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Hei Kiu Au

Shunde, a district of the city of Foshan in China’s Guangdong province, is one of those places where you can eat good food, but you can eat great food if you know an insider.
One such person is Silas Li, the executive chef of Hong Kong Cuisine 1983, in Hong Kong’s Happy Valley neighbourhood, who calls the district his second home.
Shunde, known as the “cradle of Cantonese cuisine”, is a three- to four-hour drive from Hong Kong, but the high-speed train to Guangzhounan station – which takes just under an hour – and a quick Didi ride make it an easy pilgrimage for discerning gourmands.
Our journey began at the Jiang Shun Seafood Restaurant in Ronggui, a surprisingly rustic spot perched by the Xijiang (West River). We knew we were in the right place when our arrival was delayed by a truck unloading the day’s catch, destined directly for our table.

“First stop has to be fish,” Li said, his eyes alight. True to another of Shunde’s nicknames, the “land of fish and rice”, the fish tanks teemed with life: giant clams, river prawns and our headliner, the “unforgettable” empurau fish.
“It earns that name for its taste,” Li said. “But the price is what really makes it unforgettable.” This local freshwater fish, which is native to Southeast Asia and has a diet of wild fruit, can set you back at least a couple of thousand Hong Kong dollars.
As for how it is prepared, they say you cannot leave Shunde without trying raw local fish. I was sceptical until we stepped into the restaurant’s dedicated sashimi room.
Instead of the fishy smell I dreaded, a sweet floral scent greeted me. The fillets were crystalline, a quality the owner credited to the method of killing and preserving the fish, akin to the Japanese ikejime technique, in which the blood is drained.
Local staples such as yellow seabream and gizzard shad filled the tanks, but it was the raw ice fish that excited Li; fresh varieties are hard to come by.
Gathered around the table, we were joined by Li’s friend, Liao Haidong (“Brother Dong”), a Shunde tourism ambassador who taught us one way of eating sashimi like a local.

The ritual was simple: the fish was seasoned with a pinch of salt, a drizzle of premium peanut oil and a confetti of makrut lime leaf, carrot, radish, pickled kohlrabi and pickled garlic, all nestled in a raw onion petal.
For those wary of raw fish, the cooked offerings were just as showstopping and ensured none of the precious empurau was wasted.
We tried a “crossing the bridge” dish, where scalding dace fish broth was ladled over the raw empurau skin, cooking it instantly like paper-thin beef in a pho.
The steamed belly was the true stand-out, its rich, floral oil bursting with a fruity complexity that was, indeed, “unforgettable”. Every part was used, right down to the scales, deep-fried typhoon-shelter style.
Beyond the signature fish, Li’s recommendations celebrated local produce: local hairy gourd stewed with mitten crab, and a delicate aromatic broth of local rice wine infused with sesarmidae crabs and ginger.

After finishing our first meal, we headed straight to the town of Chencun for its namesake flat rice noodles. A cousin to Hong Kong’s hor fun, Chencun noodles are springier, thinner and softer.
Li’s go-to spot there is a shop called Huang Jun Ji, run by a protégé of Huang Dan, the man said to have invented the noodles in 1927.
“They’re made fresh daily using a traditional stone grinder,” Li said. “That’s a tradition worth keeping – it’s what gives them a silkiness that a machine can never replicate.”
Versatile Chencun noodles are best enjoyed simply. The cold version features thinner noodles tossed in cured meat oil, julienned ginger, sesame seeds and a touch of soy sauce. The shop’s most popular dish uses wider noodles to soak up all the juices of its hearty braised beef brisket.

Shunde people seem to have innovation in their DNA. In the adjacent town of Lunjiao, we tasted Lunjiao cake, known in Hong Kong as “white sugar sponge cake”.
We visited the flagship store of Huan Jie Lunjiao Cake, which houses a museum detailing the dessert’s origin. There, we learned that Sister Huan is the fourth-generation descendant of Ming dynasty baker Liang Licheng, who created the cake by accident.
A failed batch of steamed sponge cakes resulted in this unique treat, distinguished by its sourness and tiny holes formed during fermentation.
Although you can find this kind of cake in Hong Kong, I was surprised by this version’s strong, fragrant sugar cane aroma. Li said he loves how the shop elevates tradition by sandwiching the cake between two thin, fried glutinous rice pancakes. The result is three layers of texture: a crisp outer layer, a chewy, mochi-like pancake and the springy, spongy cake within.

After that sweet interlude, a leisurely walk through Shunde’s old town, Daliang, was essential.
We crossed the street for a coffee at Zang Bar Café, a hidden gem locals have frequented for 11 years – the same age as its feline occupant, Mao Mao.
Settling in, Li shared his culinary philosophy. “I started as a Western-trained chef at 16, but I transitioned to Chinese cuisine because I wanted to share the knowledge of the cuisine I grew up with. Some chefs would rather take their recipes to the grave than pass them on,” he added with a laugh.
“Learning Chinese cuisine has been a humbling experience. I’d seek out a fishmonger to learn the best way to slaughter a fish, or the silver-haired boss at the dried seafood shop on how to best extract umami flavour.
“It isn’t easy to gain their trust, but once you do, their knowledge is superior. I try to share everything with the younger generation; to me, there shouldn’t be any secrets. I want the chefs I train to be better than me.”
The next stop on our culinary journey was Xincun Street, where neighbourhood vendors warmly offered us traditional snacks: dried tangerine peels, phoenix cookies and butterfly biscuits. Even after 40 years of rapid urbanisation, Shunde has held onto its soul – the generous village spirit remains within the quiet old alleyways.

Our walking tour culminated at Jin Bang Shang Jie, a street famous for its many shops selling double-skinned milk. This Shunde speciality is distinct because it is made with freshwater buffalo milk, which has nearly double the fat and protein of regular cow’s milk.
The result is a custard that is richer, thicker and carries a creamy aroma. You can identify the authentic version by the distinctive, wrinkly “skin” on its surface and the way its subtly sweet richness coats your tongue.
Having begun our journey with fish, it was only fitting to end it with rice in this “land of fish and rice”.
The local speciality, however, is congee hotpot with no rice. The philosophy is that all the nutrients from the rice are concentrated in the congee water, creating a silky, nutritious base for cooking. Li led us to his favourite spot to experience this: Da Liang Wu Mi Zhou in Huaqiaocheng.
“For a balanced flavour, you need both seafood and meat in the hotpot,” Li said. “That way, the congee base absorbs the different umami from land and sea.”
With each ingredient we added, the broth grew more complex. Yet at the very end, the pure, comforting aroma of rice left a final, lingering note on the palate. No salt, no MSG, just the essence of the grain itself.


Back at Hong Kong Cuisine 1983, Li admitted that the full taste of Shunde is nearly impossible to replicate. I finally understood what he meant as I left, already planning my return.
Shunde’s signature xianwei (“umami”) does not just mean umami, but a synergy of freshness and aroma – a natural “MSG” that begins to diminish the moment the ingredients leave the land and water.
Instead of replication, Li reinterprets classics to make them his own on his Taste of Shunde menu.
He transforms Chencun noodles by serving them two ways: a Hong Kong-style stir-fry with Angus beef, rich with wok hei flavour, and a cold version tossed in fragrant chicken oil, topped with chicken crisps, dried shrimp, dried scallops and his home-made XO sauce featuring dried mantis shrimp.


For dessert, he offers his own twist on double-skinned milk. “Traditionally, the first layer of skin forms at the bottom of the bowl,” he said. “Together with the top layer, that’s what makes it ‘double-skinned’.”
Drawing on his Western training, he caramelises the top like a crème brûlée, imparting a bitter-smoky flavour that cuts through the custard’s richness.
If you cannot make it to Shunde, this menu is certainly the next best thing.
“Shunde has become more than just my wife’s hometown to me,” Li said. “It’s a place that fiercely preserves its traditions, that inspires me to ground my cooking in simplicity and a deep respect for original flavours.”


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Best things to eat in Shunde, China’s ‘cradle of Cantonese cuisine’

Steamed “unforgettable” empurau fish belly at Jiang Shun Seafood Restaurant, in Shunde. Hong Kong chef Silas Li calls the area in Foshan, Guangdong province, his second home. Photo: Hei-kiu Au

Silas Li is executive chef of Hong Kong Cuisine 1983 in Happy Valley. Photo: Hei-kiu Au

A sashimi platter at Jiang Shun Seafood Restaurant. Photo: Hei-kiu Au

Liao Haidong is a Shunde tourism ambassador who showed how to eat sashimi like a local. Photo: Hei-kiu Au

Chencun noodles with braised beef brisket at Huang Jun Ji. Photo: Hei-kiu Au

White sugar sponge cake at Huan Jie Lunjiao Cake. Photo: Hei-kiu Au

A narrow alley on Xincun Street. Photo: Hei-kiu Au

Fresh fish belly is added to the congee hotpot base at Da Liang Wu Mi Zhou. Photo: Hei-kiu Au

Hotpot congee broth eaten with Chinese doughnut at Da Liang Wu Mi Zhou. Photo: Hei-kiu Au

Li’s version of cold Chencun noodles with condiments at Hong Kong Cuisine 1983. Photo: Hei-kiu Au

Li’s version of double-skinned milk topped with a crème brûlée layer at Hong Kong Cuisine 1983. Photo: Hei-kiu Au

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Lifestyle

Food & Drink

Hong Kong chef Silas Li takes us on a food tour of Shunde for specialities including ‘unforgettable’ fish, Chencun noodles and Lunjiao cake


Hong Kong chef Silas Li takes us on a food tour of Shunde for specialities including ‘unforgettable’ fish, Chencun noodles and Lunjiao cake.


Best things to eat in Shunde, China’s ‘cradle of Cantonese cuisine’

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Hong Kong chef Silas Li takes us on a food tour of Shunde for specialities including ‘unforgettable’ fish, Chencun noodles and Lunjiao cake

Hong Kong chef Silas Li takes us on a food tour of Shunde for specialities including ‘unforgettable’ fish, Chencun noodles and Lunjiao cake