Lao Bian Dumpling Restaurant, Shenyang

For those who yearn for the proverbial "Good Old Days" when the harvest machine was the latest in technology and music lovers waited in line to hear Chopin, snare a table at this Shenyang mainstay. It dates back more than 170 years and enjoys legendary status for serving the area's best jiaozis. Better known as dumplings, these food bombs come crammed with various varieties of meat, seafood and vegetables and rank as the city's most popular local dish. Do not expect anything fancy. Its most notable decor feature is the lack of it.