If the décor wasn’t garish, the chatter of fellow diners 20 decibels above conversational, and the menu comprised of enough animal parts to offend the squeamish, would it still be Old Canton? Visitors to Tao Tao Ju (house of happiness), one of the most revered traditional restaurants in Guangzhou, will never need to face the question. This place meets and exceeds all the qualifications that make for a true Cantonese dining experience.
From the moment you enter the lobby, stand under Tao Tao Ju’s huge chandelier and are led to your table by a professional yet mildly indifferent waitress, you will know you are in for an authentic PRD dining experience. Start with the soup – there are over twenty kinds on the menu. If you would like to drop a bit more money and court controversy with environmentalists, there are a number of varieties of shark’s fin soup on offer. If not, the menu (available in English) boasts many others, few of which you are likely to find elsewhere. Try the Kudzu and Snakehead soup, or if feeling amorous, the Bamboo Chicken and Ginseng.
Followers of the “when in Rome, do as the Romans do” school of thought will want to follow the soup course with some dim sum, for which Tao Tao Ju, boasting over 200 varieties, ranging from exotic to familiar, is renowned. But leave some room for desert, as Tao Tao Ju is also famous for its moon cakes, as well as its more esoteric pastries, like durian short bread. (In 2003, chefs here set a record by preparing the world’s largest mooncake, which weighed in at 500 kg and was 1.4 m wide.)
Whether you go wild or mild, make sure to bring a camera. From its front lobby with stained-glass ballroom ambience, to the Chinese garden on the third floor, Tao Tao Ju offers some unique photographic backdrops.
Tao Tao Ju 陶陶居
Daily 6:30am – midnight
20 Dishipu Lu, Liwan District
荔湾区第十圃路20号
