Sanya Dining

Fresh and tasty tropical fruits as well as delicious fresh seafood are the indispensable food feast in Sanya. In Sanya, tropical fruits are as common on the streets as coconut trees. Shopping for ingredients in the seafood market and cooking authentic seafood at the seafood processing shop are must-see experiences. The delicious food in Sanya is mainly concentrated in the urban area, especially the first market and the surrounding areas are the liveliest. It is very convenient to buy seafood or process seafood. Surrounding specialty shops and tropical fruit shops are also very abundant. Every evening, the noisy night market is a good place to shop.

What to Eat in Sanya

Wenchang Chicken(文昌鸡)

Wenchang chicken, also known as plain chicken or boiled chicken, is the top of Hainan's four famous dishes and the prototype of Hainan chicken rice which is famous overseas. Chicken is selected from the carefully formulated domestic chickens, with tight meat quality and moderate fat. Cooked Wenchang chicken with garlic sauce highlights the unique flavor of Hainan sauce while retaining the silky texture of the chicken itself. It is a truly famous Hainan dishes.

Hele Crab(和乐蟹)

Hele crab is a unique crab in Wanning area of Hainan. It is famous for its hard shell and rich meat. Its cooking methods are various, the best is steamed Hele crab, which retains the original flavor of crab meat, in the meantime, can also taste the unique flavor of Hainan sauce. 

Jiaji Duck(加积鸭)

The unique feature of Jiaji duck is the process of duckling breeding. The two-month-old ducklings are raised in captivity to minimize activities for breeding and fattening. The mature duck meat is fragrant and tender, fat but not greasy. The duck is cooked into white chopped duck, while retaining the most original taste of the duck meat. The sauce is made from duck soup matching with chili, chopped garlic and other ingredients. Fat and lean duck meat is served with a refreshing sauce, which is addictive. 

Dongshan Sheep(东山羊)

There is a saying in Hainan: "Eating Dongshan sheep in winter is like wearing cotton clothes". Raised in the Dongshan mountains of Wanning city, Hainan province, Dongshan sheep is famous for its high quality mutton. The Dongshan sheep has dark hair, smooth skin and lean meat, and is lighter odor and more nutritious than other kinds of mutton. Dongshan mutton in Hainan is mainly stewed in thick soup. Tourists can also boil the mutton by themselves in the restaurant and taste a delicious and nourishing mutton feast.

Fresh Seafood(生猛海鲜)

How can you miss a big seafood meal in Sanya? Both seafood markets and seafood processing shops in Sanya are abundant, there are a variety of seafood in the market and the price is cheap. In addition to common seafood, visitors are recommended to taste sea urchins, grouper, abalone, Hele crab. Tourists can choose their favorite live seafood at the seafood market, bargain with vendors, and find a nearby processing shop to help process. They can also taste other specialties such as four-angled beans, fruit scrambled ice and so on at the processing shops.

Baoluo Rice Noodle(抱罗粉)

Baoluo rice noodle is a famous snack in Hainan. Smooth rice noodles match thick soup made with multiple seasonings. The rice noodles are soft and smooth, and the soup is sweet and spicy. The prominent feature of Baoluo rice noodle is its unique soup, which is sweet but not greasy. Many Sanya people like to eat it for breakfast. There are two ways to eat it: dry mixing and rice noodle with soup. The best choice for tourists is the rice noodle with soup, in comparison, tourists can taste the original taste of the Baoluo rice noodle in this way.

Coconut Rice(椰子饭)

Coconut rice is one of the must-try delicacies in Sanya and can be enjoyed as a staple along with dishes such as seafood. Coconut rice is steamed with high quality glutinous rice from Hainan, together with natural coconut meat and coconut juice. The soft glutinous rice is full of strong coconut flavor, and there is no lack of coconut sweetness in its tenderness. 

Four-angled Bean(四角豆)

Four-angled Bean, also known as "dragon bean", it is a featured plant growing in tropical rainforest and one of Hainan's specialties. Four-angled Bean is a very common vegetable in Hainan and a favorite dish in Sanya. Usually, it is stir-fried with minced garlic, and the bean is not only chewy, but also a good choice for reducing internal heat and moistening lung. Almost every restaurant in Sanya has this dishes, which can be eaten as a refreshing vegetable with seafood.

Nourish Cool(清补凉)

Nourish cool is a ice-cool dessert in Hainan island. Food materials can be more than 10 kinds, can also be dozens of kinds, mainly made from red beans (mung beans), barley, peanuts and coconut meat, watermelon, pineapple, coconut milk, etc. In fiery-hot Sanya, nourish cool is the best dessert for relieving summer heat and reducing internal heat, strengthening spleen and benefiting lungs. There are nourish cool stalls all over Sanya on the street and alleys. Visitors can also add other ingredients to the dessert as they like.

Fruit Scrambled Ice(水果炒冰)

Scrambled ice is a popular summer dessert in Sanya. Squeeze the juice from fresh fruit, mix the condensed milk, and quickly turn it into ice on the condenser plate. The ice scrambled from natural fruits has fine and smooth texture, just melting in the mouth. All kinds of tropical fresh fruits can be used as the raw materials for scrambled ice, so that visitors can feel a refreshing cool in the hot summer.

Where to Eat in Sanya

Seafood Processing Shops

A feast of seafood is indispensable in Sanya, and there are countless seafood shops along the street. However, how to choose a seafood processing shop with excellent cooking skills and reasonable prices needs to rely on tourists’ “penetrating insight”. There are three major seafood markets in Sanya: The First Market, Youyi road seafood square for laid-off workers and Chunyuan seafood plaza(春园海鲜广场). Among them, the First Market has the largest scale and the largest number of tourists. There is also a night market to visit in the evening, which is the best choice for eating seafood.

Tourists can ask the staff of the processing shop to help them choose seafood in the market for free. These people usually know the seafood better, and can also help tourists to bargain, killing two birds with one stone. Processing stores usually list the price of processing a seafood dish, such as three oysters for 10 yuan and one lobster for 50 yuan. Remember to confirm the price before processing.

1. Hua Jie Jia Sichuan Flavor Seafood(花姐家川味海鲜)
Address: No.132, Xinmin Street, Tianya District, Sanya City(near the first market)三亚市天涯区新民街132号(近第一巿场)
Tel: 15289777717/18351883129

2. Little Scallops Seafood Processing Shop(小扇贝海鲜加工店)
Address: No.136, Xinmin Street, The First Market, Tianya District, Sanya City三亚市天涯区第一市场新民街136号
Tel: 15203077756

3. A Bao A Man Seafood Processing Shop(阿宝阿满海鲜加工店)
Address: Phoenix Seafood Square, No.8, Haihong Road, Sanya Bay, Tianya Dsitrict, Sanya City三亚天涯区三亚湾海虹路8号凤凰海鲜广场
Tel: 15595756696/18889245484

4. A Lang Seafood(阿浪海鲜)
Address: No.117, Xinmin Street, Tianya District, Sanya City三亚市天涯区新民街117号
Tel: 0898-88273672/13976282664/13617579845

5. Sichuan Xiaohuzi Seafood Processing Shop(四川小胡子海鲜加工店)
Address: No.126, Xinmin Street, Tianya District, Sanya City三亚市天涯区新民街126号
Tel: 15109887031/15109887131

6. Sister Lin Delicious Seafood(林姐香味海鲜)
Address: No.139, Xinmin Street, Tianya District, Sanya City三亚市天涯区新民街139号
Tel: 13876572523/13337692661/0898-88279724

7. Chongqing Yingjie Seafood(重庆英姐海鲜)
Address: No.124, Xinmin Street, Tianya District, Sanya City三亚市天涯区新民街124号
Tel: 13005060589/13697595939

Delicious Snack Bar

In addition to seafood, there are many authentic delicacies and desserts in Sanya. Some of these delicacies are hidden away in restaurants, while others come from unimpressive cookshops. Although you can find these snacks in most restaurants, the real authentic snacks only come from just a few shops and are worth the tourists to taste. 

1. Sanya Authentic Baoluo Rice Noodle(三亚正宗抱罗粉店)
Address: Sanya River West Road, Tianya District, Sanya City三亚市天涯区三亚河西路
Tel: 13307595298/0898-88360800/4000898826

2. Nanguo Coconut Chicken(南国椰子鸡)
Address: No.221, Hexi Road, Tianya District, Sanya City三亚市天涯区河西路221号
Tel: 0898-88361059

3. Mingguang Huangliu Old Duck(忠哥明光黄流老鸭店)
Address: Shengli Road, Tianya District, Sanya City三亚市天涯区胜利路
Tel: 13876562389

4. Ayebo Coconut Milk Nourish Cool(阿椰伯椰奶清补凉)
Address: The Crossroad of Sanya River West Road and Xinjian Street, Tianya District, Sanya三亚市天涯区三亚河西路与新建街交叉口

5. Yixin Dessert(一馨甜品)
Address: No.106, Waimao Road, Tianya District, Sanya City三亚市天涯区外贸路106号
Tel: 15208994588/13904803956

Hainan Flavor Restaurants

Originating from the central plains catering, Hainan cuisine has become a popular regional cuisine, combining the cooking skills of Fujian and Guangdong, absorbing Li and Miao diet and introducing southeast Asian flavors. Hainan's local dishes include Wenchang chicken, Hele crab, Jiaji duck and Dongshan sheep. Wenchang, Hele, Jiaji and Donggoat are all place names in Hainan and the birthplace of four famous dishes. After a long time of development, the four dishes have integrated the local dietary customs and authentic flavors of Hainan, which are the authentic Hainan delicacies that tourists have to taste in Sanya.

1. Haiya Restaurant(海亚餐厅)
Address: No.138, Xinfeng Street, Jiyang District, Sanya City三亚市吉阳区新风街138号
Tel: 0898-88276962/0898-88362388/18907604015

2. Shi Wei Guan(拾味馆)
Address: No.21, Sanya Bay Road, Tianya District, Sanya City三亚市天涯区三亚湾路21号
Tel: 0898-88835566/0898-88691878

3. Yuan Qi Lou Vegetarian Food(缘起楼素斋)
Address: Nanshan Cultural Tourism Area, Yazhou District, Sanya City三亚市崖州区南山文化旅游区内
Tel: 0898-88837920

4. Hainan Feudal Official Cuisine(海南官府菜)
Address: No.5, Yalong Bay National Resort, Jiyang District, Sanya City三亚市吉阳区亚龙湾国家旅游度假区5号
Tel: 18976003395/15708968605

5. Liguo Restaurant(利国餐厅)
Address: No.133, Wenming Road, Tianya District, Sanya City三亚市天涯区文明路133号
Tel: 0898-88259099

Delicious Restaurants in Hotels

In addition to the popular seafood markets and distinct snack bars in Sanya, the delicacies in high-end hotels are also hidden dragons and crouching tigers. Several hotels famous for their fine dining restaurants are located in Yalong bay and Dadonghai sea. Among these delicacies, Thai food is especially popular among tourists. Even if you don't choose to stay in the hotel, try these super-popular hotel treats.

1. Yintai Garden Grill BBQ Buffet(银泰花园木排BBQ自助烧烤)
Address: The First Floor of Yintai Xiangtou Resort Hotel, No.88, Haihua Road, Jiyang District, Sanya City三亚市吉阳区海花路88号湘投银泰度假酒店1层
Tel: 0898-88210888

2. Golden Palm Seafood BBQ Buffet(金棕榈自助海鲜烧烤)
Address: Golden Palm Resort, Yalong Bay National Resort, Jiyang District, Sanya City三亚市亚龙湾国家旅游度假区金棕榈度假酒店内
Tel: 0898-88569988

3. Mangrove Resort Hotel Thai Restaurant(红树林度假酒店泰国餐厅)
Address: Yalong Bay Mangrove Tree Resort, Yalong Bay National Resort, Jiyang District, Sanya City三亚市吉阳区亚龙湾国家旅游度假区亚龙湾红树林度假酒店
Tel: 0898-88558888

4. Hai Kuo Tian Kong Thai Restaurant(海阔天空泰餐厅)
Address: Yalong Bay Earthly Paradise, Yalong Bay International Resort, Jiyang District, Sanya City三亚市吉阳区亚龙湾国际旅游度假区鸟巢度假村
Tel: 0898-38219999/0898-38279375