Thank goodness, little nugget’s examination days are over (for now)! Just a couple of days ago, I told Jelloman that it would be good to send everyone, tester (little one) and tutors alike (us and the grandparents) to Shenzhen for a fun-filled weekend. It didn’t take long for us to finally get the train tickets.
We woke up even earlier than typical working days and the rapid train took us to Futian just before 10am. By 10:45am, we were already taking a stroll around a relatively empty Uniwalk (壹方城).
To no one’s surprise, our lunch venue was Tao Tao Ju (陶陶居), our beloved dim sum restaurant in Shenzhen with branches over all across the city. This was a relatively new location with what they called a “garden (庭院)” theme.
Signature Hong Kong style milk tea (招牌港式奶茶) (¥23) – As usual, I am kicking things off with a refreshing cup of Hong Kong style milk tea. We woke up really early this morning so it was nice to see that the tea was very strong today, strong enough to keep me awake for the rest of the day probably.
Tao Tao Ju's jumbo steamed prawn dumplings (陶陶居大蝦餃) (¥39) – Still one of the best dim sum here and of course, I made sure that I have placed two orders of this just to keep everyone from fighting.
Shunde-style Crispy milk curd (順德炸牛奶) (¥33) – After making over a dozen trips to Shenzhen in 2024, I came to realize just how incredibly popular this dish is north of the border.
I thought this was really nicely done. The sweetness of the delicate milk curd was spot on, and it was complemented nicely by the crunchy pastry.
Jumbo-sized Guangzhou-style youtiao (安心廣式大油條) (¥16) 👍 – Another signature dish here. The (almost) paper-thin dough was really filling. Very tasty.
Steamed pork stomach with green Sichuan pepper (鮮藤椒蒸豬肚) (¥36) – We love beef tripe, but it’s quite expensive here in Shenzhen. Pork stomach also seems to fall into the same category when it comes to the hefty price tag. Only 4 to 5 small pieces for $36!
On the bright side, the pork stomach was pretty tender and there were the usual numbing and tingling effects on the tongue from the green Sichuan pepper. Tasty but not worth $36!
Pan-fried turnip cake (香煎蘿蔔糕) (¥29) – Pretty nice but a little more preserved Chinese sausages would make this even better.
Pearl milk pudding (牛乳翡翠糕) (¥26) – None of us could figure out what this pudding was made of. There was a nice mix of savory-sweet and grassy flavors, paired with a slightly chewy texture. A lot like the traditional Hakka-style tea cakes (茶粿).
Everyone still looked hungry so some reinforcements in the form of vegetables and fresh seafood.
Steamed 5+ Rushan oysters (蒸5+ 乳山生𧐢) (¥18 each) – The fatty oysters were bursting with fresh, briny flavors. Another delicious dish that sent everyone home with a happy tummy.
Steamed abalone with garlic (蒜蓉蒸八頭鮮鮑) (¥18 each) – First time having this steamed abalone dish. Surprisingly tender with a lovely crunch.
Food Rating: 6.9/10
Price: ¥¥¥
Address: 5/F Shenzhen Qianhai Uniwalk, Bao An District, Shenzhen, China 深圳市宝安区新安街道新安湖社区新湖路99号深圳前海壹方城五楼
Closest Metro Station: Bao'an Center (宝安中心)
Opening Hours: 10:00am - 4:30pm, 5:00pm - 9:30pm daily
