If you're planning a trip to Zhuhai's Chimelong and Hengqin and want to sample authentic Cantonese cuisine, popular tea restaurants, distinctive Southeast Asian flavors, and down-to-earth snacks and desserts, this foodie guide, combining local favorites with popular recommendations, is for you. 😉
📍 Food Overview
Category Recommended Restaurants Must-Try Signature Dishes Location/Features
Hong Kong-Style Tea Restaurant: Tui Ji Tea Restaurant. Mudslide French toast and signature Hong Kong-style milk tea. Xiangzhou District, Zhuhai, a popular online restaurant frequented by Jackson Wang.
Xiaorong Dasheng Tea Restaurant: Pineapple buns, stir-fried T-bone pork chop buns, and hand-shredded whole pigeon. Xiangzhou District, Zhuhai, great value.
Cantonese & Seafood: Yuejiang Private Kitchen - Macau-style Cantonese Cuisine. Cheddar cheese-baked Boston lobster with eel noodles, Alaskan long-legged crab, and steamed crispy river eel with Yunnan wild oranges. Hengqin Central Plaza, outstanding seafood.
Haoxuan Pavilion Specialty Oyster Hotpot: Oyster chicken and seafood for two, freshly opened Hengqin oysters. Xiangzhou District, Zhuhai, an oyster hotpot specialty restaurant.
Bay Area No. 9 Fresh-Cut Beef and Oyster Hotpot: Freshly cut beef and freshly opened oysters. Qinglv South Road, Zhuhai, Chaoshan flavors.
Southeast Asian flavors Taima Thai Hot Pot: Thai shuangyuan hot pot, Thai meat platter. Hengqin Baozhong Road. Authentic broth base.
Long Taihou Thai Cuisine. Information missing, to be discovered. User recommended. Must-try.
Specialty Snacks & Desserts: Tianjinmei. Durian and mango desserts. Zhuhai's time-honored dessert shop.
hEa Xiao Kueh. Coffee & Tea. Giant matcha OREO egg waffles, Chaoshan millet cakes. Nanping Town, Zhuhai. Creative snacks.
Hongqi Village Fried Skewers Stall / Old Street Dessert Shop / Sugar Cube Desserts. Information missing, to be discovered. User recommended. Must-try.
🍜 Explore a variety of delicious dishes.
Hong Kong-style tea restaurant: Authentic Hong Kong flavors.
Tuji Tea Restaurant: This is a recent internet-famous restaurant, famous for its visit by Jackson Wang. The must-try "Mudslide French Toast" is a delicious treat. Slice it open and a burst of condensed milk oozes out, paired with Oreo crumbs for a rich and flavorful texture. The signature Hong Kong-style milk tea is rich and mellow, truly authentic. The crayfish in the Sichuan Peppercorn Crayfish Lo Mein is generously portioned and thoughtfully shelled, allowing for a delicious bite.
· Xiaorong Dasheng Tea Restaurant: This restaurant offers excellent value for money. The pineapple buns are plate-sized and reasonably priced. The braised T-bone pork chop bun is praised by many as "one bite and you're done!" The crispy pineapple bun is sandwiched between a thick bone-in pork chop, served with pickled cucumbers to cut through the greasiness. The hand-shredded whole pigeon is also perfectly crispy and tender.
Cantonese Cuisine & Fresh Seafood: A fusion of classics and freshness
· Yuejiang Private Kitchen · Macau-style Cantonese Cuisine (Hengqin Branch): If you're seeking high-quality Cantonese cuisine and seafood in Hengqin, this restaurant is worth a try. The Boston lobster baked in cheddar cheese and e-noodles is a highlight. The succulent lobster meat pairs perfectly with the rich cheddar cheese and brothy e-noodles. Alaskan long-legged crabs are succulent and rich in roe, and are excellent when cooked with garlic or ginger and scallions. The innovative Yunnan Old Tree Wild Orange Steamed Crispy River Eel dish perfectly blends the firm eel meat with the refreshing orange fragrance, making it a very appetizing dish.
· Oyster Hotpot Specialty Restaurants: Zhuhai Oyster Hotpot is a specialty.
· Haoxuan Pavilion's Special Oyster Hotpot is a popular choice, earning high online reviews. Its freshly opened Hengqin oysters are plump and palm-sized. The Oyster Chicken and Seafood Meal for Two is a rich selection, including oysters, half a Qingyuan free-range chicken, fresh shrimp, and abalone.
· Bay Area No. 9 Fresh-Cut Beef and Oyster Hotpot is Chaoshan-style. The beef is cut to order, featuring distinctive cuts like scallops and bone marrow. The oysters are also freshly opened and served, guaranteeing freshness.
Southeast Asian Cuisine: Spicy and Sour Appetizers
· Tai Ma Thai Hot Pot (Hengqin Branch): This restaurant garnered attention for its celebrity patronage and charitable efforts during the pandemic. The heart of their Thai Chi Double-Duck Hot Pot is its broth (Tom Yum Goong + Coconut Milk), a sour, spicy, sweet, and authentic Thai flavor. The Thai Meat Platter (including spicy marinated beef, special tender chicken, and curry pork slices) is tossed with a raw egg yolk before simmering for extra tenderness. The Koh Samui Seafood Platter features fresh ingredients and is a delicious complement to Thai hot pot.
Specialty Snacks and Desserts: Sweet Comforts on the Streets
· Tian Jin Mei: A long-established dessert shop, it's known by locals as "the best desserts in Zhuhai." Their durian and mango desserts are their signature dishes, featuring fresh, generous ingredients at affordable prices.
· hEa Xiao Kueh, Coffee, and Tea: Find creative snacks here. Giant Matcha OREO Egg Waffles are attractive, with a crispy exterior, a sweet matcha filling, and a whole Oreo on top. There's also the Chaoshan specialty, millet cakes, with a chewy crust filled with meat filling and a spicy sauce for a burst of flavor.
· Locals' Secret Hideaways (Requires on-site exploration):
· Hongqi Village Fried Skewers: Their vibrant fried skewers are a popular late-night spot for many locals.
· Old Street Dessert Shops: They often offer the most traditional, down-to-earth Cantonese desserts.
· Sugar Cube Desserts: The name suggests their desserts might be unique in shape and innovative in flavor.
🗺️ Foodie Itinerary Suggestions
· Enjoy Chimelong and Hengqin in a Day:
· Lunch: Enjoy within Chimelong Park, or be patient and head outside to Yuejiang Private Kitchen in Hengqin Central Plaza for a feast. · Dinner: In Hengqin, for a spicy and sour appetizer, try Taima Thai Hot Pot. For fresh seafood, take a taxi to Haoxuan Pavilion or Bay Area No. 9 in downtown Zhuhai.
· A day of culinary exploration in downtown Zhuhai:
· Breakfast/Dinner Tea: Enjoy dry wontons or instant rice noodle rolls at the time-honored Caiji Fast Food Restaurant.
· Lunch: Check out Tuji Tea Restaurant or Xiaorong Dasheng Tea Restaurant.
· Afternoon Tea: Enjoy a bowl of sweet soup at Tianjinmei or a giant egg waffle at hEa Xiaoguo.
· Dinner: End the day with a hearty pot of oyster chicken hot pot or a zesty wok-fried pot.
We hope this guide helps you find your dream restaurant. If you discover more about those hidden gems along the way, please share your foodie discoveries!