THE GAR 嘉悦里 (Shenzhen, CHINA) ★★★★☆

While Tao Tao Ju (陶陶居) has largely fulfilled its role as my go-to dim sum restaurant in Shenzhen for the past two years, my desire to find an alternative has grown over the past couple of weeks. So, like most youngsters these days, I decided to turn to social media for recommendations.

Unfortunately, my research didn’t turn out very promising. Other than Cantonese restaurants at some of the top hotels, there weren’t many premium dim sum options in town. Except for one called THE GAR (嘉悦里), which has received rave reviews.

THE GAR is a premium, high-end Cantonese restaurant and dim sum lounge hidden inside Shahe Golf Club (沙河高爾夫球會) in Shenzhen’s Nanshan District. The venue uniquely blends the atmosphere of a classic, historic English club with the elegance of old Shanghai mansion style.

I was told the dumplings here were served in the quantity of one rather than a handful, like at most dim sum restaurants. Given the prices, it definitely didn’t come across as the usual “value for money” kind of outing in SZ.

A small welcome drink set the tone for what turned out to be an amazing journey ahead.

Steamed vegetarian dumpling with black truffle (黑松露上素餃) (¥38) — Finely diced vegetables and mushrooms, with a nice touch of black truffle tightly wrapped in a small package. The mouthfeel was pretty enjoyable and surprisingly refined. 

One thing about dining in Shenzhen is that they tend to be light on seasoning, and that was true here as well. The black truffle played a beautiful supporting role without ever dominating.

Steamed mantis prawn dumpling (富貴瀨尿蝦餃) (¥68) — When people talk about THE GAR, this is the one they’re most likely to mention thanks to its lovely presentation. I’ve actually seen it on Instagram quite a few times.

The steamed dumpling features a delicate, silky-smooth prawn mousse, topped with a full mantis prawn that can be clearly seen through the wrapper. It’s something for both the taste buds and the senses.

I like the springy mantis prawn combining well with the other ingredients. I thought the perilla leaf might bring more punch but it was more decorative than anything. I love this more than the abalone dumpling.

Steamed abalone dumpling with pork and shrimp (鮑魚鳳眼餃) (¥88) — Another signature items here and you could tell just from the price tag that it meant business.

The dumpling came with a base of pork and shrimp, crowned neatly with a braised abalone on top. The abalone was tender and packed with flavor. The green wrapper made with what I thought was parsley wasn't bad either. It added some interesting vegetal notes to complement the dish. Pretty nice.

Steamed pork dumpling with olive seed (中山靚金吒) (¥38) — I had never heard of this one before. After checking with my server, I learned that it’s a popular dim sum in Guangzhou and Hong Kong, made with minced pork. It sounded like she was reciting it from a script but to be brutally honest, I still couldn’t recall ever hearing about it in my whole life.

That said, the texture was pretty interesting. The exterior had a glutinous rice-like crust, while the filling consisted of minced pork, lard, and a mildly flavored sauce with a hint of acidity. It was OK — nothing mind-blowing, just interesting.

Steamed barbecued honey pork rice roll (蜜汁叉燒腸) (¥38) — Now that I have gotten two of their signature dim sums out of the way, it was time for something more down to earth.

The steamed rice roll was well executed. The diced honey-glazed BBQ pork and sweet soy added both texture and sweetness to the mix — comforting and satisfying.

Poached choy sum with premium soy sauce (白灼菜心) (¥68) — Some veggies to close out the meal. As usual, the portion of choy sum felt a little too generous for one person.

It was definitely a relaxing lunch. When I called to make my reservation this morning, they told me they were quite full this afternoon and I was offered a table on the terrace (it was warm

 — around 33°C today). I was also added to the waiting list in case a seat became available in the dining room.

In the end, it turned out to be unnecessary. The upscale restaurant was less than half full by the time I was there. I guess they were saving some seats for members of the golf club who might not show up.

It was my first time visiting this golf club, and I was surprised how busy it was. Lots of golf carts going left and right, and there were always people walking around the lobby with their golf equipment.

Food Rating: 6.9/10

Price: ¥¥¥¥

Address: 213, Shahe Golf Club, 1 Shahe East Road, Nanshan, Guangzhou, China

深圳市南山区沙河街道西社区沙河东路1号沙河高尔夫球会俱乐部213

Tel: +86 19076107889

Opening Hours: 6:00am - 10:30pm daily

Map: https://j.map.baidu.com/61/_TOK