Cantonese food in Hong Kong and Guangdong province are ‘same-same but different’ because of their unique histories and cultures.
Hong Kong has a lot of Western influence from being a British colony for over 150 years until 1997, so you’ll find fusion dishes like Hong Kong-style milk tea and French toast. Guangzhou and Guangdong at large stick to traditional Cantonese flavours and ingredients more. ‘The old way,’ so to speak.
This two-Michelin-starred restaurant inside the historic House of Roosevelt by the Bund celebrates traditional Guangdong cuisine, sourcing a lot of its ingredients straight from the south.
Even though it is formal, I’m a fan of the vibe. I really like the sweet and sour pork and the pan-fried lotus cake with miced pork. There are some modern twists, but I wouldn’t say there is much Western influence. Plus, they have a really good tea pairing.
When I was growing up in Poland, one of the dishes I adored was grilled pork collar marinated with garlic, shallots, ginger, hoisin, oyster sauce soy and honey. I have no clue where my mom got her idea or recipe from, but I was in love…
For char siu and other Cantonese roasted meats in Shanghai, I recommend Bird Hut.
I always order a combination platter and have char siu as one of the items. Add their signature ice lemon tea to your order and your day just got a whole hell of a lot better.
I like the fact that they, like us, offer ginger scallion relish (this is not the typical way of serving charsiu, but I just really like this combination). Always on white rice.
10 years passed and when I visited Hong Kong and tried char siu, that realisation hit hard.
Bird Hut is an in-and-out type of restaurant, but there’s more to it than just the food. The staff are really friendly and polite (compared to many siu mei restaurants in Hong Kong, that’s a luxury, haha).
They also put a lot of thought into the space, from the contemporary design to the custom-built speakers — rarely do such luxuries come with this style of restaurant.
Of the three branches, I usually go to Shaanxi Road or Xiangyang Road, but make your choice wisely. For vibes, I prefer Xiangyang, as there aren’t many things in life I enjoy more than plate of good roasted meats while listening to jazz... but they run out of roasts quicker, so choose the right timing. On top of that, the same spot turns into a cosy highball bar in the evening!
04 Chaoshan Specialties
🇨🇳 Chinese name: 潮汕特产
📍Stall W14, Fortune Flower Market, No. 6, Alley 151, West Guilin Street, Xuhui
⏰ Daily, 8:30 AM - 8 PM
When I miss eating rice noodle rolls or cheung fun, I will order delivery from this spot inside a market. Even though it’s Chaozhou (aka Chiuchow or Teochew-style) cheung fun, which is different from what I grew up with, I prefer this style with egg, dried radish, lettuce and meat!
Besides the cheung fun, get the gai lan (Chinese broccoli) and beef stir-fried kway teow (kind of rice noodles). I don’t think they have drinks, but you can also try the soup kway teow!
Confession: I’ve never actually been to the physical location since it’s quite far away; it just looks like a stall inside a quiet market, and it might not even be worth it to go all the way there.
I always order two kinds of cheung fun to make the most out of my delivery.
05 Tak Chan Cantonese Stewed Soup
🇨🇳 Chinese name: 德陳燉品·老廣原味炖汤
📍 Two locations: 33 Shaanxi South Road, Huangpu | 680 Weihai Road, Jing’an
⏰ Daily, 11:30 AM - 9 PM
Whenever nostalgia for home hits, I head straight here. This cosy spot serves the comforting flavours I’m familiar with.
You cannot go wrong with any of the soups in store. Tr
y the fermented black garlic pork rib soup — it’s not their signature, but it’s unique and feels to me like a warm hug from a grandma.
The space itself sees a funny mix of modern and traditional Cantonese style — you’ve got to see it for yourself. They currently have two venues and are opening a third soon.
06 Yuan Meng Xuan
🇨🇳 Chinese name: 缘梦轩
📍390 Panyu Road, Changning
⏰ Daily, 10:30 AM - Late
I have been seeking a commendable Cantonese restaurant in Shanghai for a long time, and finally, I found this gem.
They literally just opened, so the chef might come out to chat with you and ask for opinions. The team is super warm and welcoming.
You must order the orange peel soup (陈皮汤), which reminds me of a good-tasting one in Guangzhou. They use so many ingredients and slow-boil it for a long time — it calms your soul.
I also recommend the steamed chicken and meat pancake. These kinds of dishes might seem simple but are difficult to make, as they are super easy to overcook.
It also passes the vibe check for an authentic Cantonese restaurant — because it has barely any décor, which is similar to 大排档 or street food stalls.
In Guangzhou we love to go to restaurants with amazing food. People don’t really care about the interior.
