Worth taking the high-speed rail just for the food!
Head straight to Shunde, the world’s culinary capital, and indulge in an exquisite "Shunde-style fish salad" and double-skin milk to heal your weekend.
As the saying goes, "To eat, go to Guangzhou; to cook, go to Fengcheng (Shunde)." For Hong Kongers who regard "eating" as the top priority in life, Shunde, just an hour away by high-speed rail from West Kowloon, is the ultimate weekend getaway paradise!
Recognized by UNESCO as the "World’s Culinary Capital," Shunde doesn’t boast many famous mountains or rivers but is filled with streets and alleys where locals obsess over perfecting a single fish or bowl of milk. This "Shunde Foodie Guide and Carb Feast" will lead you to experience top-tier Black Pearl-level culinary delights.👇
🐟 A symphony of fresh fish, rich milk aroma, and Lingnan gardens:
📍 Shunde-style fish salad: The ultimate fresh and sweet delicacy
Deep flavor exploration: This is the soul of Shunde cuisine! Find a local old establishment (like Jing Cui Xuan or Nan Ji, average cost $150-$200 HKD per person). Shunde-style fish salad emphasizes "paper-thin slices, crystal-clear transparency." The chef bleeds the grass carp and slices it into ultra-thin pieces, arranging them on an ice platter. The essence lies in the "tossing" ritual: mix the fish slices with garlic slices, shredded ginger, scallion whites, crushed lemon leaves, onion strips, fried taro shreds, crushed peanuts, and over ten other ingredients, then drizzle with pure peanut oil and salt. Everyone uses chopsticks to toss the mixture high while shouting "Toss it up, toss it up, prosperity!" One bite and the fish’s crisp texture combined with the explosion of flavors in your mouth is incredibly fresh and sweet, with no muddy taste at all.
📍 Qinghui Garden: Savor morning tea amidst Lingnan ink paintings
Visual delight and digestion: After enjoying authentic Cantonese morning tea at "Long’s Restaurant," take a walk to Qinghui Garden, one of Guangdong’s four famous gardens (entrance fee around $15 HKD). This is a perfect spot for photographing Chinese gardens and traditional Hanfu/Qipao attire. Sunlight filters through colorful glass windows onto the green bricks, while the layout of rockeries, koi ponds, and flowing water is exquisitely intricate. Standing by the waterside pavilion, using reflections and weeping willows as foregrounds, you can capture stunning Lingnan-style classical scenery.
📍 Double-skin milk and buffalo milk: Sweetness so rich it clings to the cup
Tasteful comfort: When you’re tired from walking, step into a local shop like "Minxin Old Store" or "Huanji." Order a bowl of authentic hot double-skin milk (around $18 HKD). Shunde’s double-skin milk must be made with local buffalo milk (which has a high fat content). The thick, wrinkled milk skin on top is the essence. Scoop a spoonful, and the rich milk aroma feels like eating liquid cheesecake—sweet, smooth, and instantly soothing all your accumulated stress.
💡 Tips for Shunde trips: Avoid scams and protect your stomach from raw food risks:
🦠 The "intestinal challenge" of freshwater fish salad: While Shunde-style fish salad is delicious, it uses freshwater fish, which objectively carries a risk of parasites! Those with extremely sensitive stomachs or immune system issues should absolutely avoid raw food! When eating fish salad, pair it with strong liquor or hot tea. After the fish salad, order a bowl of fish bone porridge or salt-and-pepper fish bones to "ground" your stomach with cooked food.
🚗 The "queue hell" of popular restaurants and transportation: On weekends, Shunde’s famous food streets (like Happy Coast and Huagai Road Pedestrian Street) are extremely crowded! Those viral restaurants on Xiaohongshu may require 2-3 hours of waiting. It’s highly recommended to take a taxi to residential areas in Daliang or Ronggui, where local license plates are parked outside bustling eateries. The food is better and there’s no need to queue.
🚄 Choosing the right high-speed rail station: When departing from Hong Kong, do not buy tickets to "Shunde Station"! The culinary highlights of Shunde are mainly concentrated in "Daliang Street" and "Ronggui Street." Purchase tickets to **"Ronggui Station"** instead, and take a taxi to the city center for a closer and more convenient experience.