CHONGQING (CQNEWS) -- Recently, Beijing released the Dianping List of Must-visit Eateries for 2024, which includes 2,797 restaurants in 119 cities. The number of cities on the list has exceeded 100 for the first time, and the number of listed merchants and cities has reached an all-time high. It’s also worth noting that there are 93 Chongqing merchants on the list, making it the fourth city in China with the largest number of listed restaurants.

Following the footsteps of the masses in discovering various culinary delights, Dianping has significantly enhanced its capacity for exploration. Half of the 58 newly listed cities this year are popular destinations for gourmet journeys, covering suburban districts and counties. Besides, the list includes more traditional old shops and small restaurants offering genuine food compared to previous years, and half of the listed eateries are merchants with local specialties. The List of Must-visit Eateries for 2024 has become a big stage for small merchants and a trendsetter of the catering industry, showcasing the diverse food cultures of different regions, further stimulating consumption, and boosting the development of the real economy.

Shenhuo Barbecue, which has been open in Chongqing for 18 years, has been listed for the third time this year. This April the owner, Chen Shixin, just opened a new store on Binjiang Road, Changfuhui, Fuling.

“The competition among barbecue businesses is fierce, so we have been constantly innovating the dishes we serve. For example, our new dish, chicken feet that are first marinated and then grilled, can sell 600,000 annually,” said Chen Shixin. Shenhuo Barbecue serves many unique dishes, such as crispy roast duck, honey pork ribs, grilled glutinous rice, and lotus root, which are very popular among consumers. They are constantly developing new dishes to create their exclusive competitive edges.

Gongdawa Douhua Noodles, located in Nan'an District, Chongqing, was listed for the first time. "Considering that Dianjiang is famous for its stone-milled douhua (tofu pudding), and Xiaomian noodles are a local specialty in Chongqing, I came up with the idea of combining the two dishes," said Mr. Gong, the owner of Gongdawa Douhua Noodles. In addition to the traditional spicy flavor, they use braised pork sauce, mushrooms, and tofu pudding to create a rich and layered texture, which is inspired by the Taiwanese-style braised pork rice.

Hot pot, one of the representative delicacies of Chongqing, is undoubtedly the must-try delicacy. Nearly 20 Chongqing hot pot and chuanchuan (skewers) restaurants are included in the List of Must-visit Eateries for 2024, including Linjiangmen Xiuniang Chuanchuanxiang.

Linjiangmen Xiuniang Chuanchuanxiang (Photo provided by the interviewee)

"This year marks the 15th year of our store's opening. The Linjiangmen store has expanded from one to two, and the number of tables in the store has also increased from around 30 to more than 80, which can accommodate hundreds of people to dine simultaneously." Hu Zengyong, the store owner told us that there are often long queues in the store on weekends and holidays, and their set meals on Dianping are also selling well.

Based on hundreds of millions of customer reviews, Dianping has selected 2729 restaurants for the List of Must-visit Eateries for 2024 from tens of millions of merchants, of which 20% are non-cooperative merchants. The list is credible and popular among consumers, which naturally brings good business to the merchants. The List of Must-visit Eateries is helping merchants grow together with the platform through online traffic support, digital operation guidance, and other measures. Data shows that since the List of Must-visit Eateries for 2023 was released, the online traffic of listed merchants has increased by nearly 50% year-on-year, and the first Must-eat Food Festival drove the transaction volume of merchants to grow by more than 80% on a yearly basis. (Translated by Yuki, Fathom Language Limited)