banquet is the focal point for this. If you come on business you'll almost certainly enjoy at least one of these lavish displays of wealth, which often involve the host paying weeks in advance to prevent anyone else trying to do so on the night of the event. Expect lots of extravagant dishes, lots of toasts and as much noise as possible. Indeed the Chinese word for "having a good time,” renao, literally means hot and noisy, something all banquets worth their salt should emulate.
Ordering Food
Unfortunately, accessing China's cornucopia of foods isn't always straightforward, principally because of the language barrier. Thus, many travelers leave with less than the full picture after a trip overrun with dumplings, noodles and stir fries. However, there are several ways to combat this and ensure you get the most from your chopsticks.
Go to restaurants with an English menu – this is an easy way to start, although be aware that the English menu will probably have only a fraction of the dishes the kitchen can actually prepare, those that they think will appeal to foreigners, which are often blander or less exotic in their ingredients.
If there isn't an English menu, start with the language section at the end of this book, which gives both the pinyin and the Chinese characters for all the phrases and dishes listed in this section, along with many more. When ordering, bear in mind they're more likely to have dishes from the region which you're in (keyi jieshao yidao cai ma literally "can you introduce a dish?” is always a good question to ask).
Have a look around – seeing what other folks are eating and pointing at whatever you like the look of should do the trick. Similarly, the staff may invite you back into the kitchen (or the raw produce may be on display), in which case, pointing should once again get across your meaning and you can use the language section to explain how you would like it cooked.
Try to order a balance of foods for your group – one or two meat dishes, one fish and one or two vegetable or tofu dishes along with rice or noodles for a group of six to eight should suffice. This is the way Chinese food is designed to be eaten, offering contrasting flavors and textures, and it also means you're sure to find something you like.
If the above sounds like a culinary disaster waiting to happen, you could go on an organized group tour – if you're on a tour chances are you'll have a guide or tour leader familiar with both the language and the cuisine and who can pick the best regional specialties for you. Some companies even organize culinary tours (see Specialized Tours).
A few other points are worth noting:
Dishes will usually serve at least two when eaten with rice, although some places offer small and large plates.
If a meat dish doesn't specify, it will be pork, the staple meat of the country.
Rice tends to be served at the end of the meal (only to be used as a filler once the best dishes are consumed), unless you specify you want it at the same time as the meal itself.
The flavor enhancer, MSG (monosodium glutamate), is heavily used in much of the food – indeed sometimes you are given extra should you wish to put it in! MSG can cause headaches and more serious health problems and is best avoided, especially as the food is tasty enough already. Say "wo bu yao weijing,” (I don't want MSG) when ordering.
Drinks
It's important to make sure you consume enough fluids while on the road, especially during the summer months, and China offers a host of ways to quench your thirst, be it a refreshing cup of jasmine tea or a nice cold Tsingtao beer after a hard day sightseeing. You should never drink the tap water, but bottled mineral water is readily and inexpensively available throughout the country ($1-2 for a small bottle, or $3-4 at tourist sights), while hotel rooms and trains will always have a supply of safe boiled water. Soft drinks are also popular and you'll find all the familiar brands along with a few of China's own such as Jianlibao, which is worth a try. You'll also find fresh fruit juices, especially in the south.
Alcohol
Alcohol is widely available in China in many forms and most restaurants and cafés will serve beer and spirits, while big cities have plenty of bars, pubs and clubs. Beer (pijiu) is the most common alcoholic drink, thanks to the German annexation of Qingdao, which produces the country's finest beer, internationally exported Tsingtao (an old transliteration of the town name).
Almost every region has its own brewery and they're all fairly quaffable, all the more so due to the low price. At around 40 cents for a 640 ml bottle from a canteen or shop, beer is similarly priced to mineral water, although you'll pay far more in bars, especially for imported brands. This affordability and availability makes beer a common accompaniment to most meals, even if that's lunch served at 11 am.
While beer is most often drunk, liquor is fundamental to the banquet scene and shouts of ganbei (dry glass) echo around the room with alarming regularity. Drinking games are also popular and you'll see groups of men furiously shouting out numbers to try and guess the number of fingers their competitors will hold up. Baijiu, made from millet or sorghum, and mijiu, made from rice, are the principal liquor offerings, but in the city bars you'll find all manner of imported brands. Don't be surprised if you see a liquor bottle with a snake inside it; this is yet another alleged booster for male virility.
China also produces a few wines, the best-known being Dynasty and Great Wall, though if you want to drink wine you're better off splashing out on an imported European or New World bottle, available at upscale restaurants, supermarkets and department stores. This said, things could be set to change with a little help from France in the form of the Sino-French vineyard, which had its first harvest in 2003 (see Vino China).
Entertainment & Nightlife
The new China offers a host of entertainment possibilities, from the ultra-modern to those that hark back to bygone days. Traditionally, entertainment came in the form of opera (see Music) and acrobatics troupes who performed in teahouses and theaters, but today karaoke (KTV) and nightclubs are equally as popular!