11 Must-Try Dim Sums in Guangzhou

Recently updated on April 2nd, 2024 at 04:21 am

Guangzhou is well-known for its tasty snack foods, especially dim sum, which are a big part of the city’s culture. In Cantonese-style tea restaurants, servers push carts around with small dishes, so you can pick out what you like right at your table.

Here are the 11 must-try dim sums in Guangzhou. 

1. Shrimp Dumplings (Har Gow) 虾饺

Whether they’re on the menu or rolling by on the dim sum cart at your local Cantonese restaurant, har gow (xia jiao), or steamed shrimp dumplings, are often the top pick. These dumplings have a see-through wrapper filled with a mix of shrimp, vegetables, rice wine, and sesame oil, giving them a delicate and light flavor. The wrapper needs to be thin and clear yet strong enough not to tear when picked up with chopsticks. It shouldn’t stick to the paper, container, or other dumplings in the basket. And the shrimp should be cooked just right, not too much or too little.

2. Shahe Fried Rice Noodles (Chow Fun) 炒河粉 

Shahe rice noodles are a popular dish in Southern China, made from rice flour. They’re famous in Guangdong, Guangxi, and Hainan. These noodles come from Shahe, now a part of Tianhe District in Guangzhou. They’re white, a bit see-through, and stretchy, with a slippery feel. People often cook them by stir-frying with beef and veggies, making soup with fish slices and veggies, or serving them cold with fruit or veggie juice.

3. Steamed Pork Dumplings (Siu Mai) 烧卖

Steamed pork dumplings rose to fame in Guangdong during the 1930s and have since spread to neighboring Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and across the country over the last 20 years. These dumplings are wrapped in thin, semi-transparent wheat flour dough, resembling delicate flowers. They’re filled with a mixture of minced pork, beef, and shrimp, combined with shredded water chestnuts or bamboo shoots, ginger juice, and wine. Cooked in a bamboo steamer, these dumplings are often served with vinegar and slices of garlic for added flavor.

4. Steamed Rice-Flour Rolls (Cheung Fun) 肠粉

Cheung Fun is a beloved breakfast dish among locals. It’s crafted from rice starch and quickly steamed to create a slippery texture. This dim sum favorite is typically filled with egg and vegetables, and it’s not uncommon to find barbecue pork inside as well. A light drizzle of sweet soy sauce adds the perfect finishing touch to this flavorful dish.

5. Shrimp Wonton Noodles 鲜虾云吞面

This snack, a combination of wontons and noodles, is typically served in hot soup and garnished with Chinese chives and chopped spring onions. Inside the delicate wonton wrappers, you’ll find a filling made of shrimp, pork, and eggs, or sometimes a whole shrimp. The noodles, made from flour and eggs without water, have a slippery and elastic texture. Cooking the noodles just right is crucial for that perfect al dente consistency.

6. Egg Tarts (Dan Tat) 蛋挞

Egg tarts are a popular pastry found in Hong Kong, Guangdong, and various Asian countries. They’re typically baked in round pastry molds and consist of a flaky puff pastry crust filled with egg custard, made from a mixture of sugar and egg. Unlike English custard, milk is usually not added to the egg custard, and the tart isn’t dusted with ground nutmeg or cinnamon. It’s served hot rather than at room temperature. Nowadays, egg tarts come in various flavors, including honey-egg, chocolate, ginger, green tea, and more.

7. Sticky Rice with Chicken in Lotus Leaf 荷香糯米鸡

To make this dish, steamed glutinous rice is combined with chopped chicken that’s been stir-fried with mushrooms, spring onion, ginger, soy sauce, and other seasonings. This flavorful mixture is then wrapped in a fresh lotus leaf and steamed for at least 30 minutes. As it steams, the rice becomes delightfully chewy, and the chicken turns tender, infused with the aroma and flavor of the lotus leaf.

8. Pantang Water Chestnut Cakes 泮塘马蹄糕

Water chestnut cake is a delightful Cantonese dim sum treat crafted from Chinese water chestnut shreds or powder. The finest water chestnuts are said to hail from Pantang in western Guangzhou. Typically cut into square-shaped slices, this cake is steamed or pan-fried before serving. It retains a soft texture yet holds its shape beautifully. Often adorned with a golden brown hue, it boasts a refreshing and tasty flavor with hints of chestnut. Some variations even feature chopped water chestnuts embedded into each square piece for added texture and flavor.

9. Radish Cakes (Lo Bak Go) 萝卜糕

Radish cake is a popular dish served during Cantonese yum cha, often sliced into rectangular pieces and occasionally pan-fried before serving. When pan-fried, each cake develops a thin, crunchy layer on the outside while remaining soft inside. The non-fried version maintains a uniformly soft texture throughout. It’s a staple in the dim sum offerings of Guangzhou restaurants and is frequently enjoyed during Chinese New Year celebrations, as the Cantonese word for radish (菜头) sounds similar to “good fortune” (好菜头), symbolizing auspicious beginnings.

10. Litchi Bay-Style Congee (Ting Jai Juk)荔湾艇仔粥

Litchi Bay-style congee is a flavorful dish featuring fish, shrimp, fried peanuts, fried squid, fried rice noodles, fresh lettuce, jellyfish slices, coriander, spring onion, and basil. Its name originates from a legend about a young man from a wealthy family living in Litchi Bay, located in the western suburbs of Guangzhou, where litchi trees grow along the riverbanks. When his family faced financial challenges, the resourceful young man began selling congee from a small boat to make a living. The congee, enriched with rich ingredients, became so delicious that it attracted many customers. Nowadays, this unique congee can be found in numerous restaurants across Guangzhou, ranging from roadside eateries to luxury hotel restaurants, although it is no longer served from boats.

11. BBQ Pork Buns (Cha Siu Bao) 叉烧包

BBQ pork buns may look similar to other steamed dumplings, but their dough stands out because it’s leavened with yeast or baking powder, giving the bun a soft, bread-like texture. Inside the bun, you’ll find tender, sweet, slow-roasted pork tenderloin, known as char siu in Cantonese. This pork is diced and mixed with a syrupy blend of oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, roasted sesame seed oil, rice vinegar, Shaoxing wine or dry sherry, soy sauce, sugar, and cornstarch. BBQ pork buns are often available at Chinese bakeries.