The revolution of Chinese cuisine in Barcelona

For years, Chinese cuisine has been simplified and adapted to Barcelona palates, offering a limited and distorted version of its rich culinary diversity. However, new openings in the city have opted for dishes more faithful to the reality of this gastronomic culture, divided into eight great regional traditions.

For this reason, we have selected some of the most interesting proposals that have emerged in the last year, exploring the meaning of their names and the most emblematic dishes. Not only to encourage learning one of the most fascinating languages in the world, but because, in this tradition, each name hides an intention. And remember that, to ask, "How are you?", in Chinese, you can use the endearing expression, "Nǐ chī le ma?", which literally means, "Have you eaten yet?".

Maji Beef Noodles: the artisan noodles that inspired ramen

The Japanese word ramen is a phonetic transcription of the Chinese lamian, which means "hand-pulled noodles". So we could say that the specialty of Maji Beef Noodles (Trafalgar, 50) is at the origin of the famous Japanese dish. Opened in December, the establishment makes artisan Lanzhou beef noodles, originally from the city of Gansu. The name is a tribute to Ma Baozi, a member of the Muslim hui community who established the standards for this dish in 1915.

In addition to their artisan noodles, they also prepare roujiamo, or Chinese hamburger, a pork sandwich from the Shaanxi region (which can also be found at the fantastic West Street, specializing in biang biang noodles), "mouth-watering chicken" (kǒu shuǐ jī) or the popular Wanglaoji herbal tea.

Shu Hero: the unstoppable hotpot fever

Opened last February, this place champions a captivating phrase: "Life's ups and downs, courage and tenderness are found within a pot of hotpot". And this specialty from Sichuan and Chongqing reflects the complexity of existence very well: full of sweet, bitter, spicy and salty moments, which only heroes can face. For this reason, the place is named Shu Yingxiong (Paseo de Sant Joan, 125), which means "the heroes of Shu", in reference to the ancient region of Sichuan.

It should be noted that Shu Hero has chosen Barcelona as its first stop in Europe, offering an experience similar to what can be found in the big cities of Asia. The menu, accessible via a tablet from which the entire order is placed, includes four different broths, which can be combined with the yin-yang pot. In addition, it is worth paying attention to the special dishes they offer during festivities such as Qixi (Chinese Valentine's Day) or the Moon Festival.

Hammer: Sichuan with hammers

The word chuízi, which comes from the Sichuan dialect and translates as "hammer", has been chosen to name this place because, as they themselves explain, each bite at Hammer (Avenida Paral·lel, 99) is an authentic "hammer blow" to the palate. Here they offer some of the most beloved dishes of the Asian province, especially from jianghu cuisine, such as mapo tofu, eggplant with yuxiang sauce or the risky mao xue wang, a dish made with duck blood curd.

In addition, it is the only place in Barcelona where you can try fuqi feipian, "husband and wife lung slices", a dish of thinly sliced beef with a generous amount of spices, conceived by a couple from Chengdu in 1930. Also noteworthy is their selection of typical Sichuan liquors, such as Nongxiang-style baijiu from the Luzhou Laojiao winery, or Kweichow maotai, which maintains a recipe dating back to the Qing Dynasty. Baijiu, we are sure, will soon reach Western cocktail bars.

Joyoo: sweetening worries by building bridges

The Joyoo restaurant (Diputació, 168) opened in December with a menu that focuses on traditional recipes, highlighting the famous crossing-the-bridge noodles. This dish, originally from Yunnan province, has more than a century of history and has been recognized as intangible cultural heritage of Kunming. The noodles are served in a hot broth, with a combination of fresh ingredients that are cooked to order on a bridge-shaped tray.

The famous crossing-the-bridge noodles from Joyoo stand out: this dish, originally from Yunnan province, has more than a century of history and has been recognized as intangible cultural heritage of Kunming

Machi Machi: towards a more sustainable bubble tea

The boom of bubble tea establishments in the city is quite surprising, with a monthly opening rate that makes one wonder if it is really a product that is consumed so much. The recent Yeah Bubble Tea, Yi Fang Fruit Tea (which works with Catalan farms), Chawoo, T8 Tea Bar or Of.cuz seem to demonstrate that there is indeed a business in this drink, invented in the city of Tainan in the mid-1980s.

One of the most interesting, however, is that of the Machi Machi chain (Ronda de Sant Pere, 13). This brand, with more than 70 stores worldwide, adapts to the local flavors of each country where it is established and opts for ecological materials and healthier options, such as sugar-free tea. Among its successes, the milk tea with crème brûlée, the matcha latte with panna cotta and the jasmine with fresh fruits stand out. Machi, by the way, means "friend" in Taiwanese dialect.

Other recent openings to consider

Opened last April, Han Han (Bruc, 36) transports us to the streets of Tianjin with a menu based on jiānbing or Chinese crepes, offering four different types of dough and a wide variety of ingredients to choose from. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, the crepes are complemented with animal-shaped dim sum and milk tea. As a curiosity, the name refers to a somewhat absent-minded or innocent person, but in an affectionate way.

Much more unique is the new Joyful Fish (Ronda de Sant Pere, 23), which opened a few weeks ago and specializes in fish with Chinese sauerkraut, a fermented cabbage with a sour and crunchy taste. They also offer surprising fusions such as a Sichuan tripe stew in chili sauce, accompanied by unlimited rice. The name of the place is a play on words that could simultaneously be translated as "fish with happiness" and "abundant happiness".

Perhaps you haven't heard of Zhengxin Chicken (Sicília, 129), but this chain, founded in 2000 and with more than 10,000 locations worldwide, has chosen Barcelona as its first stop in Spain. Specializing in Taiwanese-style breaded chicken with different levels of spice, it offers a section where you can fill buckets by weight and accompany them with Chinese soft drinks. Don't expect great quality, but do expect abundance, striking colors, and casual food.