The TRAVELER'S JOURNAL: April sixth, skinning snakes in Shanghai.

China ranks among the world's fastest growing economies. One measure of that prosperity is the rate of new restaurants opening around that nation. In dozens of Chinese cities from Beijing to Hong Kong, it's boom times in the restaurant business. The range of dining options is impressive, both in terms of traditional cuisine and theme.

As new eateries vie for the attention of diners, it's clear the cultural revolution has given way to the culinary revolution. One popular Beijing beanery is themed on the hard times of the past. Its name translates as, "remembering bitterness, thinking of sweet things," with a menu and decor designed to evoke rural austerity. Entrees include items like willow leaves, wild greens and a selection of insects, such as sauteed caterpillars and deep-fried locust, which taste nothing like chicken. And the Mao family restaurant features dishes favored by the great helmsman: smoked anchovy fried with chili, and lumps of bacon fat in a rich red sauce. The decor includes a facade of wooden logs and giant portrait of Mao.

Other Chinese restaurants feature foods not normally found on western menus, such as the unknown savories in a Sichuan hotpot. In several Cantoon snake restaurants, the catch of the day is plucked live from the front window display and skinned before your eyes. The cobra's said to be mild and quite tasty, reminiscent of free range chicken. But don't miss the house specialty, clear broth of mountain snake. Made with boa constrictor, it's one meal that really sticks to your ribs.

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