At the helm of the much-loved and ever-evolving menu of Melbourne’s Atlas Dining, Charlie Carrington is a chef who likes to push the boundaries when it comes to food. Here, he shares his tips for those wanting to immerse themselves in some of China’s most authentic eating and cultural sight-seeing pursuits. Here are Charlie’s tips for food-lovers visiting this fascinating destination.

Beijing 

Beijing is a culture shock that will excite you and push you to your eating limits. Be comfortably aware of the dangers of being a foodie obsessed with trying something new, as Beijing tests you – but gives even greater rewards with every mouthful.

• Kings Joy: Vegetarian food in China was a little difficult to find! This for me was my absolute stand-out meal of Beijing, the food was exciting and really showed great use of incredible vegetarian produce – it’s worth a journey!
• Hutong Food Tour (The Lost Plate): I learnt so much about Beijing history during this tour, I tried a hot pot, grilled chicken wings in an old gambling den, and learnt all about the Mongolian influence that is so evident in Beijing cuisine. They also have a donkey sandwich shop on the way that will test most.
• Beijing Da Dong: The main event of Beijing: Roast Peking duck. The duck is cooked in clay ovens and the skin is super crispy and actually very sweet. This spot deserves a mention as it was seriously a cut above the rest. The menu has plenty of other fantastic dishes too. My personal favourite was a broth made with the duck bones – incredible!
• Hotel Beijing World City: Great Location in the old part of town. Here you can familiarise yourself with the train. It’s unbelievably efficient and a fun way to approach this mega city.
• Tiananmen Square: A must-visit. The scale of the area is quite incredible.
• The Great Wall of China: Book a guide or a taxi to take you there – locals will know a section that you can literally just walk out of the car and onto one of the Seven Wonders of the World. This way you will be alone and able to actually comprehend the scale of the wall, Easily one of the most incredible things I have ever done.

 Chengdu 

I have never been somewhere where the smell of one specific ingredient can be smelt everywhere! I’m not joking – the staff of the Sichuan Peppercorn will put you in an eating trance where you can’t get enough of the addictive numbing-ness and subtle kick featured in everything you will eat. This could be one of the most exciting food destinations globally.

• Ganhaijao Chaoshou: A wonton restaurant in a housing estate. Roughly 60 people are crammed into a two-bedroom apartment knocking out the most delicious dumplings ever! Hard to find but worth the trouble.
• Dongzi Wei Zhang Lao Er Liangfen:  This pumping noodle shop where you fight for a seat (and are in and out in 10 minutes) serves some of the best noodles I’ve ever tried. It’s a great spot to go with a partner and order a few things from the menu. The sweet-water noodles are the stand-out, wow!

• Yan Taipo Guokai: I try not to eat at the same place twice while travelling, but sometimes you must make an exception. I ate hear four out of five days in Chengdu – and ordered the bamboo-stuffed pita. It’s essentially a spicy bamboo salad inside freshly baked bread. It is ridiculous. That’s all  I need to say.
• Hotel: Rhombus Park is great area and very central. There’s so much to do in Chengdu.
• Chengdu Panda Base: Here, they have a 24-hour Big Brother-style TV show nationally broadcasting these pandas. It’s absolutely hilarious visiting them. They are so casual and lazy, it’s hard not to love them. It may be very touristy, but it’s an awesome experience.