Best restaurants and what to eat
China
Guangdong, centered on the Pearl River Delta and the city of Guangzhou, is one of China’s great culinary heartlands. Its cooking is famous for delicate seasoning, fresh seafood, roasted meats, dim sum, and a refined balance that highlights natural flavor rather than heavy spice.
A glossy Cantonese cured sausage with a sweet-savory profile, lightly smoky aroma, and firm, chewy bite. It is prized in clay-pot rice, stir-fries, and steamed dishes, where its rendered fat perfumes the whole plate.
Air-cured Cantonese pork with a deep mahogany color, concentrated pork sweetness, and a lightly caramelized finish. Often sliced thin and steamed or fried, it brings richness to rice and vegetable dishes.
The classic Cantonese roast pork, lacquered with a sweet-spiced glaze and roasted until the edges char gently. Tender, fragrant, and glossy, it is equally at home on its own, over rice, or tucked into buns.
Cantonese roast goose with crisp, amber skin and succulent, richly flavored meat. The rendering of the fat gives it a luxurious mouthfeel, often balanced by plum sauce or pickled vegetables.
A prized Guangdong poached chicken served chilled or at room temperature, celebrated for clean poultry flavor and silky texture. It is commonly paired with ginger-scallion sauce that sharpens its subtle sweetness.
Salt-cured duck eggs with a glossy orange yolk that turns rich, sandy, and intensely savory when cooked. Used in rice, congee, pastries, and mooncake-style sweets, they are a hallmark of southern Chinese pantry culture.
A distinctive Cantonese baijiu style from Guangdong, traditionally mellowed with pork fat during aging to round out the spirit’s edges. It is smooth, gently aromatic, and typically enjoyed as a local house spirit with robust dishes.
A fragrant Guangdong rice spirit associated with the Foshan/Shiwan area, soft-bodied and slightly sweet with a warm finish. It is commonly sipped with meals or used in cooking to deepen aroma.
The iconic Cantonese herbal tea, brewed from cooling botanicals and prized for its bitter, medicinal, thirst-quenching profile. Served chilled or at room temperature, it is a classic antidote to Guangdong’s humid climate and rich foods.
A fragrant chrysanthemum tea with a light floral perfume and gentle sweetness. In Guangdong it is a common everyday drink, often paired with dim sum to refresh the palate.
A deeply aromatic fermented tea widely appreciated in Cantonese tea culture, with earthy, mellow notes and a lingering finish. It is often served alongside rich roast meats and dim sum to cut through fat.
A sweet herbal infusion made from monk fruit, valued for its naturally sugary taste and soothing character. It is popular as a cooling beverage in southern China and is often served warm or iced.
The broad Cantonese tradition of small savory and sweet bites, ranging from dumplings and buns to steamed cakes and custards. In Guangdong it is not just a meal but a ritual, best enjoyed with tea and a leisurely conversation.
Silken rice noodle rolls with an almost translucent texture, typically filled with shrimp, beef, or barbecue pork. Finished with soy sauce, they are prized for their softness and delicate rice fragrance.
The emblematic Cantonese shrimp dumpling, with a tender, slightly chewy wrapper and sweet, juicy filling. Its finesse lies in balance: fresh seafood, subtle seasoning, and a wrapper that is thin yet resilient.
Open-faced dumplings commonly filled with pork and shrimp, steamed until plump and savory. In Guangdong they are a dim sum essential, often topped with crab roe or a pea for color.
Soft steamed buns filled with sweet-savory roast pork, offering a fluffy exterior and juicy, glossy interior. They are beloved for the contrast between pillowy dough and intensely fragrant filling.
A wrapped glutinous rice parcel with chicken, sausage, mushrooms, and savory aromatics, steamed in lotus leaf. The leaf perfumes the rice with a subtle herbal note, making it a deeply comforting dim sum dish.