China Eats - Zhuhai: Macau & Hong Kong’s Less Touristed Neighbor

Google_Gourmet · March 24, 2025, 10:04pm

On the Lantou Island gondola last year, I snapped a shot of a highway seemingly terminating in the middle of the sea?!?!

This Highway links HK with the Mainland, with a great stretch running under the waves. A modern marvel that allows ships to traverse unhindered through these busy commercial lanes.

Left Kowloon at 1pm Sunday and through this very tunnel under the sea.

By 2:34 pm, we were enjoying a spot of Earl Gray and some pre-happy hour nibbles with a magnificent view of the highway we’d just transited.

Good start to our two week visit to China.

linguafood · March 24, 2025, 10:07pm

Those long, underwater tunnels always give me pause… I feel the same way about Lincoln tunnel

Looking forward to seeing your future meals!

Google_Gourmet · March 24, 2025, 10:49pm

A Happy Hour spread with actual food!!!

We came ONLY for a drink, or three. Small but decent bar.

Ordered a couple of neat double Jim Beams, lovely server must have heard QUADRUPLE!!!

(Delusions of heading outside for some real food…GONE!!)

Roasted Duck Breast. Asian spin on Duck L’orange?

Seafood Stew. Mussels, Little Necks, Squid, Shrimp and some kinda Baby Conch.

Sausage and Mushrooms Medley.

A few more items. My favorite of the bunch was the SalmonBone. Lightly dusted and deep-fried Salmon Kama, Fin and meat on the bone.

Come to think, much like the treatment of a Peking Duck carcass we had in Beijing. Even our Beijing host couldn’t stop gnawing at the irregular pieces.

Tried to dissuade the Wife from hitting the hotel brekkie in the morn, a fruitless effort. Breakfast write up to come, then some real Zhuhai Eats.

Saregama · March 25, 2025, 12:32am

Me too! Thank you for solving the mystery – I forgot to look it up later

FindingFoodFluency · March 25, 2025, 1:31am

Not sure if you’re still in Macao, but I liked the Portuguese restaurant Chiado at The St. Regis.

n.b. re: this infrastructure project, Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel has rolled that way for decades.

Google_Gourmet · March 25, 2025, 7:16am

YICKIN CUISINE SQUARE

Excellent Dim Sum in Zhuhai. Huge Yum Cha emporium serving dim sum during the day, prime Cantonese cuisine in the evening. Dim Sum freshly cooked to order.

Steamed Red Rice Crispy Shrimp Rolls to start.

Snappy Shrimp in a crisp YouTiao, rolled in supple Red Fun. A sensational combination of textures. We’d first tried this at the restaurant in Canton that boldly claimed to be the originator. This rendition was every bit as good, to my taste.

The innovator?

Gai Choy, grated Young Ginger.

Generous plate of well cheffed gai choy, the ginger and light soy sauce accented the greens perfectly.

Steamed Bean Curd Roll

A worthy sub for the deep fried version we usually order.

Ha Gow

The Cantonese favorite and litmus test for the kitchen. The skin could have been a tad firmer, still an A-

*Lo Bak Go (Radish Cake) pan fried with XO Sauce

Topped with Pork Floss, floss not usually a favorite. Surprisingly good. Good eats not overwhelmed by sauce and condiments.

Steamed Beef Meatballs

The second near miss. The juicy bouncy balls we just had in HK had set the bar too high, B for effort. Bits of Wood Ears a nice touch.

Siu Mai with baby Abalone

The generous complement of shrimp and tasty pork worked. What we initially thought was minced Abalone was actually the cutest tiny embryonic Abalone. Decent touch of Conpoy (Dried Scallops) made for an elegant presentation.

Only 7 orders this round, saving room for more eats later. Walked by the AQUARIUM on the way out, might just have to come back and try the seafood side of their menu before we leave town.

linguafood · March 25, 2025, 2:11pm

As a huge fan of ha gow myself I’m curious… what do you (or other experts) look for in a perfect version?

Google_Gourmet · March 25, 2025, 9:30pm

Not an expert by any means, but I like my ha gow skin to be slightly stretchy with a little chew. Should be thin enough to be almost translucent. Filling should be mostly shrimp, preferably large chunks of snappy pieces that almost pop in my mouth.

The best in recent memory was in Shanghai. Met and exceeded above criteria.

Heading deeper into Guangzhou (dim sum country), I see many more Ha Gow coming my way.

linguafood · March 25, 2025, 9:35pm

Nice! Our expectations are very similar

Chunks of seasoned shrimp for sure. I find the stickiness of the dough a little challenging sometimes.

Google_Gourmet · March 25, 2025, 9:39pm

Good Ha Gow should pull freely from the doilies. No stickiness, when fresh steaming hot.

linguafood · March 25, 2025, 9:40pm

See — I did not know that. Every ha gow I’ve had so far (even the best ones) were sticky.

Saregama · March 25, 2025, 10:01pm

Wow! That is really translucent wrapper!

Thick, sticky ones are always a disappointment, though a good filling might salvage them (but less of a disappointment than frozen, which usually have fish paste and are often made in Vietnam).

THECHARLES · March 25, 2025, 10:10pm

Super thin, translucent, flexible chewy skin. Must remain intact when picked up.
At least 11 folds, 13 is perfection and requires real skill.
Crunchy sweet prawns, preferably whole, using the smallish size, wild, ocean ’ Gay-Wai ’ varietal.
Must include tiny bits of crispy/crunchy Winter Bamboo Shoots for textural contrast.
Bite size morsels should contain a bit of umami laden broth.
Current reference yard stick, offers by the Hong Kong Michelin 3* " Forum Ah-Yat ", T’ang Court…etc.

linguafood · March 25, 2025, 10:14pm

Super-thin √
Translucent √
flexible, chewy skin √
Crunchy prawns √
Bamboo shoots (or something else crunchy) √

But still sticky on occasion. I figured that was simply a function of the nature of the dumpling wrapper.

It’s alright. If the occasional subpar ha gow has passed these lips I survived to tell the tale

Saregama · March 25, 2025, 10:52pm

Do you count?
(I mean, DTF counts their folds and they make far from the best xlb )

Google_Gourmet · March 25, 2025, 11:08pm

Cruised the waterside promenade on a dbl-decker, front row, top deck!!

Great sunset, lotsa folks enjoying the perfect weather cycling and strolling. Very Santa Barbara’ish, says the wife.

Turned on the food-dar and was inexplicably drawn into a local joint packed with locals sharing some delicious looking dishes. Started with 2 bottles of 52% alc Baiju, the Chinese White Lightning. Blue Girl Beer back for me, please.

Yul Chou simply quick fried with garlic, oil and trace of soy sauce.

Steamed Oysters

Ordered Naked. Pure briny seafoody goodness. As we like ‘em. Oysters are a local Zhuhai delicacy prepped many delicious ways, most popular with Hot Pot. (Yesterday’s lunch)

Pan-fried Tofu with Minced Meat

Silky delicate and delicious. Light crunch of the crust well complements the creamy tofu.

Steamed Whole Swimming Fish

The reason we chose this restaurant. Steamed Cantonese, of course!!

Steam. Bit of slivered Scallions, touch of oil and soy. Not even any garlic or ginger. Simply Perfect!!

Steam fish demands Steamed White Rice. Taiwanese are fond of Fried Rice.

Since wife is doing the ordering……

Hangzhou Fried Rice

Not quite as good as the version we had in Hangzhou (humble brag) last year, but serviceable.

Steamed whole fish, simple vege and some rice, life is good!!!

Walked by a local dessert shop after dinner.

Mango Pomelo Tapioca for me. Steamed Milk Pudding (?) for she.

Did I’d back to hotel, happy and satisfied. We like Zhuhai!

Saregama · March 25, 2025, 11:17pm

DIfferent than Yangzhou / young chow fried rice?

Google_Gourmet · March 25, 2025, 11:20pm

One and the same. Different dialects.

Saregama · March 25, 2025, 11:21pm

What fish is that?

linguafood · March 25, 2025, 11:25pm

That tofu is perfection. And — while it certainly won’t be anywhere near the quality of the food you’re enjoying, I’m glad to have some pork & shrimp fried rice and stir-fried yu choy with ginger, garlic & oyster sauce tonight after seeing all this goodness