The night market area around Gulou Square in central Kaifeng is one of the best evening food scenes in Henan, expanding after dark into a sprawl of stalls serving the city's specialities. The most famous is baozi — steamed buns with various fillings, particularly the soupy xiaolongbao-style variants — but you'll also find osmanthus glutinous rice cakes (a Kaifeng signature), lamb kebabs, five-spice roasted meats, sweet mung bean soups, and a dozen varieties of noodles. The whole area is crowded and loud from about 6pm, which is exactly the point.
Kaifeng's food culture draws on the memory of the Song-dynasty city that stood here, when Kaifeng was home to hundreds of specialised food vendors serving a population that expected variety and quality. The continuity with that tradition is mostly legendary rather than literal, but the enthusiasm for street food is genuine. For a sit-down meal, the restaurants around the night market area serve the same specialities in somewhat calmer surroundings.