Shanghai 3-in-1 All-Inclusive: Culinary Tour, Tailor Made Clothes, & Sightseeing

This is a food tour so be ready to eat!

• All meals on the trip are included in the price (7 buffet breakfasts at the hotel plus 6 lunches and 6 dinners). The only meal not included in your trip price is dinner on the night you arrive on Sunday, October 13 - this will be on your own at your own expense. We recommend taking a short 5 minute walk from the hotel to one of the many food establishments at Yu Garden for some yummy Chinese food!
• The buffet breakfast at the hotel you'll eat each day includes both western food and Chinee food, so depending on your mood each day you can stick with something you know or be adventurous and try something new, or go with a combination of both!
• For each of the 12 meals outside of the hotel (6 lunches and 6 dinners), we'll eat a different type of Chinese cuisine. Here's a list and description of each of the 12 types of cuisine we'll eat:
• Steamed Dumplings (xiao long bao) - A special type of dumpling served hot in a bamboo basket, these steamed dumplings originated in Shanghai and come in many varieties. They are often filled with soup, which makes for a delicious combination of senses in the mouth. We’ll visit an off-the-beaten-path dumpling spot popular with the locals, so you can get a true sense of how Shanghainese citizens enjoy one of their favorite types of food.
• Shanghai Pan-fried Dumplings (sheng jian bao) - A type of dumpling with a crunchy bottom, soft body, and pork/shrimp/vegetable soup combination on the inside, the type of dumpling called ""sheng jian bao"" is a staple of the Shanghai diet, and is absolutely delicious! Add a side of beef curry soup to complement the dumplings and you'll be a very happy person after this meal.
•  Hot Pot - Each person will have their own individual hot pot, which consists of a simmering pot of flavored stock of your flavor choice. You’ll then put a variety of raw meats, vegetables, noodles, seafood, and other items into your pot, which cook very quickly. Lastly you’ll dip each item in a sauce (of your flavor choice) and then enjoy this wonderful and extremely popular food.
• Sichuan Cuisine - Famous for it's liberal use of garlic, chili peppers, and the unique flavor of the Sichuan peppercorn, Sichuan cuisine is known throughout the world for its bold flavors. Some common Sichuan dishes include dandan mian (noodles), huiguorou (double-cooked pork), kung-pao chicken, and fuqi feipian (sliced beef).
• Yunnan Cuisine - In the southern part of China, bordering Vietnam, Laos, and Burma, is the province of Yunnan. Dishes from this part of China are known for featuring a variety of different mushrooms, as well as other plants and vegetables. Famous dishes include ""crossing the bridge"" noodles, wild mushrooms, rice noodles, steam pot chicken, roasted rice cakes, and cheese made from cow's or goat's milk.
• Cantonese Cuisine - Due to the large number of emigrants from the Guangdong area in China, Cantonese cuisine plays an extremely prominent role in Chinese cuisine overseas. In fact, the majority of Chinese food eaten in the USA can be described as Cantonese food. Dim sum is one of the more famous styles of Cantonese cuisine. Famous dishes include sweet and sour pork, rice noodle roll, wonton noodles, pork buns, roast goose, and duck. Cantonese desserts include flavors/ingredients such as black sesame, red bean, egg custard, and shaved ice.
• Beijing Cuisine - As the capital of China, Beijing cuisine has been influenced heavily by food from other parts of China, but there are definitely some specific items that are famous in Beijing - the most famous one being Peking duck. Other well-known dishes include stir-fried tomatoes and scrambled eggs, dumplings, noodles (zha jiang mian), stuffed fried panckes (jian bing), and many more.
• Xinjiang Cuisine - Located in the far upper northwest corner of China, the Xinjiang region has their own distinct way of life, culture, and food. We'll enjoy a traditional singing/dancing performance at a Xinjiang restaurant while feasting on specialties such as lagman (meat and vegetables over noodles), dapanji (chicken and potatoes), kebab (lamb, beef, chicken), and polu (rice dish). 
• Nanjing Cuisine - Just to the north of Shanghai, the capital of Jiangsu province is called Nanjing, an area known for delectable treats, often accompanied by soup, and often with exquisite presentation. Some of the more well-known dishes include steamed dumplings, duck blood soup, sesame pancakes, hairy crab, and a variety of seafood from the nearby ocean waters.
• Shaanxi Cuisine - Hailing from the landlocked province of Shaanxi is a type of cuisine best known for noodles as well as lamb/mutton dishes. The food has a reputation for having a heavy taste and a strong flavor. At a local Shaanxi restaurant we'll taste such items as biangbiang noodles, roujiamo (a hamburger-type food filled with pork or lamb), and lamb soup.
• Hunan Cuisine - Famous for its liberal use of chili peppers, garlic, and shallots, Hunan cuisine is hot and spicy! But don't worry if you don't like hot or spicy food, as there's plenty of other types of food you can try. Some well known dishes include beer duck, dry-wok chicken, Mao's braised pork, spare ribs steamed in bamboo, and pumpkin cake.
• Taiwanese Cuisine - As a tiny island off the coast of mainland China, Taiwanese cuisine takes influences not only from China, but also from Japan since it was ruled by the Japanese for a period in the early 20th century. Seafood plays a major role in Taiwanese cuisine, as well as pork, chicken, rice, and soy. One of the most fun parts includes some eye-catching desserts, made up of beans, shaved ice, and fruit.
• Bottled water at each meal is included in your trip price, but you are responsible to pay for any other drinks you order at lunch or dinner.