There’s saying：「沒到廣州不知道吃不好」meaning if you have not been to Guangzhou you wouldn’t know that you have not been eating well. Guangzhou has long been regarded the best place to eat in China and we go and see why.

Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street 上下九步行街

Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street is a collective name of Shangjiu Road, Xiajiu Road, and Shifu Road Pedestrian Street at Xiguan, Liwan District, Guangzhou, China. It officially became a commercial pedestrian street on September 30, 1995. Its actual coverage includes Shangjiu Road, Xiajiu Road, Shishifu Road, Baohua Road, and Kangwang Road. Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street is the famous “Xiguan Commercial Corridor” and one of the most prosperous areas in the old city.

上下九步行街是中國廣州市荔灣區西關的上九路、下九路、第十甫路步行街的合稱。在1995年9月30日正式成為商業步行街。其實際涵蓋範圍包括上九路、下九路、第十甫路、寶華路、康王路等路段。上下九步行街為著名的「西關商廊」，也是舊城區最繁華的地段之一。

Dim sum 點心

Dim sum is the first thing I always eat in Guangzhou, simply because it’s so satisfying and makes you feel so happy! In the old days, dim sum was pushed around on carts and people would choose what they wanted as they ate, and still is in many places outside of China, but now most restaurants in Guangzhou are sit down and order places, where you’re given a menu and a pencil to tick off the dishes you want to eat beforehand.

Tao Tao Ju Restaurant 陶陶居

Tao Tao Ju is one of the best dim sum restaurants, and one of the oldest Cantonese restaurants in Guangzhou. Although expensive, it is revered by locals and serves every possible kind of dim sum, sweet treat and a traditional afternoon tea. It is originally built in 1880 in Qing Dynasty and is decorated with classic Guangzhou features. It is first choice place to experience the local life of Guangzhou area or to taste authentic canton gourmet. The food served here is authentic and delicious with fair price. There are also all kinds of famous canton dishes. The service is good too. As there are many customers every day, you may have to line for a while before it is your turn to enjoy the meal.

陶陶居（俗稱孖陶）位於中國廣州市荔灣區西關第十甫路（上下九步行街），由黃澄波創建於1880年（清光緒六年）。陶陶居擁有的高雅格局，跟其源遠流長的歷史，使該茶樓在廣州茶樓中擁有殿堂級的地位，歷年來均是各方的文人雅士樂於聚首的地方。相傳從前陶陶居是以白雲山的九龍泉水泡茶做招徠的，並由專人負責走到那處擔水。煮茶時更用紅泥小火爐，有專人侍候。

在未成為茶樓前，陶陶居原址是西關一位大戶大家的書院。陶陶居原名葡萄居，由黃澄波自理的時期，主要經營姑蘇清茶和細緻點心為主。後由廣東巨商譚傑南（另一說法是陳伯綺）購入後改名陶陶居，取其「樂也陶陶」之意。關於在茶樓大堂上耀眼的牌匾上「陶陶居」的命題，傳說是清末文人康有為的手筆。有說康有為到廣州講學時，是該茶樓的常客，因而為茶樓題字。曾經到訪過這裡的名人商賈包括巴金、魯迅，粵劇界名伶薛覺先、白駒榮等。但後來因經營不善，後繼無人，曾經在民國十六年（1927年）因巨債而倒閉，直至民國二十二年（1933年）重開。

於在2000年，陶陶居被「香港幸福樓海鮮酒家飲食集團」收購，從舊國企轉為股份制籌集資金，並引進香港模式進行管理。但商標仍然屬於「國有」的「廣州飲食服務企業集團有限公司」，並不屬幸福樓飲食集團。現在陶陶居亦被中國國內貿易部頒發「中華老字號」、「國家特級酒家」等稱號。2005年6月被公佈為廣州市登記保護文物單位。

Tao Tao Ju 陶陶居
22 Dishipu Road 20 第十甫路22號
Tel: +86-20-81396111

Lian Xiang Lou Restaurant 蓮香樓

It is an old tea house in Guangzhou. It has branch in Hong Kong. It is most famous for producing very smooth lotus seed paste, and is credited for pioneering the moon cakes for Mid-Autumn Festival. First established in Guangzhou in 1889, and branched out to Hong Kong in 1918, the tea house is among the oldest tea houses in Guangzhou and Hong Kong.

蓮香樓廣州店位於荔灣區第十甫路，在香港設有分店。雖然兩者在經營上已經是脫勾，但也可說是同源異枝。文化大革命時期，蓮香樓被當局改名為「東風樓」，所在的第十甫路被改為「秀麗路」1993年被國內貿易部授予「中華老字型大小」稱號；1998年經國內貿易局批准為「國家特級酒家」。

1889年，在古老的廣州城城西一隅，一間專營糕點美食的糕酥館開業了，這就是蓮香樓的前身。那時，西關一帶繁華非常，住戶多是富裕人家，因而飲食業異常興旺。老制餅陳師傅改進制餅工藝，用蓮子來製作餅點餡料，使之獨具一格，吸引客人。光緒年間，糕酥館改名為「連香樓」，並擴大經營，在香港九龍開設了三家分店。為了保證餅食品質，該店嚴格選用當年產的湖南湘蓮。由於製作講究，生意日漸興隆。宣統二年，一位名叫陳如嶽的翰林學士，品嘗了蓮蓉食品後，有感於蓮蓉獨特的風味，提議給連香樓的連字加上草頭，眾人一致贊同，他遂手書「蓮香樓」三個雄渾大字。高懸於該樓門前的金漆牌匾上的「蓮香樓」三個大字，便是這位學士的手跡。從此，蓮香樓製作的蓮蓉食品，進入千家萬戶，被譽為「蓮蓉第一家」。近百年來，蓮香樓雖幾經風雨，歷盡滄桑，人事沈浮，而生意始終興旺。老一輩的”蓮香”職工自豪地說：「蓮香開業至今，百多年來從未虧本」。

Lian Xiang Lou Restaurant 蓮香樓
No.67 Dishifu Road, Liwan District, Guangzhou 廣州市荔灣區第十甫路67號

Guangzhou Restaurant 廣州酒家

Guangzhou Restaurant is one of Guangzhou’s oldest and most famous dim sum restaurants. Founded in 1937 at the same location, it went through baptism of fire (burnt down in 1935) to become “The No.1 restaurant in Guangzhou”. There are now many chain locations throughout the city, but you should visit the old one in the city center for the classic experience.

廣州酒家是位於廣東省廣州市荔灣區的一間著名酒家，其總店位於文昌南路與上下九步行街交匯處。酒家以經營粵菜和中秋月餅而聞名，有「食在廣州第一家」的美譽。1935年陳星海看中文昌路同上下九交界一塊地，於1937年在此創設西南大酒家。1938年毀於火災，陳星海於1939年重建，取名為廣州大酒家。1956年公私合營後成為國營企業，1950年代末困難時期，資源缺乏，市人大在廣州大酒家搞酒會時，後來的酒家領導、當時仍是廚師的陳明，就操刀弄出「番薯宴」作宴全部番薯菜式的造型、味道、款式都不一樣。文化大革命後酒家沿用現名。1983年7月進行改造裝修，1991年成立廣州酒家集團公司，2005年9月被公佈為廣州市登記保護文物單位。先後被評為中華老字號、全國十佳酒家等稱號。1930年代曾在香港石塘咀電車路置有分店，於1981年結業，此店在中共建政後已與廣州本舖沒有關連。

Guangzhou Restaurant 廣州酒家
2 Wenchang S Rd, ShangXiaJiu, Liwan Qu 文昌南路2號
Tel : 020-81380388

Canton Tower 廣州塔

The Canton Tower, formally Guangzhou TV Astronomical and Sightseeing Tower, is a 604-meter-tall multipurpose observation tower in the Haizhu District of Guangzhou. The tower was topped out in 2009 and it became operational on 29 September 2010 for the 2010 Asian Games. (Wiki)

As the landmark of Guangzhou, the Canton Tower (Guangzhou Tower) lies at the south bank of the Pearl River, facing Haixinsha Island to the north. From the top, visitors have a birds-eye view of the whole city.

Zone E, including the antenna, starts at 376 meters (1,233 feet). It contains the most excellent collection of entertainments in the tower. The ‘488 Lookout’, the highest outdoor observation deck according to the Guinness World Records, is located at the top at 488 meters (1,601 feet). Visitors have a panoramic view of Guangzhou City. It is a wonderful site for the photography zealot to catch the breathless moments of the sunrise, the moonlight, the starry sky, and the city panorama.

Taking the Bubble Tram is one of the most popular activities for visitors. The tram has 16 crystal sightseeing cabins revolving around the tower. It spins around the top of the main body of the tower at 455 meters (1,492 feet). With its splendid panoramic city view, the Bubble Tram is regarded as a romantic place for making a marriage proposal.

Hui Yue Heen 暉粵軒

There’s a better way to get up the Guangzhou Tower. You can go and have a lovely Cantonese dinner on the 103rd floor at Hui Yue Heen. They have a separate queue and a lift that brings you directly to the restaurant.

Sham Tseng 深井 isn’t anywhere near town – it’s in the New Territories region in Hong Kong. However within the stretch of 500m along the highway to Mainland China and downtown Hong Kong, there are several roast goose legends that firmly put the town with roast goose. 深井燒鵝 Hong Kong-style Roast Goose is a tribute to that style of roast goose – moist on the inside with crispy, honey-glazed skin.

When they called it “Treasures of the Sea”, they are referring to the sea cucumber, whelk, fish maw and abalone. All these hoi-mei 海味 (literary “tastes from the sea”) come as dried ingredients in which the flavours of the ingredient has been concentrated by the dehydration process. Rehydrating takes a long time and effort and only a double boil soup can do justice to these expensive ingredients.

滋補燉海中寶 Double-boiled Treasures of the Sea uses a chicken feet and pork rib stock to draw out the flavours of the sea. Clear and full of deliciousness, it was a very good soup. I wish it could be more intense and “stickier” with collagen.

如意吉祥炒羊肚菌 Asparagus, lily bulb, wood fungus, gingko nuts with morel mushrooms  was a really refreshing vegetarian dish. The combination of these ingredients was quite common in Cantonese cuisine, some would replace the lily bulb with mountain yam depending on the season.

Do not expect a fantastic meal. They are good, but in a city where everyone is a Michelin inspector, and a lot of restaurants can qualify for a Michelin star if only the Micheline is fairer to Chinese cuisines, Hui Yue Heen can only be described as “Above Average”. The price is “above average” too, since this is located in a tourist attraction. But if you calculation the ticket prices for just the Tower visit (RMB 150 per adult), it makes sense to go have a meal.

Hui Yue Heen 暉粵軒
閱江西路222號廣州塔103層
Tel : 020-89338132, 020-89338133

Date Visited : Jul 2016