Zhuroupo Private Home Cuisine Qiandeng Lake 豬肉婆私房菜千燈湖店 (Foshan, CHINA) ★★★★☆

Jelloman's parents have been raving about how big of a deal Zhuroupo Private Home Cuisine (豬肉婆私房菜) is in Shunde (順德) and Foshan, insisting that it's a must-try on our trip. Naturally, after hearing it mentioned on multiple occasions, I made it a point to listen and I'm glad I did. Thankfully, there was a branch near our hotel close to Qiandeng Lake (千燈湖), so we headed there for a highly anticipated dinner right after check-in.

Apart from saying it’s a must-try, my in-laws also emphasized how BIG these restaurants usually are. And true to their word, the Qiandeng Lake location was a sprawling three-story establishment. Honestly, you almost needed a map to walk around without getting lost.

There are different themes throughout the facility and at least two dozen private rooms scattered across the top floor.

The main dining rooms, also with various themes, are mostly located on the ground floor like this one. Overall, very very impressive.

To place your order, simply head down to the ground floor, where they’ve set up an area resembling a wet market with all the fish tanks. You get to choose your own mix of the freshest produce and seafood available on the day.

They even had worms available if you’re feeling a little adventurous but we all decided to have some simple and hearty home-style dishes instead.

Pearl oysters pancake (啫啫蠔仔烙) (¥98) — Unlike the Chiu Chow-style oyster pancakes I’ve had before, this one was much smaller—about the size of a small pizza. Not surprisingly, it wasn’t as fluffy and came with much fewer pearl oysters.

Braised pomelo skin in a clay pot (砵仔柚皮) (¥68) — I used to hate pomelo skin as a kid but it’s one of those dishes you grow to love over time. This version was perfect — soft, wobbly texture with a rich, sticky sauce that wasn’t overpowering.

Braised pork belly (私房滷肉) (¥98) — Little nugget would’ve loved this fatty pork belly if he was here. The savory-sweet sauce was spot on.

Stir-fried fresh milk (大良炒牛奶) (¥98) — No Shunde dinner is complete without trying their famous stir-fried milk. This one came with diced shrimp, mushrooms, chicken, and chives on top. Nicely done.

Steamed meatballs with 20-year tangerine peel (廿年陳皮蒸牛肉丸) (¥98) — I was honestly going to veto whoever suggested something so basic but I’m so glad I didn’t. This turned out to be one of the tastiest dishes of the night. Juicy, flavorful, and aromatic thanks to the coriander and aged tangerine peel. This and the pomelo skin are must-orders here.

Three fried stuffed treasures (煎釀三拼) (¥78) — Surprisingly not as oily as I expected. Not bad at all.

Poached choy sum with salted egg and century egg (上湯金銀蛋浸菜心) (¥58) — Had to throw in some veggies to keep things balanced.

Clay pot rice with preserved meats (臘味飯) (¥118) — This was one dish we all agreed we could’ve skipped. The rice was disappointingly bland, and the sparse bits of preserved meat left us all fighting for a bite.

We intentionally stayed away from the premium-priced seafood and meat dishes — a wise decision. We didn’t come all the way here to be robbed by insane prices. While there were a few misses, the hits clearly stood out. Most importantly, the comforting home-style dishes made us feel completely at ease. Like a true home-cooked meal.

Food Rating: 5.8/10

Price: ¥¥¥¥

Address: 140m southwest of the intersection of Huacui North Road and Liangxi Straight Street, Nanhai District, Foshan, Guangzhou, China

佛山市南海区华翠北路与良溪直街交叉口西南140米

Closest Metro Station: Qiandeng Lake (千灯湖)

Tel: +86 (757) 8677-1238

Opening Hours: 9:00am - 2:00pm, 5:00pm - 9:00pm daily

Map: https://j.map.baidu.com/89/a5Gi