Kunming is stacked with Ynnnanese specialities and more ordinary Chines fare, though there’s also a smattering of upmarket restaurants serving Western dishes. Back lanes running north off Dongfeng Xi Lu or Jinbi Lu have the best stalls and cheap restaurants where you can battle with the locals over grilled cheese, hotpots, fried snacks rolled in chilli powder, loaves of excellent meat-stuffed soda bread, and rich duck and chicken casseroles. Hotels have the most refined surroundings, while city restaurants tend to focus their efforts on the food, so don’t be discouraged by the outward appearance of some ven- ues. ShunchengJie has endless rows of cheap Muslim diners with glazed ducks and fresh ingredients piled up outside; mutton stews, kebabs and lamian- pulled noodles - are popular.

Aema’s 20 Chuncheng Lu. Western-style food and some local dishes ,in an urbane and relaxed atmosphere. Their specialities are steaks, pasta and pizzas.

Backpacker cafes Beijing Lu, south of the Kunhu Fandian, Two crowded backpacker hang-outs offering beer, approximately Western food, bike rental, “tourist consultancies” and earwax removers.

Brotherhood Wuyi Lu. Clean and modern-looking place close to the Provincial Museum where you choose your own stuffed bean curd, bitter melon and sliced meats and cook them in a hotpot.

Cooking School Dongfeng Dong Lu, opposite the Camellia Binguan. The largest efa handful of local efforts serving inexpensive, fairly ordinary Chinese meals. The food isn’t bad, but the service on the ground-floor canteen is - upstairs has less abrupt staff and more comfortable furnishings. Crossing- th-bridge noodles are RMB20-40.

Fuhua Yuan Jingxing Jie. Airy, canteen-like affair in one of the most charismatic parts of town, serv- ing crossing-the-bridge noodles and other light meals downstairs, full meals upstairs.

Golden Sun Italy Cafe & Fennel Pub Cuihu Bei lu. Western-style bars aimed at expat students and teachers. Both offer imported beers and wines, coffee (even cappuccino), and Westernized Chinese dishes along with pizza, tortillas, pasta and ice cream. Happy hours at some point between 8pm and midnight, where you’ll get 3- for.1 deals on bottled beer.

King Dragon Regional Cuisine Village Tuodong Lu. Huge, multi-floored affair with stalls, canteens and sit-down restaurants offering everything from local street snacks through to Cantonese banquet cuisine. Cheaper places are on the ground floor, with posher, private restaurants on successive lev- els. Good fun at the weekends, when it can get very crowded.

Mamafu’s Owned by the same people as Aoma’s, thiecultivated eafe is handy for the Camellia Hotel.

Student cafes Tianjundian Jie. Head north up the alleyway opposite Everbright Bank on Wenlin Jie.An alley full of bars and cafes, most of which fea- ture ads for accommodation and teachers, European meals, and cliquey Westerners. French Cafe (Lan Bai Hong) - look for the tricolour - bas the best reputation, with good pastries and cakes.

Vegetarian restaurant Opposite the Yuantong Si, Yuantong Jie. This is an excellent place, reasonably priced and with an English menu and pictures of the dishes on the wall. Serves a mix of straight vegetable and imitation meat dishes - best of the latter are coconut-flavoured “spareribs” (bamboo shoots, celery and fried bean-curd skin), “chicken” and fungus rolls (dried bean curd), and “fish” (deep fried mashed potato served in a rich garlic and vinegar sauce).

Wei’s Pizza In an alley north off Tuodong Lu. Long-running, popular expat cafe with Iow prices, a book exchange, wood-fired pizzas, coffee, and some unusual Chinese food, including river moss with coriander and Hakka bean curd.

Zhen Xing (Yunnan Typical Local Food) Corner of Dongfeng Dong Lu and Baita Lu. Inexpensive, unadorned restaurant with brusque staff, mostly local clientele, and simple fare that lives up to the restaurant’s name. Noodles RMB3-5; pay at the counter and give the chit to the cook.

To see more information about China restaurants .

To see more information about China .