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.

Many of us are familiar with steamed pork ribs which is a homely Cantonese staple. But, at 容边排骨饭 the pork ribs are baked in woks (instead of steamed).

容边排骨饭 is a hyperlocal experience. Spartanly furnished, gritty, grimey eatery full of diners inside and spilling over to the side walks and edge of the street under flimsy tents.

Lines of people patiently waiting for their turn. The action around you when you eat is frenetic 😅 The air is filled with chatter and banter. It is not for everyone but a thriller for adventurous foodie travellers. Some found the crowd a bit overwhelming - you have been warned 🤭

The young couple behind 容边排骨饭 are second generation owners. Hubby Liang is a second generation pork roaster who knows the best cuts and personally selects the pork used in his restaurant. Wife Wu's parents created this wok baked pork rib dish which the second generation has taken to greater heights.

They use 3-400 katties (150 - 200kg) per day on weekdays and 4-500 katties (200 - 250kg) of pork per day on weekends.

The second generation owners use quality fresh pork which they cut into bite size pieces and marinate with salt, sugar, peanut oil, soy sauce, etc. 容边排骨饭 uses fatty cuts of pork ribs 😋 They are then laid on plates with julienned ginger, and covered to bake in woks over flames.

The resulting plate of sizzling pork ribs and optional liver, intestine, salted fish, fried fish, fish ball and pork ball garnished with scallion drew crowds from 4:30am till everything is sold out around 1pm.

Fans like the slight browning and crispness outside while inside, the pork is moist, tender and flavourful. As the pork ribs are baked till browned, it has a smokey toastiness not found in typical steamed pork ribs.

The ribs and optional add-ons are eaten with bowls of plain boiled rice.

Locals like to drink rice liquor with pork rib rice even during breakfast. These opened but unfinished bottles are parked here by customers.

容边排骨饭's wok baked pork rib is unique and many other restaurants have sprouted up, emulating 容边's dish and hoping for the same success. But, many people are still faithfully standing and queuing for a taste of the original.