Diyilou (First Pavilion)

Diyilou grew out of Kaifeng's traditional steamed soup-dumpling shops and takes its name from the riverside pavilion where it first opened. Its xiaolong soup buns are said to descend from the Northern Song 'plum-blossom buns,' giving Kaifeng a soup-dumpling tradition reaching back nearly a thousand years.

In 1996 Diyilou was certified a China Time-Honored Brand, becoming a signature name of Kaifeng cuisine; for many visitors a steamer of its soup buns is the first thing they seek out on arriving in the city.

The buns are prized for a thin skin and juicy filling: a lightly leavened wrapper encloses minced pork mixed with aspic, which melts into clear broth sealed inside during steaming, so each bun lifts up like a lantern and settles like a chrysanthemum.

It continues to operate as a registered China Time-Honored Brand with several outlets across Kaifeng.