Chapter 5 – Guangzhou Restaurant
Tianhe is one of Guangzhou's central districts, located on the city's main axis. It connects the west to the east and turns from the north down to the south, making it the intersection of Guangzhou's eastward and southward expansions. Its prime location has driven not only booming economic development but also a dense population.
And most notably, it's home to a massive railway station.
Travelers from all across the country pass through Tianhe, and with them come signature foods from every region, Kaifeng-style dishes, hotpot lamb, spicy soup, you name it.
After getting out of the taxi, the three of them strolled around for a bit.
Zhou Peng wasn't pleased.
"What is all this? I want Cantonese food!"
Coming all the way to Guangzhou and not eating local cuisine felt like a wasted trip.
The three of them walked the full six-hundred-meter stretch of the food street without finding a place that felt right.
Unlike Zhou Peng, the other two weren't picky.
Chen Xing just wanted to eat quickly so they could head to the airport early. Ironically, the person who'd been the most anxious earlier, Zhou Peng, who had rushed them out of the factory, was now the one dragging his feet. They'd walked the entire street, and he still hadn't made up his mind.
"What exactly do you want to eat?" Chen Xing asked curiously.
He was seriously hungry.
He hadn't eaten breakfast or lunch, and he hadn't had much during last night's drinking session either.
Truth be told, his stomach was already aching from hunger.
Zhou Peng replied, "Hold on, I'll go ask around."
With that, he jogged into a small supermarket nearby. Zhou Peng didn't believe that the owner of a shop in a neighborhood like this would be an outsider.
Chen Xing clutched his stomach awkwardly. He just wanted a simple clay pot rice dish. Ever since watching A Bite of China, he'd been craving one. He didn't care whether it was from a fancy place or a hole-in-the-wall. His expression didn't go unnoticed by Quan Jing, who chuckled and said:
"Zhou Peng wants to treat us to a proper meal. I skipped lunch too because he told me to save room for a feast."
Within a minute, Zhou Peng came back through the crowd and said:
"I found two famous Cantonese restaurants nearby. One's called Tao Tao Ju, the other is Guangzhou Restaurant. Let's go with Guangzhou Restaurant, it sounds more authentic. The supermarket owner said the average cost per person is around 300 yuan. Not too bad."
"That's enough for me to eat for several days," Chen Xing muttered.
"Come on, it's just this one meal. Why are you being stingy? I'm paying."
They pulled up the location on the map and saw that it wasn't far, walking distance.
Soon, they arrived at Tiyu East Road, where the crowd noticeably thinned out.
Their destination was inside Baifu Plaza, and the famous Guangzhou Restaurant occupied part of it. A huge, messy-looking sign was mounted on the building. If Chen Xing hadn't already known the place was called Guangzhou Restaurant, he might not have even recognized the characters on the sign.
"This is the place," Zhou Peng said, checking his phone.
Good thing they had left the factory early. If they had waited until dinner time, they'd have been stuck eating back near the factory.
Walking into the restaurant, Chen Xing found the decor surprisingly modest.
The main lobby felt rather plain. A row of waist-high counters lined the street-facing windows, topped with red flowers. The lighting was good, and the restaurant still had its enormous ceiling lights on, making the whole space bright and welcoming.
A few large LED TVs were mounted on the far wall, playing a food documentary.
Chen Xing watched footage of a freshly steamed fish on screen and felt his mouth start to water.
He was starving, could they please serve something quickly?
Most of the tables in the restaurant were already taken. Zhou Peng asked a staff member and managed to get them a private room.
Once seated, Quan Jing smoothed her hair and complained, "Finally, food. We've been walking almost an hour since we got off the taxi. My feet are killing me."
"Alright, let's order."
Zhou Peng handed her the menu with a flattering smile and a gentle tone.
Chen Xing fiddled with his phone, tuning them out.
He was starving, but he wasn't about to indulge in their public displays of affection.
Even if they tried to force-feed it to him, he'd refuse.
Once they placed their orders, all the dishes arrived about half an hour later.
For Cantonese people, soup is essential. On the waiter's recommendation, Zhou Peng ordered an olive and snail meat soup. It cost 488 yuan for one pot, which made Chen Xing, whose usual meals never went over 300, raise his eyebrows in disbelief.
Chen Xing ordered a steamed red-spotted grouper.
Also expensive.
He picked it because he'd seen the same dish being shown on the restaurant's TV earlier.
Chen Xing loved fish but rarely ate it.
Back in Sichuan, typical home-cooked dishes used carp or crucian carp, both filled with tiny bones. After getting a few lodged in his throat, Chen Xing had developed a kind of psychological aversion to fish. But the red-spotted grouper was different. It was tender, delicious, and had barely any bones.
Better eat it before it goes extinct.
Quan Jing ordered Wenchang chicken and crispy shrimp balls in sweet crust.
Once the dishes were served, all three of them instinctively pulled out their phones for pictures. They were starving, but none of them took a bite right away.
Zhou Peng and Quan Jing posted to their social media. Chen Xing was prepping a review for Dianping, the popular restaurant app. He was a level 6 member. Reviewing more restaurants increased his odds of winning their free-meal giveaways.
After a bit of photo editing, Chen Xing looked up.
The other two had already started eating.
Chen Xing joined them. In no time, the neatly plated Wenchang chicken looked like it had been tossed into a stir-fry.
Zhou Peng chewed while speaking, "This is really good. It's a little lighter than what we're used to, but very fresh. Totally different from Sichuan food."
Chen Xing, eating his fish, nodded in agreement.
Guangzhou's proximity to the sea had naturally made seafood central to its cuisine. As the saying goes: live off the mountains if you're near mountains, live off the water if you're near water. Cantonese people had always had a deep connection with seafood. They not only loved eating it but had also mastered its preparation. Even a simple steamed fish had its own unique flair.
It was delicious, and incredibly fresh.
The shrimp balls were wrapped in a slightly sweet, crispy fried shell. Inside, the shrimp were as big as a child's fist, with a snappy, juicy texture.
Half an hour later, Zhou Peng was half-reclining in his chair.
"Totally worth it. No wonder my dad likes doing business dinners at places like this. It's pricey, sure, but so good. What do you two think?"
"Delicious!" Quan Jing said as she dug through the soup, picking out snail meat.
The soup was rich and layered, with chicken, lean pork, olives, snails, and almonds.
Chen Xing nodded. "Yeah, this might be the best meal I've ever had."
Zhou Peng's comment reminded him of his cousin.
A few years ago, Chen Xing had gone to visit her in Chengdu. She and her husband took him out for a Western dinner. It was expensive, hundreds of yuan even with a discount. Afterwards, they asked him if he liked it.
He had actually enjoyed it but said he didn't.
Looking back, he regretted it. What an ungrateful kid he'd been. Next time he visits her, he'll make sure to treat her to something truly nice.
Stuffed and satisfied, they leaned back in their chairs and rested a bit.
They had ordered a lot. None of them could eat another bite.
Chen Xing pulled out his phone and started drafting a review for Dianping.
"Whoa, it's already seven?" Zhou Peng exclaimed, startled. He jumped up, grabbed his coat, and said, "Let's go. I'll go settle the bill. Chen Xing, go downstairs and get us a ride."
"Got it."
Chen Xing stopped fiddling with the review. No one was going to read it anyway. He hit send and headed downstairs to call a car.
(End of Chapter)