Qingdao is all about seafood. Many seafood restaurants are of menuless, point-at-the-aquarium and pick your dinner affairs, so there's never any doubt about freshness. The marine cuisine extends beyond fish to oysters, lobsters, sea cucumbers, conches and just about anything else that lives in the ocean. The regional cuisine itself features the salty and tangy flavors of soy sauce, shallots and garlic, which complement fish handsomely and also work wonderfully with veggies and soups.

Being a port city, Qingdao also imports flavors from all over. Korean food—especially barbecue—is easy to find, as is Japanese (with lots of creative sushi). European food abounds, too, with excellent Italian and French restaurants and German pub food as well.
 
Other regions of China are also well represented, especially spicier fare from Sichuan. A decent-sized Muslim population provides a fleet of kebab vendors; they're on every corner and they're generally outstanding. If you're not into fish, the Muslim restaurants provide great meaty alternatives—beef and lamb—and their famous wheat noodles and flatbreads are the furthest thing from fishy.