Roots of Greatness of Cantonese Cuisine 广府菜

What makes 粤菜, the cuisine of Guangdong Province, one of the Eight Great Cuisines of China? 

The one word answer is diversity. 

Guangdong has diversity of food ingredients and a melting pot of many different culinary traditions. 

*Cantonese cuisine 广府菜 is the cuisine of the Pearl River Delta which includes the cities of Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Macau. Guangdong cuisine 粤菜 is the cuisine of Guangdong Province which includes Hakka cuisine and the cuisine of Chaoshan, etc.

Ho Yong Kee Wanton Noodle in Guangzhou 何永记粉面店(纸行路店)

Visiting Guangzhou, got to catch some wanton noodle before leaving. The humble wanton noodle is an icon of Cantonese cuisine.

Zhenjie Cafe • Local Favourite Chicken Rice in Zhanjiang Guangzhou 珍姐美食店(福建街店) 湛江

Zhenjie is a chicken rice shop popular with Guangzhou locals. It is a good place to experience the iconic Cantonese white cut chicken 白切鸡 in its home ground. 

Eat Roast Goose in Daliang Shunde Guangzhou China 烧鹅再·传统顺德菜(大良店)

Roast Goose is an icon of Guangdong cuisine, so there are many, many roast goose places vying for the local and tourist market. 

烧鹅再 is a 40 year local favourite in Shunde (local residents' favourites tend not to have as much presence in social media platforms like Dianping.com 大众点评网). 

89 Carrot Cake • Homemade Chai Tow Kueh @ 89 Macpherson Food Centre 菜頭粿

Buddy who lives nearby 89 Macpherson hawker centre mentioned I should come for the carrot cake here. So, here I am 🙏

Backlane Tian Ya Ker Handmade Pan Mee (Ban Mian) @ Chow Kit Kuala Lumpur 天涯客板面

Pan mee is a dish which mothers make at home for the family. It requires little ingredients or equipment but lots of love, time and effort. 

Tian Ya Ker is as close to mother's pan mee as you can get that money can buy. 

San Peng Chicken Rice & Hor Fun @ Pudu, Kuala Lumpur

Buddy Jeffrey suggested I try the gai shi hor fun 鸡丝河粉 at Pudu LRT station, so here we are 😊

Wanjo Nasi Lemak Kampung Baru Kuala Lumpur

Okay..., come to Kuala Lumpur must of course try their nasi lemak. One of the most popular / famous places is Nasi Lemak Wanjo in Kampung Baru.

Why Chinese Tap Fingers on Table when Drinking Tea? 叩手礼

Sometimes you may notice someone, especially older generation Chinese gently knocking on tabletop with knuckles when they are served tea.

Sometimes, I am asked, "Unker, what are you doing?"

Wah Lok 😮 Wah-licious Cantonese Restaurant at Carlton Hotel Singapore

Opened in 1988, Wah Lok is one of those long, well established gems which most foodies in Singapore are familiar with, and at least visit occasionally. 

Wah Lok doesn't have too much coverage on social media yet still pull in full house crowds with good old word of mouth and a solid reputation. 

Shunde Stuff Dace Fish 顺德酿鲮鱼

Dace or mud carp fish 鲮鱼 is an icon of Shunde cuisine. Dace fish has been part of Shunde peoples' lives for over 2,000 years!

Shunde Guangdong Eat Itinerary • Food Capital of China & UNESCO Gastro City

Cantonese cuisine is one of the Eight Great Cuisines of China.

Guangdong or Cantonese cuisine has very deep roots and a strong foundation going back more than 2,000 years. The history of Cantonese cuisine parallels the history of China herself. 

On this solid foundation, Cantonese cuisine changes and adapts. 

Le Cheng Kampong Hainanese Chicken Rice • Promising Newcomer in the East (of Singapore) 乐城海南鸡饭

We met up at Le Cheng, a relatively new chicken rice place in the East (of Singapore). Do we need another chicken rice shop in Singapore? 🤔 Yes, but only good ones 😬

Crazy Popular Rongbian Pork Rib Rice in Shunde Guangzhou 顺德容边排骨饭

When you come to Shunde, there is one experience you need to clock - taste the pork rib rice at 容边排骨饭 where the queue starts at 4am. Yes, you read that right, 4am.

Bai Kee Congee Shunde Popular Local Favourite 顺德伯记粥店

Congee is one of the must try dishes when visiting Shunde. Food critic Jiasheng 嘉升 has tried more than a dozen pork congee places in Shunde District in Guangzhou and Bai Kee 伯记粥 is his favourite. 

Jing Hong One Fish Three Dish Raw Fish in Shunde 顺德景鸿饭店

Okay.. raw fish or yee sang 鱼生 is one of the must eat dishes when in Shunde district, Guangzhou city, Guangdong province, China.

Red Junglefowl Ancestor of Chicken Living with Singaporeans Today

When I see wildlife and plants during my daily walks, it always makes me happy ❤️ I love all, even big spiders and snakes, but just keep a safe distance and avoid accidental contact with them. 

Shunde Brother & Sister Congee • Xiong Mei Sheng Gun Zhou in Daliang 大良顺德兄妹生滚粥

Pork organ and fish congee is one of the must try dishes of Shunde District of Guangzhou city, Guangdong province of China. 

Xiong Mei Sheng Gun Zhou 大良顺德兄妹生滚粥 in Daliang is popular with locals and doesn't yet have a strong social media presence i.e. not so much visited by influencers and tourists yet.

Shunde Famous Double Layer Milk • Which is the Best? 顺德双皮奶

Pin Cheng Ji 品城記 channel has a review by food critic 大秋 of five well known double skin milk shops in Shunde, Guangdong province, China. The dish is made with water buffalo milk. Double layer milk 双皮奶 is one of Shunde's must try food icons which I want to try for my own coming Shunde trip.

Let's see what 大秋 has got for us 🙏

Dim Sum in Shunde China 顺德 品香排骨饭(羊官路店) · 顺峰山庄(大良店)

In his video 丹牛食 Daniel, visited two popular dim sum places in Shunde 顺德, Guangdong province of China. 

The first was Ping Siang 品香排骨饭(羊官路店), a humble neighbourhood type establishment operating for at least 50 years. The decor was sparse and furnishings were functional but sturdy and clean. No frills setup, people come here for the food.

Kissaten Japanese Retro Coffeeshops 喫茶店

It might come as a surprise to some that Japan, the home of matcha, actually has a diverse and deep coffee culture. The Japanese love their coffee. And, they have a unique, venerable coffee institution known as kissaten 喫茶店 which literally means "tea drinking shop" 🤔

Basics of Sake 101 for Beginners • 5-Minute Primer 日本酒

I have been drinking sake (Japan's national drink) casually, socially for a long time. Enjoyed it but was never quite au fait with the vast subject and its many intricacies.

Heng Heng Noodles House @ Senja Hawker Centre in Bukit Panjang 兴兴面家 • 信佳小贩中心

It was my first time at Senja Hawker Centre but I didn't come here for Heng Heng Noodles House.

Burong Isda Pampanga • History of Philippines Fermented Rice

To many Filipinos and the outside world, Pampanga, Luzon is the foodie capital of the Philippines. Pampanga is best known as the birthplace of the world famous sisig dish. Sisig is chopped meat, fat and skin from pig head sautéed in sizzling margarine with onion and vinegar. 

Conveyor Belt Sushi @ Sado Benkei Pier Bandai, Niigata City 廻転寿司 佐渡弁慶 ピア万代店

Once we arrived in Niigata City, Tomomi our gracious host whisked us off to Bandaijima Fresh Fish Market.

Sushi-yoshi Tsuruhashi Korea Town Osaka • Make Sushi with Heart! 寿し吉 金本実留

Went to Sushi-yoshi Tsuruhashi 寿し吉 located at the Korea Town area in Osaka.

Kobe Wagyu Yakiniku @ Pound Sanjo-Kiyamachi in Kyoto 肉听 三条木屋町店

One of the must-do things in Japan for BBQ beef lovers is to visit a yakiniku restaurant. This trip to Kyoto, we went to Pound Sanjo-Kiyamachi 肉听 三条木屋町店 known for their Kobe wagyu. 

La Bombance @ Nishi-Azabu near Roppongi Tokyo • Kaiseki by Makoto Okamoto

Memorable kaiseki dinner at La Bombance with owner-chef Makoto Okamoto.

What is Fried Porridge? 炒粥是什么

Have you heard about or tried fried porridge? 

Oh my, what oxymoron is fried porridge? 🤔

It is what it is, rice porridge stir fried in a hot wok! 😂

Datouxia Big Prawn Noodle 210 Hougang @ Kovan MRT 大頭蝦大虾面 • Formerly @ 304 Ubi

Buddy Don jio-ed me to try the prawn mee at 210 Hougang, just 5 minutes walk from Kovan MRT station.

History of Takoyaki Osaka Grilled Octopus Ball 🐙

Takoyaki or Japanese grilled octopus balls are found around the world, for example in Singapore night markets or pasar malam where they are very popular.