The world in a port
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Restaurants are always packed in Guangzhou, a city famed for food. [Source: China Daily/Yi Ren] |
The main boulevard of the island, the pedestrian Shamian Street, is lined with big banyan trees, some with signboards claiming they are more than 150 years old. In the warm sunshine and mild weather of Guangzhou's late autumn, the street was dotted with children playing games and new couples doing wedding shoots.
On one side of the street, I found a Starbucks that was probably the most atmospheric of the chain's cafes I've seen in China. Located in a courtyard shaded by palm trees, it had both a historical and laid-back feel.
At lunchtime, I headed for the Datong Restaurant, another historical place but with a totally different environment.
Opened in the early 1940s, the restaurant has been serving authentic Cantonese food for nearly 70 years. Even more interesting was its hosting of daily performances of Cantonese Opera and folk tunes in the afternoon.
The restaurant was already full when I arrived, and I had to share a table with an elderly couple. Like most of the other customers in the restaurant, they were Cantonese-speaking Guangzhou natives and I could hardly communicate with them in Putonghua.
My local friend Li came to join me and helped me order some characteristic Cantonese dishes, such as sliced boiled chicken and steamed beef marinated in olive sauce. I enjoyed a dessert called milk red bean jelly the most. Its natural sweetness helped offset the richness of the main courses.
The show started after lunch at 2:30. Spectators could sip tea while watching the performances. Given the history of the restaurant and its central location by the Pearl River (the tables by the windows offered a clear view of the river), the minimum charge of 12 yuan ($1.80) per person seemed reasonable.
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