Guangdong Provincial Government Restaurant: You Dim Sum, You Lose Sum

This month’s Prov Gov mission was completed on the west side of the city, near Xidan. We biked up an appetite, but enjoyed the scenic route, hoping to find some tasty dim sum on the other side.

After arriving at the fifth floor of Guangzhou Dasha, being sent to the second floor, and consequently being sent back to the first floor where our mission had begun 10 minutes prior, the bilingual menu appeared quickly, with the dishes listed under different price categories (RMB 10-33 per dish). 

At first glance, it did appear to be yet another miserable government-run restaurant with underpaid and uninterested staff, but once the dim sum came out there was a sense of relief. Had we finally found a Prov Gov worth coming back to?

The barbecue pork buns (RMB 18) were brimming with the eponymous sweetened pork. The same goes for the Hong Ma barbecued pork puffs (RMB 18) that were gone within a split second, calling for a swift second order. The mushroom and vegetable buns’ “less bun, more stuffing” approach was also highly appreciated; dim sum is not known for its vegetarian dishes but these treats make a great addition to any order. Finally, the steamed shrimp dumplings tasted fresh and natural – no faffing around with these dumplings, not too much dough, and no unnecessary flavoring.

The only serious disappointment was the steamed vermicelli roll (RMB 23), in this case it made using really thick vermicelli with barely any stuffing. The limp rolls were left to the side, untouched. 

To experience the breakfast dim sum carts, you’ll need to get there between 7-10.30am. Otherwise, they serve dim sum from the kitchen until 1.30pm. Between 11am-2.30pm and 5.30-9pm, they also serve non-dim sum Cantonese dishes from a separate menu.

Guangdong Provincial Government Restaurant
Daily 7am-1.30pm (dim sum menu), 11am-2.30pm, 5.30-9pm (regular menu). 5/F, Guangzhou Dasha, Heng Ertiao, Xidan, Xicheng District (5855 9988)
广和茶轩：西城区西单横二条3号广州大厦5层

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Photo: Margaux Schreurs