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Hangzhou Food & Nightlife: Spicy Grilled Fish & Bar Crawl

Insanely Delicious Food in HANGZHOU, CHINA | Travel Vlog 🇨🇳

Destination:ChinaCity:HangzhouPopulation: 12.4 million
Insanely Delicious Food in HANGZHOU, CHINA | Travel Vlog 🇨🇳
Always Away10 min

Insanely Delicious Food in HANGZHOU, CHINA. This was filmed by Always Away. Watch the full journey and explore the filming details and destinations on this page.

In this video we leave the gorgeous town of Wuzhen and head to the big city of Hangzhou where we eat at a popular chain - Kao Master - known for it's spicy grilled fish. We end the night by doing a bar crawl across the center of Hangzhou, getting stamps from every bar we stop at! 🫣

We’re Dom and Emma! For over a decade, we’ve been traveling the world together, turning our love for adventure into a way of life. We started out backpacking through Southeast Asia, but in 2016, vanlife became our thing—partly so we could bring our pug, Percy, along for the journey.

Since then, we’ve lived out of everything from a tiny kei car camper during three months of vanlife in Japan to larger vans exploring Europe, with highlights in the Alps, Dolomites, and Germany. We’ve also spent years living in Thailand, working as teachers and digital nomads in Chiang Mai and Phayao, soaking up the culture and making it our second home.

--- Always Away
April 30, 2025, Spring in China

Travel Guides & Tips in this video

The travelers depart the ancient water town of Wuzhen for Hangzhou, beginning with a traditional breakfast of dumplings, eggs, rice porridge, and steamed buns. They visit Cow Master, a popular chain known for Sichuan-style spicy grilled fish, tofu, tofu skin noodles, and Chinese leaf. Sichuan peppercorns create a distinctive numbing sensation, and the meal is large enough for four or five people. At night, the pair use a Hangzhou Drunk Map stamp book to visit seven bars. They try cocktails and craft beer, though one traveler leaves drinks unfinished before an early hike. The video also notes clean, quiet streets and the prevalence of electric vehicles.

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Insanely Delicious Food in HANGZHOU, CHINA | Travel Vlog 🇨🇳

From Wuzhen to Cow Master

The vlog follows travelers leaving the ancient water town of Wuzhen and going to Hangzhou. They start with a traditional Chinese breakfast of dumplings, eggs, rice porridge, and steamed buns. On arrival in Hangzhou, they head to Cow Master, a popular chain restaurant known for Sichuan-style spicy grilled fish. The meal includes tofu, tofu skin noodles, and Chinese leaf. The travelers say the flavor is distinctive and the portion is generous enough for four to five people.

The Sichuan peppercorns create a numbing sensation that surprises one traveler at first. They later recognize it as a characteristic effect of the spice. The tofu skin has a flat-noodle shape and a rough texture that absorbs the sauce. The restaurant meal is an opportunity to try several ingredients and note how the peppercorns and accompaniments contribute to the overall flavor.

Hangzhou Drunk Map and city streets

At night, the travelers start a bar crawl using a “Hangzhou Drunk Map,” a stamp book for seven participating bars. They visit venues and collect stamps while trying cocktails and craft beers. One traveler leaves drinks unfinished because of an early morning hike, while the other attempts to finish more. The crawl continues past midnight.

Their walk through Hangzhou reveals clean and quiet streets, which the source partly attributes to the widespread use of electric vehicles. The video also contrasts the ancient town of Wuzhen with Hangzhou's city setting and mentions familiar convenience stores such as Lawson. It combines food, a planned night out, and observations about urban life. Visitors can try local breakfast dishes, ask about the spice level at Cow Master, and learn how the bar map structures an evening route.

FAQs (From the traveler's perspective)

Q: What was the food like at Cow Master?
A: The spicy grilled fish is served Sichuan-style and has a distinctive numbing sensation from Sichuan peppercorns. The meal also includes tofu skin noodles and other accompaniments, which absorb the sauce.
Q: What is the Hangzhou Drunk Map?
A: It is a stamp book for a bar crawl. The travelers aim to visit seven participating bars and collect a stamp from each one.
Q: Why are Hangzhou's streets quiet?
A: The video attributes the quiet streets partly to the widespread use of electric vehicles, which are quieter than traditional combustion-engine vehicles.
Q: What was the most surprising food texture?
A: The travelers are surprised by tofu skin, which they describe as flat and noodle-like with a rough texture. It absorbs the surrounding sauce well.

Previous travel video:

Hangzhou Food & Nightlife: Spicy Grilled Fish & Bar Crawl

In this video we leave the gorgeous town of Wuzhen and head to the big city of Hangzhou where we eat at a popular chain - Kao Master - known for it's spicy grilled fish. We end the night by doing a bar crawl across the center of Hangzhou, getting stamps from every bar we stop at! 🫣 🇨🇳 Use code...

Hangzhou Food & Nightlife: Spicy Grilled Fish & Bar Crawl Vlog

Embark on a culinary adventure in Hangzhou, China, as we dive into the vibrant food scene! From the mouthwatering spicy grilled fish at Kao Master to an exciting bar crawl through the city center, this vlog captures the essence of Hangzhou's nightlife and gastronomic delights. Join us as we explore the city's flavors and experiences, making unforgettable memories.

Attractions in this video: Ancient Water Town, Mall, Bar