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Cantonese Cuisine (Yue Cuisine)

Cantonese Cuisine, also known as Yue Cuisine, is the culinary style of Guangdong Province, which was called Canton when the Wade-Giles romanization of Chinese was in use. This particular type of Chinese food has been popularized by Chinese restaurants around the world as the majority of those who set up these restaurants were of Cantonese origin.

Cantonese Dishes

Traditional Dishes
These dishes are the earliest collection of Chinese food. They are often simple and easy to learn and cook, and are widely found in Chinese homes. They are also the most common foods on the menus of Cantonese restaurants.

Chinese Steamed Eggs
Chinese Steamed Eggs are made by beating eggs to a creamy consistency and then steaming. Variations are derived by adding different ingredients, such as spring onion and soy sauce.

Deep Fried Dishes
Although deep fried dishes are not the main stream of Guangdong dishes, there are quite a number of them which are very popular both in China the in the West.

Zhaliang (literally “Fried Two”)
Zhaliang is made by tightly wrapping a rice sheet roll round a youtiao (deep-fried dough stick). Zhaliang is widely eaten in Guangdong and Hong Kong. It is usually eaten with soy milk.

Youtiao
A youtiao is a long, golden-brown deep-fried strip of dough. Youtiaos are usually eaten for breakfast with soy milk.

Shahe Noodles (Shahefen)
Shahe noodles a kind of rice noodles which probably originate from the town of Shahe, now part of Guangzhou. They are broad and white in color. Their texture is elastic and a little chewy. They do not freeze or dry well and are thus generally (where available) purchased fresh, in strips or sheets that may be cut to the desired width. Shahefen is popular in southern China’s Guangdong, Guangxi and Hainan provinces.

Baiqie Chicken (White Cut Chicken)
Baiqie Chicken is made by boiling salt-marinated chicken in water or chicken broth. When it is done, the chicken looks golden in color and tastes fresh and light, preserving the best of the original taste of chicken.

The famous Baiqie Chicken served by Panxi Restaurant in Guangzhou is believed to be the most delicious. The restaurant has received the Golden Tripod of High Quality Production from the Department of Commerce for its Baiqie Chicken.

Panxi Restaurant

Panxi Restaurant is famous for its specialty: Baiqie Chicken. This dish

Panxi Restaurant

served by Panxi Restaurant is believed to be the most delicious in china, and Panxi Restaurant has received the Golden Tripod of High Quality Production from the Department of Commerce for its Baiqie Chicken.

Address: No.151 West Longjin Road, Liwan District

Chinese Name: 泮溪酒店

Chinese Address: 荔湾区龙津西路151号

Tel：020-81721328 81722788

Guangzhou Shahe Restaurant

Guangzhou Shahe Restaurant

Address: No.318 East Xianlie Road, Tianhe District

Chinese Name: 广州沙河大饭店

Chinese Address: 广州市天河区先烈东路318号

Tel：020- 37285085

Cantonese Cuisine (Yue Cuisine)

Click to enlarge the Memu of Cantonese Cuisine

Do you want to taste delicious Chinese foods when traveling in China? Have a look at our Chinese Food Tours

How to Order Chinese Food

In China, ordering food can be a real cultural experience, because there are no English speaking staff to help often or even English menus. This page is designed to give you some tips and useful phrases for ordering food in China.

Reading Menus
When arriving in a restaurant, after sitting down at the table, and the customary pot of tea has been served, the next thing that will arrive is the menu (菜单 caidan /tseye-dan/).

Menus with Pictures
If the menu has pictures you are in luck as this offers an easy way to order. Just point to what you want and say yi fen (一份 /ee fnn/ ‘one portion’). In northern China ‘one portion’ is pronounced yi fenr (一份儿 /ee frrh/). (See numbers in our phrasebook for if you want more than one portion.) You could also do the same if you see someone else eating something you would like by pointing at their food. However, although people will usually excuse you for being foreign, this is a little impolite and bizarre.

English/Chinglish Menus
Some Chinese menus, particularly in big restaurants or those that have a Western theme, have English menus. This is the ideal situation, but beware — sometimes the English is incorrect factually, quite apart from the Chinglish and spelling mistakes. In English menu restaurants the staff will still often not be able to speak English, so you will still have to point at the menu and say yi fen as above.

Recognizing some Chinese
If you have a phrase book with you or an ability to remember Chinese characters then you could point to the Chinese for the food you want as above. Below is a list of some commonly ordered and favorite Chinese foods among Westerners.

Click to enlarge the menu of Chinese Food

Ordering Verbally
You could use the list above or any other food names that you have learnt in Mandarin. A useful phrase is youmeiyou (有没有 /yoh-may-yoh/ ‘Do you have ...?’). If the restaurant has it the reply will be you, if not then meiyou.

Common phrases

Click to enlarge the table of Chinese common phrases

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Q:Usha Asked on 01:40 AM Mar. 20 2012 Reply

Where do you get vegetarian food?

Hi Usha,

Here are two famouse vegetarian restaurants in Guangzhou:

Suchengzhai Vegetarian Hall

Address: 3rd Floor, Nanyazhonghe Square, No.57, Linjiang Avenue, Zhujiangxincheng, Tianhe District (天河区珠江新城临江大道57号南雅中和广场3楼)

How to get there: Bus No. 138, 293, 44, 866A, 66. You can show the above address to the taxi driver or guide.

Reservation phone: 86-020-62606798 62606799

Xinyi Sushi

Address: 4th Floor, Zhongtai International Square, No.161, Linhe West Road, Tianhe District (天河区林和西路161号中泰国际广场4楼)

How to get there: Tour Bus No. 3. You can show the above address to the taxi driver or guide.

Reservation phone: 86-020-38310703

Hope this helps.

Doris Huang Replied on 04:16 AM Mar. 21 2012

Q:Usha Asked on 01:40 AM Mar. 20 2012 Reply

Where do you get vegetarian food?

Hello Usha, there are many vegetarian restaurants in Haizhou District around Pazhou complex, about 30 to 40 minutes by bus and subway. If you take taxi, it may take 20 minutes. Among them, the following two are recommended:

Tailai Vegetarian Restaurant

Address: A107, 1 Yale Street, Shangdu Road, Haizhou District (Chinese:海珠区上渡路雅乐街1号A107).

Foshijie Vegetarian Restaurant

Address: 2-8 Ershenggongqian, Niunaichang Street, Tongfu Central Road, Haizhu District (Chinese: 海珠区同福中路牛奶厂街二圣宫前2-8号). Iris Zhong Replied on 03:44 AM Mar. 20 2012

Grand Continental Service Apartment

From:
$123

Location:
To Pazhou Complex: 9km
To Airport: 33.7km

Tavernew Hotel

From:
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Location:
To Pazhou Complex: 13.1 km
To Airport: 28km

Sha Xing Hotel

From:
$49

Location:
To Pazhou Complex: 7.5km
To Airport: 30km

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