As with many of the more famous mountains in China, Wutaishan has little in the way of really good dining. Food is normally either very expensive or not of good quality, despite the profusion of restaurants that you will find in the area. Food that could interest can be found however, and particular specialties of the area include the Blotted Cake (Babing) and Guokui Cake (Yuanping guokui), both of which are good for the energy that you will need to scale the mountain.Restaurants and food areas:
The best place to sample anything that comes close to authentic mountain food is probably in the small village of Taihuai. There are quite a number of small privately owned restaurants in operation here, offering fairly simple, although still expensive food. The following are all to be found in this quaint village.
The Ruiyi Restaurant (Ruiyi fandian) opposite the Yuejin Hotel. Has a variety of good Chinese food at reasonable prices.
The Liji Restaurant (Liji fandian) on Shijuliangcheng gonglu, near to the Datong public bus station. Similar to the Ruiyi, although a little more expensive.
Further to the south of the Liji Restaurant are a selection of noodle stands, that are exceptionally cheap for the mountain.
Most of the hotels in town have restaurants that are worth trying. The food in these is not overly exciting, but will definitely be more convenient, perfect for the foot weary mountaineer.