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There are so many delicious foods in Qingdao, don't go to the seafood bigwigs. Follow the locals to these places and you won't get ripped off:
Want to eat where the locals eat? Navigate to Zhangzhou Second Road, Gaoxiong Road, Minjiang Road, Wanda Plaza, Golden Lion Plaza, Ginza, and Kai De. You can't go wrong.
Craving authentic Korean cuisine? Navigate to Zhangzhou Second Road or Chengyang Wanda Plaza, where Koreans gather. The Korean food is authentic; you can't go wrong. I like Hanxiang, Seoul Ginseng Chicken Soup, Jiang Hudong, and Ms. Rong.
Want seafood? Navigate to Tuandao Market, Shenghuojia Market, Yingkou Road Market, and Buxi Market. Buy seafood yourself, have a pint of beer at a beer house, then have it stir-fried. If you don't want the hassle, I recommend Erjie Seafood Barbecue. The small seafood mixed with cold noodles, windproof Peeled Shrimp, garlic oyster pot are must-orders every time; the taste and service are both superb.
Want barbecue or wild hot pot? Navigate to Diaochan, Lubinghua, Qiaodi, or Erhong Wild Hot Pot. The taste is very authentic Qingdao. Alternatively, near the hotel, go to the popular reviewed Wild Hot Pot. Just go to the one with lots of reviews; you can't go wrong.
Craving hot pot? Navigate to Ge Lao Guan, Dongzhen Old Hot Pot, Donglaishun, or Jiaolele.
Want to drink coffee by the sea? Navigate to Third Beach, Stone Man, University Road, or Qin Island Road. I love going to Vanilla and Sof, watching the sunset over the sea is amazing, and Wildd is very retro with delicious cakes, while DDAC has a Southern France feel.
Want to eat night market snacks? Navigate to Taidong Night Market or Licun Night Market, which close around 10-11 pm, so go early.
Want to eat Qingdao-style seafood? Lv's Geda Tang, Kaihai, Chuange Yu, Feichanghao, Weizhuang, Lanhai, Qiaojiaodong. Locals will go to these places for dinner with their elders.