After having our Tianjin Hotpot (or Steamboat) Lunch at the renowed Dong Lai Shun Restaurant, we walked to the very nearby Nanshi Food Street (or “Nan Shi Shi Pin Jie” in Chinese).

Covering 25000 square km, Nanshi Food Street is located in the old Shopping area in the Centre of Nanshi. Like a Palace in a rich Folk style, the 2-storey Nanshi Street is like a Shopping Mall except that it’s full of food, well-known as the biggest Food Emporium in China, catering for both Popular & Special Food. 

Delicacies from all over the Country can be found here, such as dishes & flavours of Sichuan, Shandong, Guangdong, Hunan & Jiangsu. One can even sample the unusual Chinese cuisines like the Snake & Dog. Besides, the Street also serves Russian, Italian, German & English cuisines. There’re also many local snacks of Tianjin available in the many Sweets Shops in the Nanshi Food Street. In addition, there’re the Street stores selling all kinds of stuffs like toys, Chinese stuffs & Souvenirs.

Entering Nanshi Food Street now, upon which we were given 35 mins to explore the Street by our tour guide Wang Jing.

See the above gigantic replica of the Fried Dough Twist, which Dear & I had seen selling in Wangfujing Street in Beijing. This’s a traditional Tianjin snack called “Tianjin Ma Hua”, or Fried Dough Twist. And the most famous of this local Tianjin snack is the above “18th Street Fried Dough Twists” (or “Shibajie Ma Hua” in Chinese), so called cos they’re made at the former 18th Street.

This Fried Dough Twists are made of good quality flour & fried in Peanut Oil. And they’re sold either plain, or stuffed with a variety of fillings such as Beanpaste (or “Dou Sha” in Chinese).

Dear & I started walking in the Nanshi Food Street, taking as many photos as we could along the way, of the building, stores & the items that were on sales.

Fridge Magnets on sales above – I saw these, took a quick glance at them & took the above photo!! But I never notice that there were actually 2 Koi Goldfish Magnets till I was back home in Singapore!!

The 2 Koi Fish Fridge Magnets :

I was sure I didn’t see them, or else I’d have bought them cos I kinda like them – always finding them really beautiful, & they’re supposed to bring Good Luck & Prosperity!!

Now that I’m looking at the above photo – I realised I really like the above handpainted Wooden blocks!! Yes, I’d actually told Dear I liked them when I first saw them. But If only I’d paid more attention to them when I was taking this photo, & if only we’d been given a longer time to shop in there & not being so rush!!

Anyway, could you guess which one of the above Wooden blocks I’d buy if I’d noticed them more when I was there?!

Well – the Panda one on the 2nd from left 1st row from bottom! Heehee did you guess correctly?!

Dear & I had a little taste of the Tianjin Fried Dough Twist, offered by the Chinese lady seller from the following shop. Very nice – the aromatic Twist was sweet, crunchy & crispy – tasted just like the Malaysian twisted snack, & the smaller ones look like them too!

See the big white signboard with the Chinese characters (“Erduoyan Zhagao” – meaning “Ear-Hole Fried Cake”) in the following photo – that is another popular Tianjin snack of 100 years old!

The following 2 photos show another of Tianjin’s traditional snack – Chatang, which is made of baked Millet & Glutinous Millet Flour. The Soup is made by pouring boiling Water (from the below big Copper pot that looks like a big Kettle) to the mixed Flour & then adding Sugar or Brown Sugar.  

Tianjin Snack Signboards outside Sweets Shops :

Hey, there was even a Dolls Store – I was so happy & excited when I saw these many Lovely DOLLS on sales!! I’m a lover of Dolls & of course, I took the opportunity to take as many photos of them as possible!!

Me posing beside the Dolls trying to be as Lovely & Beautiful as them!! But of course, they’re still the best!!

And of course, I couldn’t help but had to bring one of these Dolls home with me heehee!! I wished I could afford to carry more more home - but Dear & I were worried about our lugguage space, so we had no choice but just pick one!! And that was a real hard choice cos all the Dolls were simply Irresistable!!

The Dolls are all so Nice so Nice!! Why didn’t I see the Victorian style Dolls – I like the PINK & YELLOW ones from the bottom right!!! And so many of the rest too I like!! Why didn’t I notice them when I was there?!?! Why didn’t I pick her….or her…..you mean that one……..this one………or hey you………..

Aiya……if only I’d more more time in there – just 35 mins was surely not enough for me to explore the Nanshi Food Street, sample the Sweets now & then, take many photos as usual, & shop or even study all these many Dolls carefully before I made my purchase selection!!

All so so Cute & Special  – if only I’d more time & more lugguage space I’d definitely select a few more of these Dolls to bring home!! Best, if I could bring all of them home haha!!

And guess what?!?!? The Dolls were all so so so cheap!!! Guess how much they cost?!

ONLY 28 Yuans!! We couldn’t believe our eyes when we saw the Sales Tag at the Store, nor did we believe our ears when we reconfirmed the price with the Doll seller Uncle!!

See the grey Sales Tag at the above photo left pillar – YES it was true the Dolls only cost 28 Yuans each – which when converted to Singapore dollars it’s only $5.60!!! And their outfits are all so exquisitely selected & made, & their facial expressions on their Porcelain faces so Lifelike & Beautiful!! My Goodness my Goodness what TREASURES we just found!!

And I like the following Doll outfits hanging behind the huge Babies below – especially that Blue Purplish Dress! I actually asked the Doll seller Uncle if he’d got a Doll wearing that dress – but NOPE he didn’t have!

Doll seller Uncle showing me the DOLLS :

It was so so hard making the selection considering the so lack of time & the so so many Gorgeous Dolls it was like whenever I laid my eyes on each & everyone of them, I just wanted to bring all of them home with me (

Finally, cos I couldn’t really make up my mind on which Doll I like best, I told Dear to select instead! And he chose the following Sweetie, who looks like a Countryside English gal.

And do you know why Dear chose her?!

Of course it was cos she was Lovely, but the main attraction was cos she’s carrying the Bear – Dear must have missed all our Bears at home when he decided to pick this Doll, cos our house is full of BEARs! In fact, I often call our home the BEAR HOUSE heehee!!

Isn’t she Gorgeous?! I love her so Cool so Pretty so Radiant face (wish I’ve EYES like hers haha!!), & that Beautiful curly Blond hair of hers!! I simply adore her so much!!

Btw, her name is PRETTY )

More bigger Dolls on sales at the opposite store, but too bad we couldn’t afford to bring a 2nd one home!!

Hair Bands & Hair Clips on sales, somethings which I couldn’t resist too!!

So here they are - my 3 exquisite colored “Diamonds” gold Hair Bands :

Many Restaurants selling all kinds of Cuisines & Seafood, unfortunately we had not enough time, or else Dear & I would love to try some of the available delicacies – may be Dog meat perhaps?!! Not sure how Dear & I will feel, since Dear has got 3 lovely puppies in his Family home!

Me standing infront of the Restaurants :

Dear & I started walking back to the main Entrance (or exit) of Nanshi Food Street where we were supposed to meet our 2 tourmates & tour guide, sharply on time after 35 mins!

Outside Nanshi Food Street now :

Goodbye Nanshi Food Street, & Thank you very much for leading us to ”Pretty”, who’s now officially a permanent resident staying comfortably & happily with us in Singapore!