China - Seafood in Dalian

I can't leave the subject of Dalian without touching the subject of seafood. And in Dalian, seafood is practically street food. Dalian sets a new standard when it comes to shellfish, and by shellfish I don't mean shrimp and a couple of clams. I can buy beach-y bundles of conch, snails, and scallops by the pound right in my grandma's backyard, and believe me, eating scallops straight from the shell is like finding a pearl in every oyster.

There are the common things, and then there are the things you won't find anywhere else. And even if you do, it won't be half as good as what you find in Dalian. Take this giant Prawn, for example. It doesn't get any fresher than this tender, live-skewered, quickly-cooked shrimp-on-steroids.

If you're blown away by just my giant shrimp, you need to get out more. Try the succulent, so-called "River Crab", with meat so sweet it makes those from Maryland forget their baby blues.

Crab can get costly, but Abalone is the real luxury. The meat is fragrant, tender, and smooth-as-silk, with a taste and texture I can only describe as the best parts of scallops and octopus minus the legs. Check out the shiny light-catching shell for a glimpse of mother-of-pearl, and make sure you swallow slowly when you savor shellfish royalty.