80 Cantonese Dishes You Should Try In Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong (2026)
Introduction
This list has been curated by me, a person who has worked part-time for 8 years in Chinese restaurants and takeouts in a European country.
Yes, I’m from a Cantonese restaurant family. 👨🏻🍳
I am back in China permanently and frequently explore new dishes, with an aim to recommend them to family and friends.
I have hand-picked these dishes to give you a balanced perspective of what traditional Cantonese cuisine really is.
These are just some of the highlights. Literally hundreds of dishes in Cantonese cuisine, but someone did tell me there are thousands.
You may have tried some of the dishes, if you’ve been to Chinatown restaurants in your country.
Or the list looks very unfamiliar and you only recognise a few items.
In most countries,a majority of these traditional Cantonese dishes are not available in small town restaurants or takeouts.
Those places serve localised dishes that can only be found outside of China. So, technically, they are not “Cantonese” dishes.
You can use this list in Cantonese restaurants in any Chinese city, but note, dishes vary from restaurant to restaurant.
Big dim sum restaurants will have most of these dishes, but I’m pretty sure no single restaurant has all of these dishes.
This list is just for easy reference in one place. To get the best food, do the following:
For dim sum, you should find a 早茶/点心 dim sum restaurant, which are normally the biggest restaurants. 🥟
For roast meat, you should find a 烧味 siu mei restaurant, which usually have whole goose, char siu, ribs, and chickens hanging on a window display. 🪿
For seafood, you should find a 海鲜 seafood restaurant, where there are water tanks near the entrance. Don’t be afraid to try ones that don’t have them though. 🍤
For bakery, you should go to a bakery store. You can find them on streets and on the ground floor of malls. 🍞
For desserts, you should go to a 糖水/甜品 dessert store. Most restaurants only offer a few choices and the quality is generally much better at dessert stores. 🍮
Whenever people visit Guangzhou, a must-do is enjoying the delights of Cantonese food. It’s at the top of the list because Guangzhou is where Cantonese food is at its very best. There is a famous Chinese saying, “Eat in Guangzhou”.
I hope you are/will be a huge fan of Cantonese cuisine too.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by this gigantic list, just focus on the top of each section. Make sure you try a variety of dishes.
Do your best to “collect” as many of these dishes as you can. Wishing you an amazing food journey throughout China! 🥢
Dim Sum 早茶
Steamed (unless otherwise stated) 蒸
1. shrimp dumplings | har gow / xiā jiǎo | 虾饺 ⭐
2. pork dumplings | siu maai / shāo mài | 烧卖⭐
3. barbecued pork buns | cha siu bao / chā shāo bāo | 叉烧包
4. soup dumplings (it’s from Shanghai but I’ve included it as it’s on most dim sum menus) | xiǎo lóng bāo | 小笼包
5. rice noodle rolls (the most popular are beef, char siu, or prawn fillings)| cheung fun / cháng fěn | 肠粉 ⭐
6. spare ribs in black bean sauce | dòu chǐ zhēng pái gǔ | 豆豉蒸排骨
7. chicken, Chinese sausage, shrimp, mushrooms stuffed in glutinous rice wrapped in lotus leaf | nuò mǐ jī / zhēn zhū jī | 糯米鸡/珍珠鸡
8. beef meatballs with bean curd skin in Worcestershire sauce | niú ròu qiú | 牛肉球
9. beancurd skin with pork and vegetable filling | xiān zhú juǎn | 鲜竹卷
10. pan-fried turnip cake with a meat filling | luó bo gāo | 萝卜糕
11. osmanthus cake | guì huā gāo | 桂花糕
12. steamed Chinese sausage with chicken | là cháng zhēng jī | 腊肠蒸鸡
13. steamed Chinese mushroom with chicken | běi gū huá jī | 北菇滑鸡
14. spare rib and chicken feet | fèng zhuǎ pái gǔ | 凤爪排骨
15. egg custard buns | naai wong baau / nǎi huáng bāo | 奶黄包
16. salted egg custard buns | liúshā bāo | 流沙包
17. red bean buns | dòu shā bāo | 豆沙包
18. lotus seed buns | lián róng bāo | 蓮蓉包
19. black sesame buns | hēi zhī ma bāo | 黑芝麻包
Deep Fried 油炸
20. spring rolls | chūn juǎn | 春卷 ⭐
21. deep fried won ton | zhá yún tūn | 炸云吞
22. pan fried dumplings | guō tiē / jiān jiǎo | 锅贴/煎饺
23. fried shredded squid | yóu yú sī | 炸鱿鱼丝
24. deep fried prawn dumplings | zhà xiā jiǎo | 炸虾角
25. rice noodle roll with fried dough | zhà liǎng | 炸两
26. fried dough stick | yóu tiáo | 油条
27. sesame balls | jiān duī / má tuán | 煎堆/麻团
28. fried glutinous rice dumplings with savoury filling | xián shuǐ jiǎo | 咸水角
29. deep fried taro filled with savoury meat | yù jiǎo | 芋角
Bakery 烘焙
30. char siu puff | chā shāo sū | 叉烧酥
31. pineapple bun | bō luó bāo | 菠萝包 ⭐
32. coconut bun | yē sī bāo | 椰丝包
33. cocktail bun | jī wěi bāo | 鸡尾包
34. char siu bun (baked version) | chā shāo cān bāo | 叉烧餐包
35. egg tart | dàn tà | 蛋挞 ⭐
36. coconut tart | yē tà | 椰挞
37. glutinous rice flour balls | nuò mǐ cí | 糯米糍
38. wife cake (pastry with winter melon paste and glutinous rice flour) | lǎo pó bǐng | 老婆饼
39. almond cookie | xìng rén bǐng | 杏仁饼
40. walnut cookie | hé táo sū | 核桃酥
Siu Mei / Roasted Meat 烧味
41. barbecued pork | char siu / chā shāo | 叉烧 ⭐
42. roast goose | siu ngo / shāo é | 烧鹅⭐
43. barbecued pork belly | siu yuk / shāo ròu | 烧肉
44. roast pigeon | siu yu gap / shāo rǔ gē | 烧乳鸽
Chicken and Pork 鸡和猪
45. crispy fried chicken | zhà zǐ jī | 炸子鸡
46. white cut chicken (poached) | bái qiē jī | 白切鸡
47. soy sauce chicken (poached) | chǐ yóu jī | 豉油鸡
48. sweet and sour pork | gū lǔ ròu | 咕噜肉 ⭐
49. sweet and sour ribs | shēng chǎo pái gǔ | 生炒排骨
Noodles 面
50. won ton noodle soup | wan tan min / yún tūn miàn | 云吞面⭐
51. stir fried beef rice noodles | gān chǎo níu hé | 干炒牛河
52. roast goose rice noodles | shāo é lài fěn | 烧鹅濑粉
53. soy sauce fried noodles | chǐ yóu huáng chǎo miàn | 豉油皇炒面
54. beef brisket noodle soup | niú nǎn tāng hé | 牛腩汤河
Rice / Congee 饭 / 粥
55. Yeung Chow fried rice | yáng zhōu chǎo fàn | 扬州炒饭⭐
56. claypot rice (many varieties) | bāo zǎi fàn | 煲仔饭⭐
57. century egg and lean pork congee | pí dàn shòu ròu zhōu | 皮蛋瘦肉粥
58. sampan congee | tǐng zǐ zhōu | 艇仔粥
Seafood 海鲜
59. steamed fish with ginger and scallions in soy sauce | qīng zhēng yú | 清蒸鱼 ⭐
60. lobster yee mein | lóng xiā yī miàn | 龙虾伊面
61. lobster with ginger and scallions | jiāng cōng lóng xiā | 姜葱龙虾
62. boiled shrimps with soy sauce | bái zhuó xiā | 白灼虾
63. salt and pepper prawns | jiāo yán xiā | 椒盐虾
64. steamed scallops with ginger and garlic | suàn róng zhēng shàn bèi | 蒜蓉蒸扇贝
65. braised abalone | hóng shāo bàoyú | 红烧鲍鱼
Leaf Vegetables 叶菜
66. choy sum with garlic | suàn róng cài xīn | 蒜蓉菜心
67. gai lan with oyster sauce | háo yóu jiè lán | 蚝油芥兰
Soups 汤
68. slow cooked soup | lǎo huǒ tāng | 老火汤
69. spare rib soup | pái gǔ tāng | 排骨汤
70. winter melon soup | dōng guā tāng / dōng guā zhōng | 冬瓜汤 / 冬瓜盅
Desserts/ Sweet Soups 甜品 / 糖水
71. double skin milk | shuāng pí nǎi | 双皮奶
72. ginger milk curd | jiāng zhuàng nǎi | 姜撞奶
73. tofu dessert with ginger or syrup | dòu fu huā | 豆腐花
74. mango sago | yáng zhī gān lù | 杨枝甘露
75. sago coconut soup | xī mǐ lù | 西米露
76. black sesame soup | hēi zhī ma hú | 黑芝麻糊
77. red bean soup / green bean soup | hóng dòu shā / lǜdòu shā | 红豆沙 / 绿豆沙
78. herbal jelly | guī líng gāo | 龟苓膏
79. tangyuan (glutinous rice balls in a sweet soup) | tāng yuán | 汤圆
80. tofu skin with boiled egg in sweet soup | fǔ zhú táng shuǐ | 腐竹糖水
❗Take a look at my
Guangzhou Ultimate Travel Guide
