80 Cantonese Dishes You Should Try In Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong (2025)
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 now 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! 🥢
早茶 Dim Sum
蒸 Steamed (unless otherwise stated)
1. 虾饺 | har gow / xiā jiǎo | shrimp dumplings
2. 烧卖 | siu maai / shāo mài | pork dumplings
3. 叉烧包 | cha siu bao / chā shāo bāo | barbecued pork buns
4. 小笼包 | xiǎo lóng bāo | soup dumplings (it’s from Shanghai but I’ve included it as it’s on most dim sum menus)
5. 肠粉 | cheung fun / cháng fěn | rice noodle rolls (two of the most popular are char siu and prawn fillings)
6. 豆豉蒸排骨 | dòu chǐ zhēng pái gǔ | spare ribs in black bean sauce
7. 糯米鸡/珍珠鸡 | nuò mǐ jī / zhēn zhū jī | chicken, Chinese sausage, shrimp, mushrooms stuffed in glutinous rice wrapped in lotus leaf
8. 牛肉球 | niú ròu qiú | beef meatballs with bean curd skin in Worcestershire sauce
9. 鲜竹卷 | xiān zhú juǎn | beancurd skin with pork and vegetable filling
10. 萝卜糕 | luó bo gāo | pan-fried turnip cake with a meat filling
11. 桂花糕 | guì huā gāo | osmanthus cake
12. 腊肠蒸鸡 | là cháng zhēng jī | steamed Chinese sausage with chicken
13. 北菇滑鸡 | běi gū huá jī | steamed Chinese mushroom with chicken
14. 凤爪排骨 | fèng zhuǎ pái gǔ | spare rib and chicken feet
15. 奶黄包 | naai wong baau / nǎi huáng bāo | egg custard buns
16. 流沙包 | liúshā bāo | salted egg custard buns
17. 豆沙包 | dòu shā bāo | red bean buns
18. 蓮蓉包 | lián róng bāo | lotus seed buns
19. 黑芝麻包 | hēi zhī ma bāo | black sesame buns
油炸 Deep Fried
20. 春卷 | chūn juǎn | spring rolls
21. 炸云吞 | zhá yún tūn | deep fried won ton
22. 锅贴/煎饺 | guō tiē / jiān jiǎo | pan fried dumplings
23. 炸鱿鱼丝 | yóu yú sī | fried shredded squid
24. 炸虾角 | zhà xiā jiǎo | deep fried prawn dumplings
25. 炸两 | zhà liǎng | rice noodle roll with fried dough
26. 油条 | yóu tiáo | fried dough stick
27. 煎堆/麻团 | jiān duī / má tuán | sesame balls
28. 咸水角 | xián shuǐ jiǎo | fried glutinous rice dumplings with savoury filling
29. 芋角 | yù jiǎo | deep fried taro filled with savoury meat
烘焙 Bakery
30. 叉烧酥 | chā shāo sū | char siu puff
31. 菠萝包 | bō luó bāo | pineapple bun
32. 椰丝包 | yē sī bāo | coconut bun
33. 鸡尾包 | jī wěi bāo | cocktail bun
34. 叉烧餐包 | chā shāo cān bāo | char siu bun (baked version)
35. 蛋挞 | dàn tà | egg tart
36. 椰挞 | yē tà | coconut tart
37. 糯米糍 | nuò mǐ cí | glutinous rice flour balls
38. 老婆饼 | lǎo pó bǐng | wife cake (pastry with winter melon paste and glutinous rice flour)
39. 杏仁饼 | xìng rén bǐng | almond cookie
40. 核桃酥 | hé táo sū | walnut cookie
烧味 Siu Mei / Roasted Meat
41. 叉烧 | char siu / chā shāo | barbecued pork
42. 烧鹅 | siu ngo / shāo é | roast goose
43. 烧肉 | siu yuk / shāo ròu | barbecued pork belly
44. 烧乳鸽 | siu yu gap / shāo rǔ gē | roast pigeon
鸡和猪 Chicken and Pork
45. 炸子鸡 | zhà zǐ jī | crispy fried chicken
46. 白切鸡 | bái qiē jī | white cut chicken (poached)
47. 豉油鸡 | chǐ yóu jī | soy sauce chicken (poached)
48. 咕噜肉 | gū lǔ ròu | sweet and sour pork
49. 生炒排骨 | shēng chǎo pái gǔ | sweet and sour ribs
面 Noodles
50. 云吞面 | wan tan min / yún tūn miàn | won ton noodle soup
51. 干炒牛河 | gān chǎo níu hé | stir fried beef rice noodles
52. 烧鹅濑粉 | shāo é lài fěn | roast goose rice noodles
53. 豉油皇炒面 | chǐ yóu huáng chǎo miàn | soy sauce fried noodles
54. 牛腩汤河 | niú nǎn tāng hé | beef brisket noodle soup
饭 / 粥 Rice / Congee
55. 扬州炒饭 | yáng zhōu chǎo fàn | Yeung Chow fried rice
56. 煲仔饭 | bāo zǎi fàn | claypot rice (many varieties)
57. 皮蛋瘦肉粥 | pí dàn shòu ròu zhōu | century egg and lean pork congee
58. 艇仔粥 | tǐng zǐ zhōu | sampan congee
海鲜 Seafood
59. 清蒸鱼 | qīng zhēng yú | steamed fish with ginger and scallions in soy sauce
60. 龙虾伊面 | lóng xiā yī miàn | lobster yee mein
61. 姜葱龙虾 | jiāng cōng lóng xiā | lobster with ginger and scallions
62. 白灼虾 | bái zhuó xiā | boiled shrimps with soy sauce
63. 椒盐虾 | jiāo yán xiā | salt and pepper prawns
64. 蒜蓉蒸扇贝 | suàn róng zhēng shàn bèi | steamed scallops with ginger and garlic
65. 红烧鲍鱼 | hóng shāo bàoyú | braised abalone
叶菜 Leaf Vegetables
66. 蒜蓉菜心 | suàn róng cài xīn | choy sum with garlic
67. 蚝油芥兰 | háo yóu jiè lán | gai lan with oyster sauce
汤 Soups
68. 老火汤 | lǎo huǒ tāng | slow cooked soup
69. 排骨汤 | pái gǔ tāng | spare rib soup
70. 冬瓜汤 / 冬瓜盅 | dōng guā tāng / dōng guā zhōng | winter melon soup
甜品 / 糖水 Desserts / Sweet Soups
71. 双皮奶 | shuāng pí nǎi | double skin milk
72. 姜撞奶 | jiāng zhuàng nǎi | ginger milk curd
73. 豆腐花 | dòu fu huā | tofu dessert with ginger or syrup
74. 杨枝甘露 | yáng zhī gān lù | mango sago
75. 西米露 | xī mǐ lù | sago coconut soup
76. 黑芝麻糊 | hēi zhī ma hú | black sesame soup
77. 红豆沙 / 绿豆沙 | hóng dòu shā / lǜdòu shā | red bean soup / green bean soup
78. 龟苓膏 | guī líng gāo | herbal jelly
79. 汤圆 | tāng yuán | tangyuan (glutinous rice balls in a sweet soup)
80. 腐竹糖水 | fǔ zhú táng shuǐ | tofu skin with boiled egg in sweet soup
