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Download Red Note (小红书) first for every Chinese city — the author says it…

2026-08-02 · 18:06 UTC ·@thealepalombo ·1 min read

Brief

Food strategy and lifestyle advice for travelers in China: start with Red Note (小红书) for city-specific English food guides, use a camera-enabled translation app for ubiquitous QR-code menus, and know top hotel restaurants run roughly 20% pricier yet comparable to the city's best. Strong warning: Sichuan hotpot often causes digestive issues despite its appeal.

Why it matters

Download Red Note (小红书) first for every Chinese city — the author says it contains countless posts from foreigners and super-detailed English food guides they used while traveling through secondary cities.

Key details

  • Expect QR-code menus everywhere; bring a translation app with camera mode as your most useful utensil. Top hotel restaurants often match a city's best offerings but cost about 20% more and have less friction—try them after a week rather than by default.
  • If you have a weak stomach, avoid being overly adventurous: the author warns Sichuan hotpot is a common digestive 'trap'—they and their friends repeatedly overindulge because it tastes great but upsets their intestines.
Source evidence

Food strategy, and overall lifestyle. Guide or no guide, download Red Note: you will find countless posts from foreigners living in China, including super-detailed food guides, in English.

They are good. We used some ourselves when travelling through secondary cities.

• Red Note (小红书) first, for every city.
• Menus are QR codes; a translation app with camera mode is your most useful utensil.
• Top hotel restaurants run close to the city's best, about 20 percent more, with none of the friction. We don't advise going for them by default, but if after a week you feel like a different experience, give it a try.

One warning: if you have a weak stomach, don't be too adventurous. And one specific warning: Sichuan hotpot is the trap, especially if, like me, you believe you can digest everything with no issues. It tastes so good that my friends and I fall for it every single time. I love the spice; our intestines don't. Be careful with Sichuan hotpot.