Like its sun-dappled, tree-lined streets, Hangzhou's cuisine is light and fresh.
Here are three places to try Hangzhou's local cuisine while you are visiting the city.
Grandma's Kitchen, a 12-year-old chain of cheap and cheerful restaurants, is so beloved that eager diners have been known to queue for up to three hours for a table. There are 30 branches across the city, but the most popular is the Hubin Lu outpost, just across the street from West Lake.
Grandma's Kitchen, at 2/F, 3 Hubin Road, is extremely affordable, with few items on the menu topping 50 yuan (HK$61). The menu is thick, packed with colourful photos and amusing English translations.
Be sure to try the succulent roasted longjing tea chicken, honeycomb tofu and the wonderfully light, slightly sweet cauliflower.
Like Grandma's Kitchen, Green Tea Restaurant, at 83 Longjing Road, is inexpensive, wildly popular and always packed.
You can and should make reservations.
