Fodor's Expert Review Grandma's Home

This ultra-popular Hangzhou chain packs in locals who flock here for homestyle Zhejiang cuisine at unbeatable prices. Good food at low cost means long waits, but the queue system is orderly and you can wander around the mall. If you're a group of 10 or more, you can call and book a semi-private room. The long menu is a mostly Zhejiang regional fare with a few dishes from other parts of China like mapo doufu (cubed soft tofu in chili oil). Must-orders include the clay pot roast chicken marinated in green tea leaves, piquant sautéed long beans with peppercorns, and spicy cauliflower stir-fried with garlic and tiny pieces of Jinhua ham (for which Zhejiang is known). Cool your burning tongue with winter melon juice and finish the meal with a plate of green tea pastry, the slightly flaky outside covered in sesame seeds and giving way to a sweet green tea paste within.

This outpost of Grandma's Home (外婆家) is not to be confused with Grandma's Kitchen, one floor up.