Tao Tao Ju One Avenue 陶陶居 卓悦中心店 (Shenzhen, CHINA) ★★★★☆

We were supposed to spend the next weekend in Shanghai, but a few things popped up and I had to cancel the trip altogether. To make it up to myself and my team, I decided to treat us to a small getaway to Shenzhen instead.

After enjoying some game time early on, we moved along to Tao Tao Ju (陶陶居) at One Avenue (卓悦中心) for a late lunch.

It's always nice to return to a familiar gastronomic ground.

Signature Hong Kong style milk tea (招牌港式奶茶) (¥22) – There's no better way to start a meal here. I love the consistently strong and robust tea flavor—just the way I like it.

Pan-fried turnip cake (香煎蘿蔔糕) (¥26) – A simple dish done right. Perfectly pan-fried to a golden brown.

Little nugget's favorite here.

Tao Tao Ju jumbo prawn dumpling (陶陶居大蝦餃) (¥36) – Another must-have item at TTJ. Each dumpling was packed with the equivalent of three prawns. Plump and juicy.

Barbecued pork "snowballs" (叉燒雪花球) (¥30) – One's our latest favorites here.

Encased in a chewy glutinous rice skin flavored with kale was a savory mix of diced char siu and mushrooms, all tied together with a flavorful sweet-savory sauce.

Stir-fried broccoli with beef (西蘭花炒牛肉) (¥58) – Some protein for my meat-loving son.

Sweet and sour pork (冰鎮咕噜肉) (¥78) – I almost forgot that Tao Tao Ju is known for its signature sweet and sour pork. As we had never tried it before, I thought it was time to put it to the test.

The meat, coated in a crispy batter, remained warm and succulent inside. What stood out was the clever use of ice to induce a cold temperature twist. An interesting contrast in texture and flavor. Loved this~

After yet another satisfying lunch at TTJ, it was time to head over to Houhai for our hotel check-in.

Food Rating: 6.8/10

Price: ¥¥¥

Address:  Shop L233, East Zone, Level 2 One Avenue, Fuhua Road, Futian, Guangzhou, China

深圳市福田区福华路卓悦中心商场东区L233号铺

Closest Metro Station: Gangxia (岗厦)

Tel: +86 (755) 8299-8870

Opening Hours: 10:00am - 9:30pm daily

Map: https://j.map.baidu.com/39/WOi