Guangzhou Food Guide

What to eat, where to find it, and how to order like a local

🥢 Must-Try Dishes

Dim Sum BreakfastDim Sum

Guangzhou’s dim sum is the most exquisite breakfast experience in the world—basket after basket of delicate dim sum: translucent shrimp dumplings, juicy siu mai, silky-smooth rice rolls, and tender, flavorful chicken feet. Paired with a pot of Pu’er tea or Tieguanyin, you can sit and chat while eating from morning until noon.

50–100 yuan per person

Where to Eat

All over the city→Taotaoju / Guangzhou Restaurant / Panxi Restaurant (陶陶居 / 广州酒家 / 泮溪酒家)

Taotaoju (long-established restaurant, 80–120 yuan per person). Diandude (chain restaurant, consistent quality). Panxi Restaurant (garden-style restaurant with the most beautiful setting).

Ordering Tips: Shrimp dumplings, siu mai, chicken feet, and rice rolls are the “Big Four” of dim sum. A steamer basket usually contains 3–4 pieces. Ordering 8–10 baskets is about right for two people.

🛒 Street Food

Wonton NoodlesWonton Noodles

A good bowl of wonton noodles features hand-pulled “silver thread” noodles that are firm and springy, fresh shrimp wontons with thin wrappers and generous fillings (at least 50% shrimp), and a clear, sweet broth simmered with dried fish. This is the most common yet most meticulously prepared bowl of noodles for Guangzhou locals.

15–30 yuan per bowl

Where to Eat

Old Town (老城区)→Baohua Noodle Shop / Wu Cai Ji (宝华面店 / 吴财记)

Wu Cai Ji is a long-established shop tucked away in an alley, and its wonton noodles are second to none.

Ordering Tips: Don’t add vinegar! Take a sip of the broth first—the savory broth, simmered with dried fish and shrimp roe, is the soul of the dish.