佛山顺德铂尔曼酒店

Besides river views and stunning murals, Hongtu Hall is prized for its exquisitely crafted dim sum ranging from the classics to novel creations, as well as velvety congee and juicy roast meats. Make sure to try their shrimp dumplings and shrimp shaomai. Tableside tea service is also a nice touch. The restaurant is always busy during opening hours and reservations are accepted for guests staying in the hotel only. Other customers have to simply join the queue.

The rows of stoneware pots on charcoal stoves not only look spectacular, but their contents also smell heavenly. It is precisely these slow-boiled soups that draw diners day and night. Each pot takes four hours to make and they tend to sell out early. The chef, who has been crafting Cantonese fare for over 20 years, also makes a mean Cantonese barbecue, as well as stir-fries and claypot dishes. Try the live seafood from the fish tank, too.

This friendly neighbourhood shop specialises in sourdough rice noodles. While preserving her hometown culinary tradition, the owner also dials down the sourness to cater to local tastes. Noodles are made to order – fermented rice batter is squeezed into boiling water and then drenched in soup, or tossed with pickled string beans, ground pork and deep-fried tofu. You can also opt for the beef brisket version. Prepare to wait after placing orders.

A hawker-stall-turned-restaurant now with two branches – this casual, bustling three-storey joint is prized for its authentic Cantonese food. The juicy, flavoursome roast goose has been a big hit for the past 20 years. Other specialities include salted pork trotters, Zhu Ji steamed chicken, and blackened barbecued pork. Pastured pork soup with mung bean-stuffed lotus root tastes delicious and delivers interesting textures.

After moving along the street to a corner unit, this place now has an updated room equipped with a live fish tank of seafood from the Chaoshan area, such as lobsters and tuatua clams – ask the owner about the catch of the day. Their signature remains Chaoshan-style fish congee featuring various marine fish and dried seafood in a flavoursome pork bone broth. The rice noodles from Tongkeng town are another speciality. The snacks are worth ordering too.

This restaurant annexed to a B&B on the outskirts of Guangzhou feels like an oasis. Bamboo bushes cocoon the terrace dotted with patio tables shaded by parasols. Well-crafted dim sum are served at breakfast and lunch, and Cantonese classics at lunch and dinner time. The deep-fried pork medallions stuffed with crab and shrimp have a crispy texture and plenty of umami. River fish such as the topmouth culter from Lake Wanlu is another must-try.

This tiny gem has changed hands, but the kitchen is still run by Chaoshan natives. The small menu stars all the greatest hits of Chaoshan cuisine, with raw marinated mud crab that packs tons of oomph standing out in particular. Diners need to book via a texting app and pre-order their food, which does streamline the process immensely. To round out your meal, try the ‘ginger potato’ and split mung bean sweet soup.