Ge Yu Xuan Sanxiang 鴿譽軒‧藥膳鴿火鍋 三鄉店 (Zhongshan, CHINA) ★★★☆☆

Zhongshan (中山) is home to some of the best pigeons in China (石岐乳鴿), so it came with very little surprise that our friend prepared a pigeon feast for us to wrap up our day in Zhongshan.

Founded in 1988, Ge Yu Xuan (鴿譽軒) is a pigeon specialist with some of the best pigeon dishes in town.

They have six different ways to prepare these pigeons (¥45 each).

Roasted pigeon (紅燒脆皮鴿) (¥45) — The best seller, and definitely the tastiest from the trio we ordered. The baby pigeons weren’t the meatiest, but the skin was super crispy and the flesh very juicy.

Salt-marinated pigeon (滋味鹹香鴿) (¥45) — The color of the skin was much lighter than the one shown in the menu. This was the least successful one, mainly due to the slightly over-the-top use of salt and spices. It was a little too salty for us.

Traditional salt-baked pigeon (古法鹽焗鴿) (¥45) — These came in a paper bag, covered with a bit of salt in some kind of clay pot. The flavor was a little similar to the roasted pigeon on our first bite, but it paled in comparison in more than one way.

Freshly squeezed sweet corn juice (鮮榨玉米汁) (¥38 per jar) — Lately, I’ve fallen in love with these freshly squeezed sweet corn juices. The drink was served lukewarm (I wonder why) with a ton of corn kernels inside. Love it.

Some vegetables to balance off the meat.

We didn't order a lot, just some cabbage and mushrooms for our balanced diet.

Clay pot rice with preserved meats (臘味飯) (¥45) — I haven’t had much luck with clay pot rice in the Mainland, and this one again didn’t meet our expectations. It just didn’t get that perfect marriage of the intense, savory-sweet oils from cured meats with fluffy rice — the kind that creates a rich, aromatic, comforting dish.

It was a really enjoyable first trip to Zhongshan. Special thanks to our friend, who drove us around from dawn till dusk. We didn’t get to see some flats as planned, so a second trip is definitely something to look forward to.

Food Rating: 5.5/10

Price: ¥¥¥

Address: Deng Xian Lu, Sanxiang, Zhongshan, Guangzhou, China

中山市三乡镇登贤路鸽誉轩药膳鸽火锅店

Tel: +86 18022051266

Opening Hours: 11:00am - 2:00pm, 5:00pm - 9:00pm daily

Map: https://j.map.baidu.com/3c/T6lM

Hey Dude Xingbao Mingzhu 嘟得茶餐廳 星寶明珠店 (Zhongshan, CHINA) ★★★☆☆

We swung by Sam’s Club (山姆俱樂部) for a bit of shopping after lunch and once it was said and done, it was time to get back to exploring more of Zhongshan (中山). But it was already around 3:15pm, and what better excuse to hit the pause button than for a cold cup of milk tea?

I pulled up my Amap app looking for a Hong Kong style tea restaurant (茶餐廳) in our area and just so happened that the town of Shaxi (沙溪鎮) had quite a few options. Sounded like the perfect pit stop (but we just got back into our vehicle).

We finally settled on Hey Dude (嘟得茶餐廳) just a stone ‘s throw from the residential Xingbao Mingzhu (星寶明珠) complex. It was one of the closest in the proximity.

Iced milk tea (凍奶茶) – The tea itself was silky smooth but I thought it could be a little more fragrant to strike a better balance with the excess of milk. But I guess it’s more of a personal preference than anything.

After a refreshing break, we were ready to hit the road again—this time heading west into the wild Wild West of Zhongshan. Our first stop? Guzhen (古鎮鎮), where a picturesque wetland park (濕地公園) awaits.

Food Rating: 4.7/10

Price: ¥¥¥

Address: Shop 103, Xingbao Mingzhu Tower One, Xingbaoyi Road, Zhongshan, Guangzhou, China

中山市沙溪鎮星宝明珠一期一层商铺103卡

Tel: +86 (0760) 8759-9090

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

Map: https://j.map.baidu.com/f8/3NIk

Restaurant Rifeng 日鋒飯店 (Zhongshan, CHINA) ★★★☆☆

A few ex-coworkers and I have been tossing around the idea of a Zhongshan (中山) trip for months but it didn't really come to fruition until a couple of weeks ago when we finally got down to the detailed itinerary.  

Blessed with a friend holding a valid Mainland driver’s license, our little convoy set off from Tsing Yi, breezed through the border, and before we knew it, we were rolling into the outskirts of Zhongshan. Our first destination was Shenwan Town (神湾镇), a small town in the southwestern part of the city.

We were here for a quick lunch at family-run Restaurant Rifeng (日鋒飯店), a neighborhood restaurant famous for a certain local delicacy. More on that later.

I was told that the restaurant is very good for its wok-fried dishes and seafood which are mostly chosen straight out of the fish tanks. 

Pan-fried grain worm cakes (鉢仔禾蟲) (¥138) – This was no ordinary lunch. We came here with a mission — to try a hyper-local delicacy that, frankly, wasn't on any of the foodie bingo cards I've seen before — grain worms (禾蟲). And, yes I heard they were in season these days! 

Apparently, pan-fried grain worm cakes is a traditional delicacy famous in Zhongshan. The worms are thought to be rich in protein, vitamins and minerals and thus considered a healthy food for its nourishing effects.

These crispy, wok-fried pancakes are made with grain worms, garlic, dried tangerine peel, and black olives, traditionally cooked in a clay pot — hence the name 鉢仔.

I’ll admit, I approached the first bite with healthy skepticism. The visual alone is not for the faint of heart but the texture surprised me. They (I mean the worms) were a lot crispier than I first thought and their texture easily stood out from the pancake. 

Deep-fried cuttlefish (椒鹽鮮魷) (¥46) – Slightly heavier batter than what you’d find in Hong Kong, but still super tender on the inside. Well-seasoned and fried to perfection.

Steamed river prawns with garlic (蒜蓉清蒸羅氏蝦) (¥88) – The river prawns came straight out of the tank and we could really taste the freshness. The chopped garlic was a thing of beauty and just perfect to go with the prawns and steamed rice.

Mustard greens in superior broth (上湯芥菜) (¥25) – I am a big fan of mustard greens and the light, savory broth with the vegetables and pork ribs was a nice touch. Surprisingly, no bitter notes from the mustard greens.

Stir-fried mashed taro (雜錦炒芋泥) (¥48) – Not sure how much oil it took to stir fry this massive block of mashed taro.

It was packed with "wok hei" and umami. Ingredients like bean sprouts, Chinese sausage and garlic worked absolute wonder with the mashed taro. Won’t mind having this again.

Rifeng might not win any awards for ambience. It’s more of a neighborhood canteen than a proper restaurant but the food? Solid across the board. Prices aren’t exactly dirt cheap for a spot this deep into Zhongshan’s countryside but considering the quality and freshness, it’s money well spent.

While I won’t be rushing back for another round of grain worms anytime soon, the other dishes were more than enough to justify a return trip. And judging by the locals digging into stir-fried worms like it’s popcorn, maybe — just maybe, I’ll work up the courage to give it another go.

Until next time, Shenwan.

Food Rating: 5.8/10

Price: ¥¥

Address: 1 Xinhui Lane No.2, Guanghui Road, Zhongshan, Guangzhou, China

中山市外沙村光辉路新辉二巷1号

Tel: +86 13560611028

Opening Hours: 11:00am - 2:00pm, 5:00pm - 9:00pm daily

Map: https://j.map.baidu.com/3a/J-2h