Guangzhou foodie tour-An unique yummy experience you can’t miss in Guangzhou
If there’s only one reason to visit Guangzhou, it must be related to food. I’ve been longing to visit Guangzhou for a long time, and this year, I finally had the chance to go, thanks to a classmate living there. Before going, I asked a friend from Guangzhou, “Where are the best eats in Guangzhou hidden?” She said, “The food approved by old Guangzhou locals is often hidden in the deep alleys of old streets.”
I planned a trip to Guangzhou just for the food. One approach is to do research in advance by looking up places on review sites like Dianping or Xiaohongshu. Another is to choose a broad area on map, then dive into the old streets and alleys, and join the queue wherever people are lining up. Chances are, you won’t go wrong. On this three-day, two-night trip, I chose the Liwan District because it has Fangcun and Xiguan—one is said to be at the top of Guangzhou’s food chain, and the other is the old city area of Guangzhou. There’s a famous saying, “To eat in Guangzhou, you must taste Xiguan,” and “Xiguan” is the old name for Liwan District. In the Ming and Qing dynasties, this area was the trade center of Guangzhou and the most prosperous residential district in modern times. It’s also a hidden gem for food, as my friend said: “In the old city, wherever you go, the food will be good.”
Highlights of Guangzhou foodie tour
- Experience the local Signature Dish: “Golden Three Treasures” – tender beef brisket, tripe, and tendon in a flavorful broth.
- Taste Brisket bamboo-pole noodles, cooked to perfection with a rich, hearty broth.
- Try Pig trotter rice noodles – handmade noodles in a light, savory broth with tender pig trotters.
- Try the flavor of Winter melon wife cake – soft, flaky crust with a delicately sweet filling
- Relax and recharge with a snack while enjoying the vibrant street views.
01. Niukunji Famous Hong’s Beef Offal
Niukunji Famous Hong’s Beef Offal is located near the Chajiao Market. It takes about 10 minutes to walk from Fangcun Metro Station, but the easier way is to take a taxi from Fangcun Exit C. Given how hot it is, walking is really unbearable.
Niukunji Famous Hong’s Beef Offal is right at a T-junction. The shop is small, and before going, I checked some reviews on Dianping. Most of them were positive, mainly noting that the beef offal is clean and served with a clear broth. The lady boss is smart and friendly, and you can get free refills of soup. The portions are generous.
Upon arriving, I found that most of the good reviews were accurate. The place is small but very tidy, especially the work area, which was extremely clean. The lady boss heard I was from out of town and it was my first time trying beef offal, so she kindly suggested I try their signature dish, the “Golden Three Treasures.”
Since I don’t eat much, I asked the lady boss to go light on the rice noodles to avoid wasting food; I just wanted to try the flavor. The clear broth was not thick or greasy, and the three treasures—beef brisket, tripe, and tendon—were fresh, tender, and flavorful with no unpleasant odor. The rice noodles were smooth and tasty, and the broth also had a few pieces of white radish. The soup can be refilled for free. They also offer chili sauce, but for someone used to spicy food, this was not particularly hot. It mainly added some saltiness without the intense kick of heat.
This bowl of Niukunji Famous Hong’s “Golden Three Treasures” costs 26 yuan and is the signature dish of this local hidden gem. It’s perfect for solo travelers. Compared to the Xiguan Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street, which is 3 kilometers away, the prices here are much more affordable. Keep in mind, if you go too early or too late, you might miss out on the beef offal.
02. Liu Zha Noodle House
This shop is located diagonally across from Niukunji Famous Hong’s Beef Offal, near the entrance of Chajiao Market. It’s easy to find by the roadside. The customers were all local residents. I’ve always wanted to try Cantonese bamboo-pole noodles, so when I saw this place, I randomly decided to give it a try.
Liu Zha Noodle House is small, with fewer than five tables. The cashier is right by the entrance, and straight ahead is a semi-open kitchen area. A young girl handled the cashier, and an older lady was cooking the noodles. I ordered a bowl of brisket bamboo-pole noodles, which came with an extra bowl of soup.
The brisket was cooked until tender, and the 18-yuan portion was decent. Compared to the 15-yuan beef noodles I’ve had in Anhui, where the beef is thinly sliced, this was much better. The bamboo-pole noodles were particularly chewy, smooth, and springy. Even after soaking in the soup, they didn’t turn mushy. Paired with the tender brisket, even someone with a small appetite like me finished the whole bowl.
03. Yuexi Rice Noodles
There are very few reviews of this shop online, likely because it’s in a remote location and caters more to locals than tourists. But this is the one I recommend the most out of all the small eateries I tried in Fangcun. The reason is that this snack shop, located inside a market, lets you experience the life of old Guangzhou, and it offers excellent value, perfect for solo travelers.
The owner is cheerful and always smiling. Running a snack shop with a friendly face is definitely a plus. Yuexi Rice Noodles mainly serve rice noodles but also offer stir-fried dishes. They don’t open in the evening. At 6 a.m., the round tables outside are already filled with older men eating noodles, drinking tea, and chatting.
For 12 yuan, you get a bowl of pig trotter rice noodles with corn, winter melon, carrot, and pig trotters. The broth is clear, and the rice noodles are handmade. They also offer chili sauce. For the older men who come here to chat, they even provide early morning wine and tea. If you stay near Fangcun and enjoy visiting markets, I highly recommend coming here to experience sitting at a small snack shop by the roadside and having breakfast with the locals.
04. Yuen Long Wing Wah
After exploring the Chajiao Market area, you can head to Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street. It’s only about a 3-kilometer taxi ride. I didn’t plan my route in advance, so I rented a bike near Shangxiajiu and rode around the old streets. I spotted Yuen Long Wing Wah, an old Hong Kong-style bakery. Their pastries are freshly baked daily, and there’s a handwritten sign at the register: “Cash only.” But once inside, you can actually pay by scanning a QR code.
The two staff members seemed quite elderly. They recommended the winter melon wife cake. The crust was soft and flaky, and the filling was not overly sweet. Despite risking a sugar spike, I ate one of the sweet winter melon wife cakes. Honestly, I could’ve eaten several, but my body wouldn’t allow it!
Their pastries are mostly baked fresh. By evening, there isn’t much left. If you want to buy souvenirs, you can pick up their egg rolls or wife cakes. Since they’re made fresh, they don’t keep for long, so eat them quickly.
05. Lianji Ice Room
This is a newly opened Hong Kong-style café on Shangxiajiu. If you’re tired from walking, you can take a break here. The window seats offer a view of the entire pedestrian street. My companion ordered a bite-sized toast with a rich milk flavor. It was decent, nothing extraordinary, but it’s a good spot to rest your feet before continuing to explore the area.