Must-Try Bites in Kunming 🍄🌸

Kunming fed us more than just great views — it served bold broths, crispy duck, funky tofu, and delicate café treats. Every stop was a new flavor, and every bite felt like a local secret. Here’s what we ate, loved, and would go back for in a heartbeat. 1. 🌶️ Wild Mushroom Hotpot at 花菇朵·野生菌火锅 (昆明老街南强街店) If you try one local dish in Kunming, let it be wild mushroom hotpot. At this popular spot in Kunming Old Street, we had a bubbling spicy herbal broth filled with layers of chili warmth and mountain aromatics. We loaded the pot with: 🍄Morels, coral fungus, golden ear mushrooms 🥩sliced beef, and fresh greens The balance between heat and earthy flavor was spot-on — rich, cozy, and unforgettable. 📍 Location: Near Nanqiang Alley, Kunming Old Street 2. 🍜 Crossing-the-Bridge Noodles at 花菇朵野生菌火锅 (官渡古镇店) While exploring Guandu Ancient Town, we stopped for a bowl of the famous Crossing-the-Bridge Rice Noodles (过桥米线) — a DIY-style dish where you add raw meats, eggs, and vegetables into hot broth, then top it off with soft, slippery rice noodles. Everything arrives on a beautiful tray, and once mixed, creates a flavorful, comforting noodle soup that’s equal parts fun and filling. 📍 Location: Guandu Ancient Town 3. 🦆 Roast Duck & Stinky Tofu at 七步香云南山里菜 (昆明老街店) This rustic-style restaurant gave us a mix of bold and traditional Yunnan flavors. • The roast duck was crispy-skinned, juicy, and gently seasoned. • The stinky tofu was crispy, pungent, and slathered with chili and herbs — a daring dish that was surprisingly addictive. If you like big flavors and local favorites, this one’s a must. 📍 Location: Kunming Old Street 4. 🥪 Morning coffee at SAAXII Café For something more refined, we headed to SAAXII Café, a peaceful space perfect for brunch. We tried: 🥪Wild mushroom & cheese sandwiches — earthy, crisp, and warming 🍰Fig tart and their signature Strawberry Coffee - light, floral, and picture-perfect This café gave us a calm moment between sightseeing and a taste of Kunming’s creative culinary side. 📍 Location: Central Kunming 5. 🍻 Local Brews at a Hidden Outdoor Bar (Nanping Night Market Area) We ended the night with a surprise find — a local open-air bar behind Nanping Night Market. Surrounded by plants and glowing lanterns, we sipped on craft brews with floral and fruit aroma — refreshing, lightly sweet, and unique to Yunnan. 💭Think: beer with a whisper of flowers, low bitterness, and soft bubbles. The perfect cool-down after a day of spicy eats. 📍 Location: Behind Nanping Pedestrian Street #exploreyunnan #kunmingfood #kunmingeats #kunmingtravel #explorekunming #yunnanfood #wildmushroomhotpot #crossingthebridgenoodles #yunnancuisine #chinesestreetfood #roastducklovers #stinkytofuchallenge