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A Long Dinner in Chongqing
Six stops. One Chongqing neighbourhood. Zero tourists.
The Place we will take you…
Houbao is a residential neighbourhood in Chongqing where about fifty thousand people live. It has no sights, no famous street, and nothing a travel agency would bring you to see. What it has is dinner: one street where people have been eating the same things for decades, at the same plastic stools, at the pace the neighbourhood keeps.
There's a word in Chinese for what this feels like. 烟火气, yānhuǒqì. Literally the air of cooking smoke and fire. It describes the texture of ordinary evenings: dinner being made, neighbours talking over it, a street that is lived in rather than looked at. English doesn't have a word for it. You'll know it when you taste it.
So we take you there. Six stops, one unhurried neighbourhood, dinner the whole way. And when the last bowl is empty, the whole river lights up below you.
“I loved discovering Chongqing’s food with Yedu! I discovered truly local places, far from the usual tourist spots. A really authentic experience!
The experience was also designed to accommodate everyone’s food preferences and sensitivities, with less spicy options available. Perfect for foreign visitors who aren’t used to spicy food like me (although Chongqing has seriously improved my spice tolerance!).”
— Clément, France
the menu
Six courses, six kitchens, about a hundred metres apart. We eat this neighbourhood the way a long dinner is meant to go: something gentle to start, then the bowls you sit down for, then something cold at the end.
Dietary notes
Vegetarian — yes. There's something for you at every stop, though at some stops, you'll miss the house dish. Tell us when you book.
Less spicy — yes, we can dial it down at every stop.
Vegan — not on this route.
Gluten-free — not on this route. Wheat is in the noodles, the dumplings, the wontons and most of the sauces.
Severe allergies — we'd gently steer you elsewhere. These are small street kitchens and we can't promise no cross-contamination.
The practical bits
How long About three hours. We start at 6:30pm.
Where We meet/finish at a metro station. Under 2km of walking in total, with about 100m between stops.
Group size Two to six people. Never more than six, so your guide can actually order, translate, and talk to the owners.
Who takes you One of four Yedu guides, all from Chongqing.
Food Enough for dinner. Come hungry.
Drinks One soft drink included. Anything beyond that you can buy along the way.
Price & Booking
¥500 per person. Launch price, our first season in Houbao.
Early bird discount: ¥400 for 10 first guests.
Each dinner runs with two to six guests. Book on your own or as a group.
Regularly running every Wednesday and Saturday evening, starting 14 October. Message us if you wish to book on other dates.
Included
Six courses at six kitchens
One soft drink
Your Chongqing local guide for 3 hours
Small group of 2 to 6 people
The full list of Houbao neighborhood recommendation, sent after the tour
Not included
Alcoholic drinks
Transport
Personal shopping and food outside our six stops
Please contact us before booking to confirm your date. We run a small operation and want to make sure every walk gets the attention it deserves.
Step 1. Reach out with your preferred dates, group size, and language:
Step 2. We'll confirm availability within 24 hours and after confirmation, we will invite you to pay the deposit of 20 euros on this page.
Step 3. Balance due on the night (WeChat, Alipay or cash).
Travelling alone? Message us. We'll put you with the others on that evening and tell you how many to expect before you pay.
Travelling as a group and want the evening to yourselves? Private dinners from ¥700 per person. Just ask.
Why go with us?
We've eaten our way through this neighbourhood more times than we'd like to admit, and these are the six stops that survived.
You'll go with one of Yedu Chongqing local guides, in a group of no more than six. They do the ordering, the translating, and the talking to the owners, who by now know us. You'll know what's in front of you, why it's made that way, and what the man at the next table just said about it.
You could find the neighborhood on a map. But finding the right six stops, in the right order, knowing how much to eat at each one so you're still hungry at the last, and understanding the story behind each dish. That's the part we do.
FAQs
Can I book just one seat?
1
Yes. Most of our guests book one or two. We run the dinner once two people have booked for that evening, so you're never eating alone and never in a crowd.
How spicy is it?
2
Chongqing spicy, which is its own category. We can dial it down at every stop, and there are three stops with nothing hot at all. Tell us when you book and your guide will handle it.
Is this a tasting tour or dinner?
3
Dinner. Six stops over three hours. Come hungry, and pace yourself at the first two stops.
What if it rains?
4
We go during slight rain. Chongqing is wet for a good part of the year and the neighborhood doesn't stop for it. Bring an umbrella. If the weather is genuinely heavy we'll move you to another date or refund you.
Which restaurants do we go to?
5
We keep that for our guests. You'll get the full list, with addresses, after your dinner, so you can go back on your own.
What's your cancellation policy?
6
Deposits are non-refundable except documented emergencies. If you need to change your date, you can reschedule once, free of charge, to any available date within three months, as long as you let us know at least 48 hours before the tour.
Can I book directly through the site?
7
For now, we confirm each booking by message to make sure dates and languages work. This lets us keep our walks small and properly matched. Usually takes less than a day.
