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Guides for China |
Foshan Tourist Guide (March
2010)
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Chinese Restaurants |
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This page lists some of
our favourite Chinese restaurants in Foshan.
Related Pages:
• Restaurants
- Introduction
• Western
Restaurants
• Chinese Restaurants - This Page
• Vegetarian
Restaurants
• Fast
Food
• Late
Night Eats and Drinks
• Trendy
Cafes, beer gardens and juice bars
The page is divided into two main categories: Hot Pot
restaurants and Chinese restaurants.
Hot Pot Restaurants
The Little Sheep
This is a most excellent restaurant foreigners should
get the hang of pretty quickly. It is actually part
of a National chain, with branches also in Hong Kong.
It features Inner Mongolia cooking at it's very best,
and is a version of cook in the pot. The tables all
feature a central gas hob, onto which is placed a large
cooking vessel with a central divider. One side is herbs,
spices and coconut milk - and the other is chilli hot!
You will need a local person to help you order, and
do experiment.
You need to spend over Y600 in one sitting to get a
VIP card, which then gives you a 10% discount forever.
This is complemented by an outside BBQ, and the rack
of sheep's ribs is excellent and awesome!
Once every twenty visits or thereabouts, you will eat
something that is incredibly hot! Copious beers will
only inflame the flame inside; so order a special and
medicinal bean curd thingymagig that looks like a wrinkly
cream coloured parchment sticks. This is the only known
antidote! Cook this for two minutes in the coconut half,
and return to the human race immediately, unfazed. My
friends and I have still not exactly worked out what
this thing is, but is is totally hilarious if you are
not on the receiving end hahaha! We think it may be
something that looks like a small peppercorn?
This place is humming by 6pm, so either: rock-up earlier,
book in advance, or go after 9pm (10% off and open until
midnight). However, the best staff also leave around
9pm, so this really isn't a blessing.
Location: If you are in a taxi, then simply say "Siu
Fai Yeurm, Gui wah mmm lo". It is located between
Fung Dong Zhong Lo (Feng Jiang Central Road) where it
becomes Gung Gong Nam Lo (Feng Jiang South Road) and
Fo'san Dai Doh (Foshan Avenue).
The Orange Place
If you like the Little Sheep, then there are several
similar alternatives. The first is located nearly opposite
WallMart on Jia Hua 5 Road - where the road disappears
down the underpass, and very close to Foshan Radio Tower.
I do not know the name of it, but it has a bright orange
facade that is un-missable, and a lot of bright green
also. Inside is very nicely finished, the staff are
courteous and friendly, with some speaking pretty goof
English.
They have introduced a buffet type service, which is
obtainable to the extreme left of the entrance. Having
made your selection you then return to your seats to
cook at table. Alternatively, you can order direct from
the menu and staff will bring your selections as they
are prepared. One is an excellent fish platter featuring
red salmon. Unlike the Little Sheep, this restaurant
has individual cooking pots built into the table top,
each with its own heat control and sieve. This is quite
unusual for China, a land where food is usually cooked
communally. Some of the dishes can be expensive, which
I believe is why they introduced the buffet arrangement.
However, this place is very well work a visit. One tip
is that each serving pot/cooker thing has only one sauce
of course. Therefore it makes sense if you like to experiment
with tastes, to order several different sauces and mix
your cooking appropriately.
The Cheap Place
Again I have no name I can recount for this restaurant,
which is situated nearby the Orange Restaurant. This
time go to WallMart and turn right onto Dai Fu't Lo
(Now called Lingnan Dong lu). You will have the TV tower
to your left now. You need to head up this road about
500 yards and it is on your right, the second restaurant
of a group huddles closely together. It is virtually
opposite Foshan Number 2 Hospital main entrance. It
is distinguished by having table clothes with matching
frilly seat covers. The door is set in the front right
corner, and steps on the right lead up to a second floor
which overlooks the reception area. The toilets are
located up here behind the extra seating area.
This restaurant is notably cheaper than either the Little
Sheep or the Orange Place, but the food is quite excellent,
with the hot side being really hot! Again we are back
to a central cooking bowl with central divider, although
I remember this one also has a three-way version. The
style is virtually identical to the Little Sheep, but
the food has different version also and some additions
like squid. The pig's brain's here are excellent and
I do recommend them if you like a creamy pate? Expect
this restaurant to close around the standard time of
9.30 pm.
The Goose Restaurant
This is more a local version based upon Shunde cuisine,
although the staff are Sichuan people. This restaurant
features a single central cooking pot, but is fired
by charcoal which is brought out by an experienced person
and emptied into the central furnace. We call it the
Goose Restaurant because their famous dish is a hotpot
of goose. However, the walls and menu also feature many
other dishes, and we actually prefer the fish selection,
which comes with a fish of course, but also much seafood
such as prawns and similar. It is very delicious and
a welcome alternative.
The Goose Restaurant is located very near Jia Hua Park,
and on the opposite block corner from The Private Hospital.
To get there, get a cab to Dong Jian Century Plaza,
and turn up the road immediately to the side of KFC.
You will pass the Bank of China on your left, and later
The Kingdom Hotel on your right. At the traffic lights
turn right (By RBT trendy bar) and stop when you reach
the end of the block. There are two restaurants here,
and the Goose Restaurant is the one that spans the corner
with frontage onto the adjoining road. Expect this restaurant
to close around the standard time of 9.30 pm.
Chinese Restaurants
The Artist's Place
This establishment is probably the most picturesque
of all Foshan's many eateries and a must visit!
The unusual foyer houses an arts museum to your right
and above, whilst a second doorway leads out to a secluded
courtyard set with tables, Chinese lanterns, and BBQ
stall. Indoor eating halls are on your left, whilst
the remainder reveals rustic private rooms, many with
patio's overlooking ponds and streams. It is awesome!
Behind in a private area is the artist's studio. The
man himself is charming and very gracious, and even
though he is one of Foshan's most respected citizens,
he remains unassuming, chatty, and dedicated to his
work.
In keeping with the ambience, the food is excellent.
There is a picture menu to help foreigners order, although
many staff speak good English. I have written about
one of our visits in my missive '7-days
Before Christmas 2009' Page 6.
On this occasion we ordered: Tiger Prawns, beef chops,
raw jellyfish, some gourd thing that tastes better than
pumpkin, pork in black bean sauce, abalone, possibly
the best Goose I have ever tasted, a platter of chicken,
fish presented in sexy scallops – a bit like the English
serve butter, and various Chinese cabbagey things +
rice for those who want it. Those not into rice can
choose the hand-made noodles instead, which are excellent.
They also offer large red crabs in a mild curry sauce
which are mouthwatering, if a little messy. I have eaten
here on several occasions and never found one dish I
would not recommend!
How to get there 1: From Dong Jian enter Dai Fu't Lo
(Lingnan Donglu) heading North with the radio tower
to your right. At the first main set of road traffic
lights bear right, and at the T-junction turn left.
You are now on Mam Wha Ba't Lo (Wen Hua Bei Lu). Keep
going straight about 3-miles until you reach the intersection
with a major expressway. Turn round and head back up
the other side of this road for about 300 yards (There
are lots of car dealerships in this area), and turn
right. The restaurant is 50 yards on your left.
How to get there 2: Go straight North on Foshan Avenue
(Foshan Dai Do) until you reach a seriously major road
interchange. Follow the roadsigns for Guangzhou but
keep in the right hand lane and pass Osram lightbulb
factory on your right. Get off at the first exit - which
is Wen Hua Bei Lu mentioned above.
The food, the staff, the surroundings all just perfect,
making this a magical culinary experience. Opening times
are the standard midday till 2pm, and 6pm till 9.30.
The Turtle Place or Fu Long
Xuan
This is very easy to find, and comprises a main area
of 4 restaurants surrounding a massive car park, with
a second tier just around the corner. This whole area
is also a good spot for outdoor food and drinks late
at night. All four restaurants are very good, and I
have been to them all. However we will focus on the
most interesting one for first timers.
Location: Go to where Jia Hua 5 Road becomes Jia Hua
4 Road - and this is where it crosses Foshan Avenue
(Daido). Turn into Jia Hua 4 Road and it is 50 yards
on your right. During the daytime you can park here,
but late at night the car park becomes a sea of outdoor
tables.
The Turtle Restaurant is immediately on your left as
you enter this enclave, and if entering from the car
park the seating area is too your right with toilets
and private rooms behind. To your left, or via the front
entrance are numerous tanks containing all manner of
life. The emphasis is on fish and shellfish, but also
shown are the vegetables of the day accompanied by a
very large notice board with colour photographs or replications
of all the main dishes on the menu = excellent for foreigners.
You may not want to look into all of the containers
in this area, as some contain: Alligators, snakes, toads,
and turtles - the reason we have named this restaurant
so.
After being seated staff will want to know what you
want to order. You are expected to go to the front and
choose your dishes - so pointing at tanks or dishes
on the board makes this very easy to accomplish without
the need of a translator. The staff really don't speak
much English, but then, you don't need them to here!
This restaurant is probably one of the best for first-time
visitors to Foshan, as the total range of food on offer
is quite astounding, and the cooking is extremely good
+ ordering what you want is extremely easy.
Open: 10am till very late
Tel: 0757 8271 8463
The Chicken Restaurant
The best British style spare ribs are sold at 'The Chicken
Restaurant', which is located on the Western aspect
of Dong Jian Century Plaza and 100 yards up the road
that passes KFC to your left, and virtually opposite
The Bank of China.
This restaurant actually specialises in steamed chicken,
a version of Toisan
Chicken. However, Expats will be well aware that
Chinese take perfectly great spare ribs, and chop them
into one billion pieces = not good. This place sells
the only spare ribs I would recognise from UK = 6-inches
long + sauce. Eat with your fingers time, but they supply
plastic gloves. Their Toisan Chicken is the star dish;
and rates as 'good'', but from a different planet regards
Mama's home cooked version. Compensating: there are
pictures of the dishes on the walls, so simply point
at one and you are immediately understood. I have also
been teaching them that British people like to have
a few beers before eating a main meal - something that
seems to have crossed the culture divide; even if it
leaves me prey to teaching their son 'Ingerwishy' upon
occasions.
Xi'an Restaurant 1
This is next door to the 'Chicken Restaurant' is a pukka
Xi'an restaurant - you know it because it has life-sized
Xi'an warriors just inside the door. To order a Xi'an
'Ham-bo-Bah', simply make a 6-inch round with your index
finger in the air. Simple. It will come served with
complimentary Gutierrez chillies inside = awesome!
This is actually an excellent restaurant, but you will
need to go there with a partner who is not Cantonese
to get the best out of the menu. Notable dishes include:
small hotpot of any specified meat or fish, served on
top of a candle-powered stove; hand-made noodles; meatballs;
and several other dishes that are too complex to explain
concisely.
The Hunan Restaurant
If you like especially hot food then this restaurant
is for all chilli lovers. It is located a little further
up the same street from the two restaurants above and
is entered by going down a couple of steps. The layout
is such that it is divided into two mirrored sections
by a central dividing wall running the length of the
restaurant.
The main dish features your choice of meat or fish,
which is served in a ceramic bowl placed on top of a
fire-lighter powered cooker. Virtually all the dishes
served in this restaurant are very hot, although quite
a few have a lot of chopped tomatoes added which makes
this quite unusual.
The Hidden Restaurant
This is a general restaurant specialising in fish and
tofu. We call it the Hidden Restaurant because it is
not on the beaten track, but quite easy to find once
you know where it is. Simply follow Fung Gong Nam Lo
(Feng Jiang South Road) south from its intersection
with Jia Hua 5 Road. You will encounter the temporary
traffic arrangements where they are building a new metro
station. Once into this, head south for one block, and
you will pass several restaurants at the end of the
block. Turn right into what appears to be a dead end
and drive straight ahead park as you reach the end of
this road. You are now outside the Hidden Restaurant,
which is nestling on your left (It also has a cark park).
This is actually quite a sizeable restaurant, and features
many dishes. There are also selections which can be
ordered from a long row of dedicated serveries set down
the centre of the aisles. One of these is a large steel
pot with lid, and inside is full of Tofu. There are
ladles nearby in a dip of honey, which you ladle on
top after filling your bowl. The food is very high quality,
but not a cheap place either. The beef ribs are very
good, as is the fish and all things I have tasted so
far on my one and only visit to date. I will definitely
go there again.
Tel: 0757 8381 8588
The Hole in the Wall Shunde Restaurant
As a generalisation, Cantonese people consider the best
food is from neighbouring Shunde County. From experience
I know this restaurant serves excellent Shunde cuisine.
It is also remarkable in having a rustic interior made
mainly of stout wood = floors, seats tables, everything
is wooden and quite charming. It is also arranged in
a more Western style with little alcoves and partitions
for tables set in haphazard rows. The food is also very
good and it stays open reasonably late at night - probably
2am, but don't quote me on this, as it has been some
time.
The restaurant is located behind the tall building with
a flying saucer on top. There is a smaller golden building
adjoining it, and it is located to the South of town
- at the end of Feng Jiang South Road, where it intersects
with Lanshi Road. Approaching the flying saucer building
it is on your right, and you need to turn right just
before it. Follow this new road is it meanders and becomes
narrower, bearing left at a vague junction thing. You
will end up on a straight-ish lane with building to
your right only. 200 yards along there is a red brick
wall with an open gateway in it. This is the car park
to the restaurant, which is located inside.
Toisan Restaurant
The Toisan (Tai Shan) restaurant delivers excellent
local Toisan food, with staff and clientele being very
friendly to foreigners - even though very few can speak
a word of English. Here you will find special Toisan
dishes such as Sticky Rice and Steamed Chicken + many
other local treats. Whilst this is not the most salubrious
of establishments, it does serve genuine Toisan cuisine,
is friendly and welcoming.
It is located in Shiwan, just off Foshan Daido. To find
it head south along Foshan Avenue and pass Jia Hua 5
Road to your left (Jia Hua 4 road to your right), and
after about 1-mile, exit before the next flyover. Turning
right, head down this road for about a mile, and it
is the red and yellow bannered restaurant on the opposite
side of the road.
Tour Mall
I am referring to a traditionally Chinese fronted modern
mall situated opposite Jusco supermarket in Nanhai,
and quite near the main Foshan bus station. This mall
is 4-storeys high, and occupied entirely by restaurants.
There must be several hundred of them! It would take
many months to visit all of these, so here are some
highlights:
Hunan Restaurant
There are several eateries offering Hunan Cuisine here,
and I most enjoyed the one located on the 3rd floor.
This has its entrance facing away from Jusco, and is
towards the road junction end of the building. Just
inside the doorway is a massive fish tank which you
have to navigate past.
I chose this restaurant specifically because for Chinese
New Year 2007 I was invited to join an extended Hunan
family for their celebrations. My thinking is that if
they chose this restaurant for a very special celebration,
then it must be the best and most authentic one in town.
This meal was quite massive in the quantity of food
served, but I remember a gigantic whole leg of roast
lamb as being particularly enjoyable. A large fish was
also present, as were numerous smaller dishes. Most
were cooked with hot fresh chilli's of the 'evil red,
long gnarly' kind. Every kind of meat was represented,
along with numerous vegetables and some very unusual
dishes.
Summary
Foshan does offer a plethora of extremely good cuisine
and there are thousands of restaurants not highlighted
above. One of them is where I held my Wedding Reception
in Summer 2008, but to describe this needs maps, photographs,
and local information in Chinese - as it's location
is difficult to find and not easy for visiting foreigners
staying for a week or so.
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This information is as supplied by China Expats and
our friends, as dated 10th July 2010, and/or other reliable
sources. Please check this information yourself as it
may alter without notice, and whilst we try our best
to ensure it is correct, please do not hold us responsible
for any errors - this is intended as a simple guide
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