Guangzhou Food and Shopping Travel Guide: Where to eat and shop in Guangzhou!

Tuesday, March 13, 2018

Guangzhou has a reputation for being the food city of China! There's even a Chinese saying that says Eat In Guangzhou (吃在廣州) highlighting Guangzhou as a place for good food! To be honest, it wasn't easy to research where are the best places to eat in Guangzhou as there's limited information on them. I personally visited some highly recommended restaurants to dine in and was personally very disappointed with the food - I am very glad I did more in depth research in Chinese forums and also the ultimate app for food in China - Dianping to find the best places to eat in Guangzhou. In my Guangzhou Food and Travel guide, I will share where are the must try restaurants and food in Guangzhou as well as some tips for shopping and sight seeing! The data will be based on my food hunting trip in Guangzhou!

One thing you will notice about Guangzhou is that it has a no motorcycle policy! Walking around is actually quite convenient and public transport in my opinion is very efficient and reliable. Learning how to take public transport will make your life a lot easier and helps you save quite a lot as taxi drivers in Guangzhou can be pretty good at burning a hole in your wallet. If you can read Chinese, be sure to install the Baidu Map app and I have to say I use it religiously to find out what buses and what subway to take to get to my destination. A very useful app to have since you cannot access google maps in China! I've used the Baidu Map App with ease during my trip in Guangzhou to save time and money (I personally got ripped off by at least 4 taxi rides - taxi driver pretending not to know the way and circling around for higher fares) and Guangzhou's public transport and Uber made travelling in Guangzhou a breeze!

Tip: If you wish to save time queueing and buying tickets at the subway - be sure to buy a 3 day or daily unlimited pass - they are pretty affordable and saves a lot of time trying to find change and queing at machines to buy tickets. Buses aren't included but they are only RMB2 per trip so just keep some change in handy for public buses.

Airport Transfers

If you want a peace of mind when it comes to travelling from your airport to your hotel or vice versa – and you have about 3-5 people in your group – it is actually cost effective to get a private transfer ranging from USD34 for a 5 seater and USD46 for a 7 seater. This will save time and money rather than lugging your luggage around using public transport. You can also try hiring taxis but I’m very skeptical of them and had several unpleasant experiences in Guangzhou. Click here of the picture to book your private airport transfers.

Get your internet connection!

I personally cannot survive if I don’t have my internet connection so getting my internet connection is my highest priority when I travel. You can get your wifi as soon as you reach Baiyun Airport. Surf with fast web speeds, get updates from your social media accounts and make hassle-free travel arrangements while traveling abroad. Click here or the picture to get your portable wifi from the airport!

Sight Seeing Special Mention: Chimelong Safari Park

I have to say one of the best maintained and most enjoyable zoos I've visited is Chimelong Safari Park in Guangzhou. The main highlights are their number of Pandas (including triplets) and the rare White Tigers (in which they own 150 of the 300 White Tigers left in the world).

You must not miss their show at the Hippo Theatre which is amazing to behold and also their safari park ride - be sure to check the timetables for the show times.

Two of the triplets happily posing for photos at Chimelong Safari Park. I had a really good time here and would highly recommend this place. There's also Chimelong Paraside and Water Park which you can visit as well! Be sure to look them up before you visit Guangzhou and plan one whole day to visit Chimelong! Click here or the pandas to book your tickets in advance (with a discount)

Be sure to check out the World Class CHIMELONG INTERNATIONAL CIRCUS!!

If you've ever dreamt of running away to the circus, now is your chance to experience it first hand from the same group that brought you the Safari Park! Walk into the theater and prepare yourself to be dazzled by elite circus performers from all over the world! Watch in awe as they bring a smorgasbord of performances stitched into one seamless program for your enjoyment. Top it off with funny antics, amazing animal performances and enchanting magic tricks, this is one night you'll never forget. Click here or the circus pictures to prebook your tickets!

Dim Sum

Seriously Guangzhou has one of the best Dim Sum in the world and they are pretty affordable too - around $15USD per person usually and it's usually cheaper to have a group to share and try more things! I've personally tried quite a few online recommended dimsum places in Guangzhou but were pretty disappointed but fortunately, thanks to Dianping app and local recommendations - I'm able to introduce some of the best dim sum in Guangzhou! Here's the list! A tip I can give you is to order the savoury dimsum first -- then order the desserts later or they will all come at the same time!

Guangzhou Restaurant

Guangzhou Restaurant is a classic recommendation from most people who had been to Guangzhou and there's a good reason for that. The dimsum is delicious and the ambience is stunning. We went to the stragetically located Wen Chang Nan Lu branch which is located near the famous Shang Xia Jiu Lu Pedestrian Walk (lots of street food and shopping!)

Guangzhou Restaurant, Wen Chang Nan Lu near Shangxia Jiu Lu. 文昌南路2号(近上下九)

Dim Dou Dak

Dim Dou Dak 點都德(聚福楼) is considered my favourite Dim Sum Place in Guangzhou and the one I will miss the most. They have 13 branches throughout Guangzhou but the most conveniently located one is the one 點都德(聚福楼) near the famous Beijing Lu, a tourist area for street food and shopping.

This Canton Dim Sum set is so instagrammable and good to share between two people. A good introduction to Canton Dimsum! I will take this high tea over any scones or clotted cream anytime!

This Red Rice Rolls with crispy char kueh and prawns has got to be my all time favourite dim sum! A must order when you visit Dim Dou Dak!

點都德(聚福楼) is located at 470 Hui Fu Dong Lu 惠福东路470号. Walking distance from Beijing Lu.

Guang Dong Dao Restaurant

We found Guang Dong Dao Restaurant while cafe hopping and it was quite a good find as it is quite an instagrammable place with pretty good dimsum!

I quite like the way they designed the layout of the restaurant and also displaying models of what the food looks like on various different 'stalls' located around the restaurant. Once you got your table, its interesting to walk around the restaurant to have a look! They not only serve dim sum ~ but a variety of other Cantonese dishes as well!

Delicious Har Gow (Prawn Dumplings) and Black Sesame Tarts are my two fav dishes ~~ their Satay Beef Tripe and Noodles with Chinese Sausage are good as well!

Guang Dong Dao 广东道至正餐厅 419 Huan Shi Dong Lu - Near Exit E of Qu Zhuang Subway Station 环市东路419号(近区庄立交旁区庄地铁E出口)

Sek Wai Xin Restaurant

Sek Wai Xin is a very funny find as it is located just at the second floor of the hotel I was staying in. Everytime the lift opened at 2nd floor I could see a restaurant fully packed with the elderly and sound very lively! It was also highly rated on Dianping so I decided to give it a try, After all, wouldn't you be curious what was attracting such a big crowd of old people to a dim sum establishment?

Despite signs saying that no smoking is allowed or fines for smoking - that hasn't stopped the elderly from smoking freely here. You are bound to share tables with others here and it can get pretty smoky. Why am I recommending this place, you might ask. Well for starters - the dim sum here is pretty good!

Crispy fried beef balls with a cheesy center!

In the menu choices - there are quite a few combo style dimsum where they do half halfs -- so you can get half portions mixed together with others ~~ example is this siew mai duo in one ~~

Besides that - on weekdays - if you pay your bills before 10:30am - there's a 50 percent discount or between 2 till 5pm as well. This is the cheapest place to have good quality Dim Sum! We usually spend USD15 per person but thanks to the 50 percent discount - each of us only paid USD6! Super good bargain but of course - you have to bear with the smoky environment. I actually had a pretty good chat with some of the uncles and aunties here who are very nice!

Sek Wai Xin 食为先酒家(海珠北路店) 11 Hai Zhu Bei Lu, 2nd Floor of Zhuhai Economic Zone Hotel 海珠北路11号珠海特区大酒店2楼 (Near Xi Men Kou Subway Exit C)

Biao Mei Restaurant

Biao Mei basically means female cousin ~~ and it is pretty popular for their beautiful cute dimsum. They have branches in both Ye Xiu and Tian He district so just choose the one nearest to you.

Their dim sum are usually well presented and delicious.

They can be pretty cute as well! Too cute to eat!

The Devil's Milk tea is very snapchat Instagram worthy ~~~ but taste like normal iced milk tea ~~ lol ~~

Their purple rice fish rice rolls looks very nice and felt like stuffed squid here ~~ lovely!

Their Mahjong pieces dessert which is actually coconut jelly and a US dollar prop on the side is really one of the cutest things we've seen! Soooo instagrammable! Now you can literally EAT the Mahjong tiles!

Biao Mei Restaurant 表妹靓点餐厅(维家思店) Tianhe Branch, 188 Huang Pu Da Dao Xi, 1st Floor Wei Jia Sze Mall 黄埔大道西188号维家思广场1楼(花城汇)

Hai Zhu Branch 180 Jiang Nan Da Dao Zhong, Fu Li Hai Zhu Mall, Division B, Shop 410 Fourth Floor 江南大道中180号富力海珠城B区4楼410铺

Rice Rolls (Cheong Fun)

Cheong Fun is one of Cantonese favourite breakfast, They are basically steamed rice rolls, stuffed with either beef, pork, prawns and even pork liver - then served with sesame soy sauce and sometimes chili paste. You can have cheung fun in most dim sum restaurants but there are two notable good places that you should visit when you're in Guangzhou for some good Cheung Fun

Ngan Gei Cheung Fun

Ngan Gei Cheung Fun Restaurant is conveniently located at Shang Xia Jiu Pedestrian Walk so you can pop by to try their popular cheung fun and porridge.

They are one of the famous restaurants with several awards (well deserved)

There's plenty of choice and mix when it comes to cheung fun fillings ~~ this one is the prawns and pork cheung fun ~~ but if you fancy pork liver or beef - they are good too. What I like is the texture of these freshly rolled cheung fun.

银记肠粉店 Ngan Gei Cheung Fun 79 Shang Jiu Lu 上九路79号

Tong Tai Cheung Fun

I came across Tong Tai Cheung Fun during suppertime and could see that there's plenty of people having supper there. The next morning I walked past and still noticed a considerable crowd. I walked to try their cheung fun and have to say it's very good too. I ordered their porridge as well which was not bad - but pales in comparison to other places. Come here for their famous beef cheung fun and pork liver cheung fun

Ooo my pork liver goodness ~~~ they have a branch conveniently located near Xi Men Kou subway exit C.

Tong Thai Cheung Fun 同泰肠粉 34 Guang Xiao Lu光孝路34号

Cantonese Cuisine

Having a good old fashioned Cantonese dinner is one of the must try for a foodie. It would be better to have a big group of people to enjoy as much as possible to be honest. You can have pretty good Cantonese cuisine at Guangzhou Restaurant as well as Bing Sheng which I will introduce in this post.

Bing Sheng

Bing Sheng was introduced in many blogs and websites and I would agree that it is a posh place to enjoy some good Cantonese cuisine. We ordered quite a few of their famous dishes and I have to say they are pretty good but tends to be more on the oily and saltier side.

Their signature Black Char Siew is one of the must try in the restaurant. Fatty flavoursome goodness but as I mentioned - might be too oily for some. Their other crispy fried pork was so fatty that it was like a burst of fat as soon as you pop it into your mouth! It might be heaven for some who love these kind of sensation but to me it was overwhelming!

Good old fashioned crispy roasted goose which was very good as well and could easily rival Hong Kong's top roast goose places.

A special mention goes to their in house signature tofu with lamb stew - which was very good. My favourite dish of the night at Bing Sheng. Overall, I think Bing Sheng is a fancy posh place for the middle upper class and you should try it to get a feel of the middle class Cantonese dinner experience. However, if you want a more authentic value for money Cantonese dinner the locals frequent - the next restaurant I introduce to you would suit your tastes better (it's also less oily!)

Bing Sheng Ping Wei 炳胜品味(海印总店) 33 Dong Xiao Lu near Hai Yin Bridge 东晓路33号(近海印桥)

Ngan Cho Chan Ting

Ngan Cho Chan Ting was recommended to me by my local friends in Guangzhou for Cantonese cuisine. When you enter the place, you would be shocked at the amount of noise and how busy the place is! It is better to make a booking so call the number before hand to make a booking or just pop by earlier before 6pm to get a seat! This place comes highly recommended as both my wife and I enjoyed the experience very much!

This is their signature cold appetizer - pork intestines - texture and flavour wise - this is spot on good stuff! A MUST TRY dish in Guangzhou!

Would you believe these are soft pork cartilage? They are actually edible and very delicious! If only I could have these while watching football ~~ they would be the ultimate snack! A good five spice rub and deep fried ~~ chewy soft bones ~~ YUM! The dish is called 自然骨Zi Ran Gu. Zi Ran basically means natural spice rub.

This is very interesting and is called 沙姜淋掌翼. Ginger Garlic Soy Sauced Duck Wings and Web - it is a well loved local delicacy! I watched in amazement as they finished this plate with ease!

This is called 炸傻蟮 which translate to deep fried silly swamp eel. They are actually marinated fresh and then fried till very crispy so it's like eating chips! Very delicious and unique dish that looks scary but quite delicious!

Enjoy these exotic dishes with some roasted pork ribs porridge (to add some smokiness to the porridge omg!) and good old fashioned Chow Ngao Hor (Stir fried rice noodles with beef) Sooooo gooood!

Ngan Chor Chan Ting 银座餐厅 125 Chang Kang Zhong Lu (Near Bao Gang Da Dao Subway Station) 昌岗中路125号B1楼(近地铁宝岗大道站)

Szechuan Cuisine

While many would go for Cantonese food in Guangzhou, one must not miss the Szechuan cuisine here which are toned down in terms of the heat factor to suit the Cantonese taste buds. Mind you though, they are still fiery hot! Inject some fire in your life when you are in Guangzhou by going to some of my recommended Szechuan Restaurants!

Jiu Zi Tiao Tiao Wa

Jiu Zi Tiao Tiao Wa is located at the busy supper street of Bao Yeh Lu where lots of the locals come for supper and late night drinks! The street becomes alive at night and this restaurant serves a pretty delicious Szechuan style frog legs hot pot!

You basically order how many grams of frog legs you need ~~~ and you can also mix in prawns and crabs but we are here for the gorgeous spicy frog legs hot pot! Add in some veggies to mix in with the hot pot and you're set.

I highly recommend the lotus roots and the beancurd skin ~~~ goes very well with the spicy hot pot!

Hubba hubba ~ now these are the sexiest legs! Remember to have some China beer while you're here! There's a whole street of restaurants for you to check out if you're at this street!

Jiuzi Tiao Tiao Wa 九子跳跳蛙(宝业路店) Bao Yeh Lu (Near Guang Bai Bai Huo) 宝业路(近广百百货) - It's easier to take Uber or Taxi here. The nearest Subway station is Jiang Nan Xi Station (exit A)

Lu Xiao Fong

Lu Xiao Fong's SzeChuan cuisine really wowed our tastebuds with their authentic spicy and hot dishes! The portions are HUGE and you would definitely need a big group to share! Luckily we have some local friends to dine with us!

There are three main signature dishes in Lu Xiao Fong - Pickled Vegetable or Green Chilies which are the soupy type, and Dry Chilies which are the dry type. We chose the Pickled Vegetables one as that was their most popular dish. We also tried the Dry Chilies version. After choosing the type - you then choose your meats - it can be fish, frog legs, crabs or prawns. For our Pickled Vegetables one - we chose fish and frog legs (you can also choose your type of fish - I would go for the more expensive one usually). You then select extra add ins like vegetables or tofu ~~

The dry chilies one packed a punch and the prawns/frog legs which we chose were fried till crispy! The lotus roots which we chose as add ons gave the perfect crunchy texture!

I have to say the complimentary tea they have here is very nice and helps to soothe the numbing hot feeling from eating all the Szechuan goodness! They will keep refilling them using Kung Fu Tea method ~ which can be quite a spectacle!

Szechuan style wontons as side dish~~ we had a really good time at Lu Xiao Fong and the good news is that they have a branch located at Beijing Lu area. Problem is - it is ultra popular - be sure to pick a number around 5pm or earlier - we took a number at 5:30pm and only got a seat only at 6:30pm! When you need to queue - you know food is good! To avoid queues - I suggest waiting here around 5pm to get a table!

Lu Xiao Fong Szechuan Cuisine 陆小凤四川料理(北京路店) 552 Hui Fu Dong Lu 惠福东路552号 (near Beijing Lu)

Tan Yu

Tan Yu is another hotspot for eating currently in Guangzhou and similar to Lu Xiao Fong - if you do not come earlier - you will need to queue for hours! We actually wanted to have dinner then was told we would had to wait 3 hours! So we came very early the next day and got a seat!

Tan Yu basically means searching for fish ~~ but I think it can also be a pun for charcoal fish - as tan (search) and tan (charcoal) has a similar sound.

The charcoal fire grilled fish is loaded with spicy szechuan sauce ~~ with a load of other ingredients like tofu ~~ but you can choose add ons to this soupy goodness!

I must tell you - their charcoal grilled frog legs and vinegar pork ribs are seriously DA BOMB!!! SOOOO DELICIOUS LA!!

Oh btw - their Chinese style drinks are really good ~~~ I seriously enjoyed the Luo Han Guo Tea and Lime Teas! The branch of Tan Yu we went to was strategically located at the mall right at Huang Sha Subway Station. Just take exit B. It's a lovely shopping mall to walk around to after your gorgeous Szechuan meal!

Tan Yu 探鱼(西城都荟店) 8 Huang Sha Da Dao (Huang Sha Subway Exit B) 黄沙大道8号西城都荟广场一层144号商铺(黄沙站B出口)

Lu Ding Ji

Picture taken from Dianping.com.

I regret to say I did not manage to visit the highly recommended Lu Ding Ji for Szechuan cuisine but according to my local friend - he highly recommends this. Another friend of mine Yung, who visits Guangzhou regularly also recommended this place. So I will add this here for you to visit if you got the time. They have branches in Tianhe as well as Yexiu district.

Picture taken from Dianping.com.

They have a very similar concept to Lu Xiao Fong and Tanyu -- where you order your type of soup or sauce - then your meats or seafood.

Picture from Dianping.com

This is their signature dessert called Red and White. Basically red colour jelly served with coconut milk!

Lu Ding Ji 禄鼎记 Tianhe Branch: 75 Tian He Dong Lu天河东路75号汇坊商城二层206-208号商铺 (Near Ti Yu Zhong Xin Subway Exit A)

Yexiu Branch: 1 Jian Shi Liu Ma Lu (Hai Shi Jie Third Floor) Near Dong Fong Dong Lu 建设六马路1号誉海食街3楼(近东风东路)

Japanese Restaurants

Mota Restaurant

It's pretty funny that Japanese food is quite popular in China and the most famous one on Dianping.com Mota Restaurant made me wait more than 90 minutes for a table.

The reason Mota is always packed is due to their value for money quality Japanese food such as this shrimp roe (ebiko)salad they called the Volcano Salad - it is seriously overloaded with ebiko and crabmeat (as well as a lot of mayonaise)

Their Flaming Dons which is basically flamed torched rice bowls are very popular here ~~ a good mix of sashimi with cheese - burnt by blow torch by the waitress ~~~ quite a snapchat moment!

Their Mentaiko Prawns are really good - my wife ordered 8 of them and ate 6 of them herself! LOL

Very nice Uni as well ~~ YUM!

I must say I enjoyed their Sashimi Platter as well ~~ thumbs up Mota! The service is very good and the sashimi is quite fresh here! There's quite a few branches in Guangzhou but you must be sure to show up early to get a ticket so you won't have to wait too long for a table!

Mota Japanese Restaurant 摩打食堂 36 Jiao Yu Lu (near Beijing Lu) 教育路36号

Note: There's still plenty of popular Japanese restaurants I've yet to try

Beef Hotpot

Lung Gei Beef Ribs Beef Spareparts House

When I talked with some of the locals who told me that they didn't enjoy Bah Kut Teh in South East Asia, I was puzzled. How could they not like Bah Kut Teh? When I had my first sip of the soup at Lung Gei Beef Hot Pot -- I realized why. Their Beef Hot Pot soup is so good - that Bah Kut Teh pales in comparison to it! (Apologies to my Bah Kut Teh loving readers .. but after having this -- I have to say I am hooked!)

Claypot of beef ribs and other beefy goodness ~~~ you can order add ons like a typical hotpot!

Hu hu hu ~~ intestines ~~~

Mix them all up into the hotpot ~~ and let it bubble up ~~~ *DROOLS* I really miss this dish and I'm salivating as I'm typing this ~~ Arrghhh!!!

Lung Gei Ngau Kuat Ngau Chap 龚记牛骨牛杂屋(北京路旗舰店) Yi San Lu (near Beijing Lu) 禺山路20号(步行街旁)

Wonton Noodles

Bao Hua Mian Dian

Bao Hua Mian Dian has a long history and is near Shang Xia Jiu Lu Pedestrian Street. My local friend in Guangzhou says he has been eating at this noodle place since he was a little kid and speaks fondly about how the noodles are handmade the traditional way to ensure the QQ texture!

I have to agree - the broth is good while the noodles texture is spot on! Wontons are delicious as well! Don't be surprised when you can't find the wontons -- as they are usually hidden beneath the noodles ~~ that's how they serve their wonton noodles here!

Bao Hua Mian Dian 宝华面店 117 Bao Hua Lu 宝华路117号 (walk from Chang Shou Lu Subway)

Di Yi Mian

Di Yi Mian which means number one noodles is highly recommended by another dear blogger friend Woon Yien who raved about the prawn and roe wontons. There are many branches around but the most convenient one is at Beijing Lu. I have to say the wontons are delicious and has good flavour/texture from the shrimp roe! Their ratings aren't very high in Dianping for some reason but I enjoyed the wontons very much! Honestly though, the noodles aren't as good as Bao Hua Mian though!

Di Yi Mian第壹面 2 Beijing Lu (Near Nan Guan Cinema) 北京路2号(近南关电影院)

Chinese Desserts

Guangzhou is blessed when it comes to dessert places to eat - I personally tried quite a few places and personally felt they are on par with one another. The easiest one to find would be Nan Xing Milk Desserts as it's near the famous Shang Xia Jiu Lu

Nan Sing Shuang Pi Nai

Nan Sing is located along the famous Shangxia Jiu Pedestrian area and I have to say - after tasting Shuang Pi Nai (Double Skin Milk) from various dessert places - Nan Sing gets my vote for having the best Shuang Pi Nai in Guangzhou. It has beaten 6 other dessert places I've researched and tried (maybe I'll list them all out in another post). It was so good - I came here three times for dessert!

The picture simply doesn't do this justice ~~ sooo sooo sooo good ~~ you can order warm or cold but I usually have mine warm ~~ hee hee ~~~

Black Glutinous rice with coconut milk, mango and ice cream ~~ Ooooooooooooooooh YESHHH!!!

Nan Sing Shuang Pi Nai 南信双皮奶 47 Di Shi Fu Lu 第十甫路47号 (Shang Xia Jiu Lu Area)

Street Food

I have personally tried quite a couple of places for street food - so I will highlight some of my favourites during my trip!

Near Shang Xia Jiu Lu Area

Steamed Oysters with garlic or chilies

You will find these along Bao Hua Lu (near the Bao Hua Mian Noodles shop) or at Beijing Lu area. Steamed garlicky goodness!

These grilled squid skewers are just next stall to the oysters along Bao Hua Lu ~~

Chan Tim Gei Fish Skin

Chan Tim Gei is really an old school favourite that has been enjoyed by generations of people in Guangzhou. They are inside an old school Cantonese house and serves the best fish skin and teng zai porridge in Guangzhou! Seriously - don't miss this place!

The three popular dishes here in Chan Tim Gei - Rice Rolls, Fish Skin and Teng Zai Porridge ~~

The porridge might look plain but it is actually loaded with ingredients like peanuts and squid! Soo goood it can rival Jok Prince (my favourite porridge place in Bangkok)!

This is seriously the best fish skin I have tasted in my life ~~ the texture - the taste ~~~ ahhhh ~~~ sooo good ~~~ In Hong Kong - there's another famous restaurant that is famous for their fish skin and porridge but they pale in comparison to Chan Tim Gei.. seriously soooo soooo goood!

Chan Tim Gei 陈添记(十五甫三巷) Walk along Bao Hua Road and turn in at Xi Wu Fu San Gang 宝华路十五甫三巷内进第二档

Fei Ma Lao Zi Hao Zhu Jiao Jiang

If you are a fan of Ginger Vinegar Pork Leg ~~ then Fei Ma is another famous place the locals visit ~~

The Pork Trotter/Leg is tender and the sauce has a gingery sweet and sour taste to it ~~ slightly too sweet for my liking but it's something you should try while you're here ~~ and this is nearby Chan Tim Gei.

Fei Ma Lao Zi Hao Zhu Jiao Jiang 肥妈老字号姜醋店 Shi Liu Fu Da Jie Xiang Zi Shop Number 2十六甫大街巷子2号

Near Beijing Lu Area

Wen He You Lau Chang Sha Da Xiang Chang (Big Spicy Sausage)

I am not really a fan of sausages on a stick but my wife decided she wanted one and once I had a bite I was hooked! Spicy and very delicious! You have to try this when you are at Beijing Road!

oh btw - you can try this mega huge squid just next stall to this as well! Hu hu hu ~~ bigger than my face seriously!

Wen He You Lao Chang Sha Da Xiang Chang 文和友老长沙大香肠(北京路店) 541 Hui Fu Dong Lu 惠福东路541号 (Beijing Lu area)

Maka Maka

Maka Maka specializes in fancy egg waffles (eggettes or Kai Dan Zai) as well as milkshakes ~~ they are very popular amongst the ladies and it's hard to find a seat at Beijing Lu branch

Seriously packed and notice one thing? Most are women! LOL ~~~

You simply cannot resist this! Woo hoo!

Maka Maka 玛卡玛卡滋蛋仔 537 Hui Fu Dong Lu 惠福东路537号

Wen Ming Lu Area (near Beijing Lu)

Da Yang Yuan Wei Boiled Soups

You know food is good when the locals queue for it and you can't even find a seat easily so some squat or stand to eat it on the spot! Da Yang Soups has a wide variety of healthy soups to promote health as well as tasty! I recommend coming earlier as the popular flavours get sold out pretty fast! Look at the long queue!

As you can see - they have quite a lot of flavours - and they flip the card as soon as they are sold out ~ we came here pretty late for supper - that's why they are out of most soups - but the most popular Coconut Black Chicken is still available. The prices are pretty cheap too ~~ you can see from the menu here ~~

The black chicken cooked in coconut shell soup has a natural fragrant sweetness and it's soooo gooood! We also tried boiled rabbit soup as well as soft shelled turtle soup (farmed type) - quite an interesting experience indeed! Wen Ming Lu is actually just a short walk from Beijing Lu so check your map on how to walk here.

Da Yang Yuan Wei Dun Pin 达杨原味炖品 162 Wen Ming Lu (Near Wen De Lu) 文明路162号(近文德路)

Xia Xie Ge (Prawn Crab Restaurant)

This is just nearby the boiled soup shop - and it's a good place to sit down and enjoy some good crayfish (called Xiao Long Xia baby lobsters here in China)

Depending on size - you'll prorbably pay USD0.80 per crayfish ~~ and they are cooked only one way -- which is Sze San Xiang (13 spices) - Chinese style spicy sauce ~~ some might find the spiciness unbearable.

Xia Xie Ge Xiao Long Xia Da Zha Xie 虾蟹阁小龙虾大闸蟹(文明路店) Da Tang Jie Dao - 190 Wen Ming Lu 大塘街道文明路190号(近银记肠粉店)

Bai Hua Dessert Store

Bai Hua dessert store is also nearby the area and it's a very well known place for dessert - despite the late hours - many are here for super!

Their menu alone is epic! So much choice!!

Seriously spoiled for choice and you're bound to find something you like ~ naturally we ordered Shuang Pi Nai and Dun Dad (steamed egg) as well as other desserts!

Bai Hua Desserts 百花甜品店 210 Wen Ming Lu (near Zhong San Library) 文明路210号(近中山图书馆)

Rose (Mui Gwai) Desserts

The interesting thing is that another famous dessert place called Mui Gwai(Rose Dessert) is right next to it ~~ both are equally good and worth trying! Come here on separate nights or on the same night like me to taste test their desserts!

Hurray! Desserts for supper!

Mui Gwai Desserts 玫瑰甜品 218 Wen Ming Lu 文明路218号(近中山图书馆)

Xi Hua Lu Area (walking distance from Beijing Lu)

Lam Si Fu

When I was researching about Guangzhou, they said one must try a dish called Lai Fun ~~ my local friend introduced me to two famous places and just my luck - they are located near one another along Xi Hua Lu area which is actually a popular food street!

Ka Hiong Lai Fun is actually quite a homey kinda street food - you will enjoy its simplicity ~~ my wife say it tastes like home ~~ a very interesting texture as well. Starchy goodness!

Lam Si Fu 林师傅食杂店(西华店) 485 Xi Hua Lu 西华路485号(近金平大厦)

Hup Heng Restaurant

Hup Heng is another restaurant near Xi Hua Lu famous for their Lai Fun ~~ you can see there's quite a queue and there are people actually standing and squatting next door to enjoy the Lai Fun.

I guess the locals prefer Hup Heng but both me and my wife preferred Lam Si Fu's version ~~ taste is subjective so you should try both and give your judgement. Both are pretty good to be honest ~~ but we just preferred one over the other.

Hup Hing Food Stall 合兴小食店 Xi Hua Lu then turn into Di Yi Pan Jie Stall number 44 西华路第一津街44号

Teng Yuan Sen Jien

Teng Yuan pan fried buns really lives up to its name as Guangzhou`s number one. Notice the crispy pan fried sides，and how thin the dough is and covering a soupy meaty filling. To eat，bite a small hole，drink the soup then bite slowly. So good I walked back to order 8 more for myself. I dare say this is the best pan fried buns I've tasted in my life! MUST MUST MUST TRY this street food in Guangzhou!

Teng Yuan Sen Jien 腾元生煎 439 Xi Hua Lu 西华路439号

Ngao Lou Ngao Chap

On a street nearby Xi Hua Lu ~~ there's the famous Ngao Lou Ngau Chap place where the soup is milky white and you can enjoy a good mix of beef spare parts!

I'll have to say the broth is really good and reminds me of a good bowl of pho ~~ but slightly different -- the beef spareparts are cooked till the right texture for me ~~ very delicious!

Ngao Lou Ngau Chap Tong 牛佬牛杂汤 126 Jin Hua Zi Jie 金花直街126号 (near Xi Hua Lu area)

Shopping

While most will be familiar with the famous Beijing Lu and Shang Xia Jiu Lu Pedestrian Walks as well as the big malls in Tianhe. I'll be introducing some of my favourite places to shop in Guangzhou. I would like to thank Royal Brunei Airlines for the upgrade to business class to allow me to bring lots of stuff back! We arrived in Guangzhou with two pretty light luggages ~ then bought two extra luggages to fit everything! You can fly from Brunei to Hong Kong - then take a train to Guangzhou!

Royal Brunei Airlines flies daily from Brunei to Hong Kong! Fly Business class for extra comfort and access to business class lounges and a lot more Kilograms for your shopping needs!

I wasn't kidding when I said we finished our trip with FOUR big luggages worth of shopping!

Buy dried seafood, dried fruits and nuts at Yi De Lu Wholesale area

Take a Subway or Bus to Yi De Lu 一德路 and you would be amazed at the amount of wholesale dried seafood they have to offer. Chinese cuisine likes to use these dried seafood to cook porridge or soups to add flavour and richeness. It was quite an experience looking around and I went home with bags of these luxury items! If you are interested in toys - Ye De Lu is also a toys wholesale street! Nearby there are also the popular Shoes City 大都市鞋城 (88 Jie Fang Bei Lu) and Wholesale market for Pajamas and Lingerie 骏田精品批发市场 (Bei Jing Nan Lu)

Shopping for wedding dresses and wedding accessories at Jiang Nan Da Dao Bei (The Famous Wedding Dress Street)

The famous Jiang Nan Da Dao Bei (also known as Wedding Dress Street) is just next to the Hai Zhu Bridge area and accessible by bus and subway. Your bargaining skills will be put to the test as you look for the perfect wedding dress. You can custom make or you can just buy ready made ones. A good tip is to not get the zipper dresses - as they are made to fit perfectly - get the ones dresses with strings to tie up as this allows more leeway in terms of sizing. Try not to get overly excited as this would only weaken your bargaining position. Be ready to bargain and have fun shopping for your dream wedding - especially the traditional wedding accessories.

Wholesale Markets for Clothes near Guangzhou Station

For the past few years, I've accompanied my wife to many wholesale markets to shop for clothes - but Guangzhou seriously is an eye opener when it comes to their wholesale clothes markets. For starters - a lot of countries you shop in actually bought their stock from China and Guangzhou is actually one of the popular wholesale cities. It's no surprise that you will need a day or two to cover this wholesale market area alone! Now - these wholesale markets are actually comfortably air conditioned - and are very competitive - you will be swamped with choices and be ready to bargain! To get here - take the subway to Guangzhou Station (remember not to go to East Guangzhou by mistake!). Once you are at Guangzhou Station, it's a long walk to exit H and you will be faced with the many wholesale markets/malls. Here are the popular ones.

1) Bai Ma Market located just right opposite Guangzhou Station. This is the most popular and crowded one!
2) Tian Ma Market which is just next to Bai Ma
3) Xin Da Di is opposite Bai Ma (specializes in Autumn/Winter Wear)
4) Hong Mian Bu Bu Gao is behind Bai Ma (turn left instead of right when you are out of the station)
5) Hui Mei is our favourite and specializes in women's fashion/Korean Fashion

They open very early from 8am and close around 5-6pm. It's worth bringing a hand carry luggage bag with rollers so you can shop till you drop here! Trust me! You might need two whole days here ladies!

If you are hungry - Lan Zhou La Mian is a halal La Mian (hand pulled noodles) is nearby Hui Mei. Beef, Lamb or Chicken La Mian stir fried with spices!