第一楼灌汤包(寺后街店)

Because I was going to the night market in the evening, I ordered two steamed buns and a roasted pepper jelly on the first floor. It was delicious. The filling of the steamed buns was very fragrant and tender. My parents both praised the taste.

The night market for snacks that is open all night and extremely lively is one of the major features of the ancient city of Kaifeng. According to the "Dongjing Menghualu", "The night market lasts until the third watch, and then reopens at the fifth watch. It is a place for fun and entertainment that lasts all night long." Drum Tower Square is the location of the largest night market in Kaifeng. At night, snack trucks of uniform specifications are neatly arranged in the dining area on both sides of the square. The loud and melodious calls and the clash of tableware merge into a moving symphony, making the square the focus of Kaifeng's city that never sleeps.

Kaifeng Diyilou is a century-old restaurant. The Diyilou steamed dumplings sold in the restaurant are a traditional delicacy, which originated from the famous food in Dongjing during the Northern Song Dynasty, the Wanglou Cave Plum Blossom Steamed Buns. The Diyilou steamed dumplings have a beautiful shape, and their shape "looks like a lantern when lifted up, and looks like a chrysanthemum when put down", and are known as "the best food in Zhongzhou". The steamed dumplings are made with careful selection of ingredients and are made with fine flour. They are made with lean meat from the hind legs of pigs as stuffing, and fine flour as skin, and are steamed over high heat. Their characteristics are: beautiful appearance, small and exquisite, thin skin and rich stuffing, oily soup, delicious taste, and refreshing fragrance.

Kaifeng First Floor is said to be the originator of Kaifeng's soup dumplings. We arrived at 10:00 AM, and the waiter said it wouldn't open for half an hour. When we finally arrived, it quickly filled up. This dumpling shop, recommended by locals, is incredibly delicious. We ordered Kaifeng soup dumplings, vegetarian dumplings, baked carp noodles, and crispy pork. The soup dumplings were excellent. The baked carp noodles tasted like sweet and sour fish, but I couldn't eat the crispy pork. The vegetarian dumplings weren't worth ordering. In short, just order the soup dumplings.

When visiting Kaifeng, you absolutely must try the famous "Kaifeng Soup Dumplings," and the ones from Diyilou are a top choice. We arrived at lunchtime, and customers were already arriving. We ordered Kaifeng Soup Dumplings, Beef Tripe, and Crucian Carp Soup. The dishes were served quickly, the portions were generous, and the flavors were excellent. This is a long-established, well-known snack bar, definitely worth a try.

The lighting in the lobby on the first floor was too dim, giving a sense of oppression rather than brightness, which affected my appetite. Why can't a business that profits every day spend more money to renovate the interior? After all, many tourists come specifically for the brand. Some items on the menu were quite expensive. We ended up ordering a set meal; the fish was delicious, and the other dishes were just okay. I wasn't too picky, but this was just a tourist trip.

To outsiders, Kaifeng's First Floor Soup Dumplings are like Goubuli steamed buns to Tianjin, or Quanjude roast duck to Beijing. Bringing memories from nearly ten years ago, I had a group meal at First Floor. The menu included everything from hearty dishes like soup dumplings and braised carp with noodles to local specialties like sweet potato mash and cold noodles. The dumplings are especially delicious when eaten hot; I personally recommend the meat dumplings over the vegetarian ones.