China Eats - Guangzhou: Dim Sum in Canton & More

[Google_Gourmet]

Canton (Guangzhou), our final stop before we cross the border back to Hong Kong. Dim Sum is a top priority whenever we’re in the region.

This Dim Sum restaurant claims to have started operations in 1880, and does not have a posted English name. The best we can find is Tao Tao Ju.

Foodies' Heaven | Time-honored restaurants to enjoy dim sum in GZ (Ⅰ)...

Today is Ching Ming, a day most good citizens take off work/school to honor their ancestors. This restaurant was packed, while most of the neighboring eateries were sadly empty.

Pu’er, the tea of choice. I’m really getting into the tea making ritual and the rinsing of one’s dish ware before a meal. Sets the mood and anticipation.

Red Rice Rolls with Crispy Youtiao and Shrimp

The 4th or 5th version of this regional speciality enjoyed this trip. While staying true to form for the most part, each chef adds their own subtle spin. Today’s had noticeable cubes of water chestnuts.

Phoenix Talons (Chicken Paws)

I don’t usually request this, as my wife is not a fan. She LOVED today’s feet. Seasoned perfectly, tender bits and bobs that easily pulled off the bone.

Ha Gow topped with Shrimp Roe Excellent!!
Siu Mai topped with Tobiko Excellent!!

Bo Lo Bao (Pineapple Bun)

The classic HK Bo Lo Bao is presented with a healthy slab of chilled butter. The version today is filled with heavy Buffalo Cream!! Took a couple of seconds to adjust my mindset. This was good, though butter will still be my default.

Hom Sui Gok

Fried glutinous rice dumplings with a slightly sweet chewy shell, with a pork vegetable filling. Burning hot fresh out of the fryer, very nice.

Steamed Double Skin Egg

We’d sampled the steamed milk 3 times last week in Shunde. Today’s was a worthy effort, though not the best of this trip.

Crispy Salty Jiang Bing

A deep fried disk of dough sprinkled with sesame seeds. Wife says these are buzzing on the food talk threads she follows. Didn’t do much for me.

We wrapped just before noon and the restaurant was cranking because of Ching Ming!! Lots of folks with their queue numbers eagerly waiting their turn to hit the baskets.

Gave a thumbs up to the hardworking crew, but doubt any of them noticed. They were deep into what may well be one of the busiest days of the year.

Wife is already talking about doing an encore. We do have 2 more mornings here in Canton. No objections here.

[PedroPero (PETER)]

Drooling! Has dim sum been cart service everywhere you’ve been so far?

[Google_Gourmet]

@PedroPero

Has dim sum been cart service everywhere you’ve been so far?

Carts are so last century!

The last I had cart service was in Singapore, and that was 3 years ago.

[linguafood (Natascha)]

Looks amazing, and I continue to experience severe dumpling envy

How would you describe the taste of the heavy buffalo cream?

[kobuta (The Original Passionate Cucumber)]

Yum! Curious how you would compare overall to dim sum in Hong Kong and Guangzhou. Not so much who’s better or not, but are there trends or stylistic differences you notice between the two regions?

[PedroPero (PETER)]

Lol! I can’t do cart service anymore, I get too FOMO and I can’t compete with the auntie’s

[Google_Gourmet]

@linguafood

How would you describe the taste of the heavy buffalo cream?

I am fairly certain that the cream may have included a thickener and sweetener. Not overly sweet, didn’t add much to the overall flavor for me.

The Bao was well built so it was easy to carefully deconstruct it and avoid a squirting incident.

[Google_Gourmet]

@kobuta

are there trends or stylistic differences you notice between the two regions?

I’ll have to do more research, sample size not sufficient to present an accurate assessment.

The only stylistic difference between the two may be the service. We’ve been to 3 dim sum houses in China so far, appears to me that the server to customers ratio is greater than in Hong Kong.

The dim sum itself was consistently good to great quality. All items are delivered fresh, and in some cases, piping hot.

[Saregama]

@Google_Gourmet

heavy Buffalo Cream

I didn’t know bufflao milk is common in other places – it has higher consumption in India than cow milk. Not that I can taste the difference. Can only tell by richness (buffalo milk is much fattier, yields more cream for ghee, less is needed by proportion in tea).

@Google_Gourmet

Steamed Double Skin Egg

Did this also use buffalo milk?

[Google_Gourmet]

@Saregama

Did this also use buffalo milk?

One place in Shunde specified buffalo milk and theirs was the best.

The other times we had it, not specified.

[medgirl]

Buffalo cream is a popular item in Turkey, where it is called kaymak. I haven’t seen it served at any Turkish restaurants I’ve been to in the UK. But it was ubiquitous in Istanbul, where bal kaymak (a roll of buffalo cream served drizzled with honey) is a popular breakfast item, usually served with some crusty bread. The stuff in Istanbul was super fresh with the most amazing luxurious mouthfeel - the best cream we had ever tasted. I was so hopeful when I came across a pot of kaymak in a small Turkish grocery in the UK - but it was commercially produced with artificial stabilisers and thickeners and nothing like the real deal.

Photo from the internetz of bal kaymak:

[Presunto (--> Back in Athens - Goat's/Sheep's Yoghurt every day ... [Fleeced Taxpayer :@)) :@)) ])]

Really enjoyed the dim sum in Guangzhou (and other places in Guandong province) more than in HK. Saying this as a fan of HK and its dim sum.

Back in 2007 and 2008 dim sum was of high quality, more varieties, and also cheaper than HK.

Standard dim sum in Macau.

---

My China trips: 4 weeks each (in mainland China). By bus, train and sometimes internal flights.

• 2008: HKG-Huizhou-Chaozhou-Meizhou-Jongding-Hekeng-Xiamen-WUS-[Shaowu]-Nanchang-Changsa-Chengdu -JZH-Juizhaigou-Songpan-Chengdu-Emeishan-[Leshan]- Panzihua-Lugu Lake-Lijiang- [KMG-SZX] -Macau-Hong Kong.

• 2007: HKG-Macau-Zhaoqing-Yangshuo-Longsheng- [Ping An-Yuanyang] -[Sanjiang]-Zhaoxing-Kaili-Kunming-Guiyang-Simao-Jinghong-[Shuangjiang]-Lancang-[Tengchong]-Baoshan-Luxi-Ruili-Dali-CAN/Guangzhou-Foshan-Hong Kong.

• 2006: PEK-CTU/Chengdu-LXA/Tibet-[CTU]-PVG/Shanghai-Hangzhou-Suzhou-Peking/[PEK]

[Google_Gourmet]

@Presunto

4 weeks each (in mainland China). By bus, train and sometimes internal flights.

You’ve traveled and experienced a great and diverse cross section of the PRC. Which cities/districts/provinces would you like to revisit again and explore more?

[Steve (from DC)]

In Philadelphia there is a restaurant, Toska, with an Albanian section of the menu that features kajmak. Served with peppers or sujuk. Looks like the same idea. I haven’t been, but it is on my radar for next time.

Talk about a digression from China…

[Presunto (--> Back in Athens - Goat's/Sheep's Yoghurt every day ... [Fleeced Taxpayer :@)) :@)) ])]

@Google_Gourmet

You’ve traveled and experienced a great and diverse cross section of the PRC. Which cities/districts/provinces would you like to revisit again and explore more?

If I were to return to China it would be Chengdu/Sichuan and Tibet (via China like my very first trip), with absolute certainty.

Even within the same province it was a different experience everywhere we went in China. Many of the places we visited were not very developed back in 2006-2008, felt like going back in time there.

[Google_Gourmet]

@Presunto

If I were to return to China it would be Chengdu/Sichuan and Tibet

I’m in agreement. We stayed in Chendu for a week about 5 years ago.

Very refreshing. Not many foreign visitors yet, so some of the locals were tickled to interact with us. We had Mapo Tofu and a host of foods unfamiliar to us. Best seafood Buffet ever, and I’m not a buffet person.

Have yet to visit Tibet. I’m sure we would like it.

[Google_Gourmet]

The skies cleared after a gloomy wet morning. Ventured out to see what we could see, and eat.

Stinky Tofu

Asian favorite that I try once per trip, hoping to develop a taste for it.

Not bad. Almost tasty. I dutifully ate one of each and checked my stinky tofu box for this trip.

Claypot rice picture outside this restaurant lured me in.

Bo Jai Fon (Claypot Rice) with Lop Mei (lop cheung & lop yuk) + Pork Hash

Gorgeous Lop Cheung and cured pork, juicy fat almost translucent.

I’ve had recent dental work, so could not let the Gnung (socarrat) fully develop. Ok, just a little.

Gnow Jop Braised Beef Offal

Every time we pass a sign advertising gnow jop, wife would chant gnow jop, gnow jop…. in my ear.

Beef, Egg, Vegetable Cheung Fun

While I was waiting for my claypot rice, wife went next door and got herself some fresh steamed to order cheung fun.

A relatively light lunch. Room for more!!