Stay at the Garden Hotel Guangzhou and Embark on a High-End Culinary Journey

In the city of Guangzhou, when you mention five-star hotels, the Garden Hotel is undoubtedly a part of many people's memories. As a gateway during China's reform and opening-up, Guangzhou was one of the first Chinese cities to open up to the world. The spring and autumn Canton Fairs fueled its rapid growth, bringing prosperity and affluence.

In an era when foreign businesspeople were still a rare sight, Guangzhou's four five-star hotels were their top choice for accommodations. The Garden Hotel was one of them. Did you know? The Garden Hotel is more than just a hotel. Come with me, Vivi, and discover a different journey at the Garden Hotel.

For me, the Garden Hotel is an indispensable part of childhood memories. The revolving restaurant on the top floor was always the most anticipated birthday destination, and its resplendent lobby remains an unforgettable place from my early years.

More than thirty years have passed—enough for a person to grow from infancy to maturity. Yet the Garden Hotel has remained fresh and renewed. After renovations and the passage of time, it returns as if still in its youth.

While many luxury hotels nowadays favor Western-inspired styles, the Garden Hotel stays true to traditional Chinese design, brimming with classic charm.

Step into the lobby and you'll immediately feel the traditional atmosphere. The décor is resplendent, but look closely and you'll discover many subtle details beneath its opulence.

The murals incorporate rich traditional culture, from galloping horses to scenes from Dream of the Red Chamber, all steeped in classic flavor.

The enormous gold-leaf mural behind the front desk is the most eye-catching feature. With Dream of the Red Chamber as its backdrop, it makes many longtime Guangzhou locals feel like they've stepped into the Grand View Garden.

On the lobby ceiling, carved dragons add a stately touch, vividly exuding a sense of nobility.

Another eye-catching feature is the wooden spiral staircase.

The wooden staircase adopts the ancient Greek Ionic style, full of Mediterranean classical elegance. Walking up it gives a wonderful feeling of traveling through time.

The hotel's revolving wooden staircase carries an air of history and period charm.

With its warm wood tones and unique design, the staircase is a rare work of art and a fantastic photo spot.

As its name suggests, the Garden Hotel indeed has a garden. Having a garden of over 20,000 square meters in downtown Guangzhou is quite a luxury, and the Garden Hotel offers just that.

The garden is located at the back of the hotel, designed with Lingnan flair. Pavilions, terraces, rockeries, and waterfalls create an elegant and graceful atmosphere.

The ponds are inhabited by lively koi fish. As you stroll by the water, the koi gather at your feet, adding a vibrant touch.

Lingnan gardens are exquisite, and having such a garden in the former CBD of Huanshi East Road feels like a hidden paradise.

Moreover, in this southern city of Guangzhou, the trees stay green all year round, so you can enjoy beautiful scenery no matter the season.

The spirited red carp seem to be the finishing touch, enriching the garden's landscape.

Of course, when choosing a hotel, the rooms are often a decisive factor. At the Garden Hotel, the newly renovated rooms were a pleasant surprise.

On this visit, I stayed in an executive room. The suite design includes a living room and bedroom, spanning over 60 square meters—quite a surprise in the prime location of Huanshi East Road, where every inch counts.

The décor features many Lingnan elements, such as lacquered wardrobes and carved window ornaments, all rich in traditional flavor.

Despite the many traditional touches, the furniture and details are all very thoughtful and comfortable.

The living room has a cozy sofa and a desk for work, making it convenient whether you want to relax or attend to business.

The bedroom doesn't disappoint, either. The soft king bed comes with pillows of different heights and firmness, so you can choose the one that suits you for a more comfortable sleep.

The large bathtub was a delightful feature. A relaxing hot bath always washes away fatigue, letting your pores open and your body unwind.

The toiletries are from the premium brand L'Occitane, which provides excellent skin care and a natural fragrance that soothes the mind. Other amenities are also complete, and plenty of mineral water is placed around the room for easy hydration.

The Garden Hotel has nine restaurants, quite a number even in food-rich Guangzhou. Each has its own character, and for the discerning local foodies, a meal here never disappoints.

Finding a bit of leisure in downtown Guangzhou is never easy. At the Garden Hotel, the comfortable setting provides the best experience and enjoyment. The Waterfall Restaurant is the must-visit internet-famous spot.

The afternoon tea here is buffet-style, offering a variety of classic Cantonese dim sum, all exquisitely delicious.

Through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Waterfall Restaurant in the lobby, you can gaze directly at the garden waterfall—a magnificent and lively view. On this visit, I sampled their afternoon tea.

When it comes to Cantonese dim sum, har gow (shrimp dumplings) is the absolute classic. Here, they use fresh shrimp filling, sweet and springy, with a smooth skin. One bite delivers the shrimp's sweetness and a refreshing texture.

Shrimp dumplings, chicken feet, siu mai, and spare ribs are known as the 'Four Heavenly Kings' of Cantonese morning tea. The chicken feet, steamed soft with a purple-gold sauce, can be sucked off the bone in one go—packed with collagen, a favorite of gourmets. The spare ribs are cut into small pieces and steamed with golden garlic and fermented black beans, bursting with aroma.

Classic items like egg tarts and barbecued pork pastries, common in Guangzhou morning tea, can all be found here. It's no easy feat to make ordinary dim sum taste extraordinary, but the Waterfall Restaurant pulls it off beautifully.

The braised beef brisket with radish is meltingly tender, the radish sweet and the brisket richly flavored, simmered with Sichuan peppercorns and star anise—a superb dish.

The honeycomb tripe is wonderfully tender, paired with a rich sauce that's incredibly appetizing.

The variety of dim sum at the Waterfall Restaurant is extensive. Classic egg tarts, barbecued pork pastries, and golden cake can all be found. These traditional treats are prepared exquisitely, with innovative twists that taste wonderful. Afternoon tea starts at 1:30 pm. To get the best window seats, it's advisable to arrive half an hour early, as they are taken quickly. Dumplings like har gow are made to order, while other items are self-serve.

Koi Bar features a semi-indoor, semi-outdoor design. The outdoor area offers direct views of the garden. Enjoying the sunshine along with delicious food is truly delightful.

Koi Bar now also serves as the hotel's executive lounge, so my breakfast was arranged here. The breakfast is semi-buffet, with many specialty items made to order for the best texture.

For the Western breakfast, I had a sunny-side-up egg, fragrant and silky. The croissant and mille-feuille were airy and delicious.

My favorite, however, was the pan-fried steak and fish, wonderfully savory. Even for breakfast, the chef's skills were impressive—perfectly cooked, crispy outside and tender inside, just the way I like it.

In the TV series A Bite of China, bamboo-pressed noodles are presented as a symbol of Guangzhou cuisine. The noodles, made with alkaline water and duck eggs, are springy and smooth. Combined with a broth simmered from flatfish and pork bones, it's a sublime dish. The wonton noodle soup here did not disappoint: the noodles were bouncy, the broth rich, and the wontons, stuffed with fresh shrimp and crab roe, were exceptionally sweet and crisp.

Siu mai (pork dumplings) were wrapped in thin skins, very pleasingly textured.

A variety of freshly squeezed juices are ideal breakfast beverages, packed with vitamins and a sweet-and-sour taste that energizes you for the day.

In the evening, having a drink here is also a nice option. The black-and-white décor evokes an old-film aura. Flickering lights and a gentle tipsiness from a small drink—simply intoxicating.

Taoyuan Pavilion is the Garden Hotel's signature Chinese restaurant. Its name, 'Taoyuan,' is inspired by the story of Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei swearing brotherhood in the peach orchard from Romance of the Three Kingdoms. The décor is classically antique, full of traditional ambiance.

The entrance features a distinctive wooden sliding gang door, typical of traditional Lingnan architecture.

Inside the door, the walls are adorned with painted ceramic tiles depicting famous scenes from Romance of the Three Kingdoms—from the oath of brotherhood to the three heroes fighting Lü Bu. These well-known stories rendered in Lingnan-style painted tiles are truly captivating.

Inside, the décor continues the antique style with various wooden structures. By the floor-to-ceiling windows, you can enjoy the view outside. During kapok blossom season, the brilliant red flowers are a vivid sight.

The cuisine is equally refined. Traditional Cantonese dishes are cleverly adapted, incorporating elements from across the country, full of creativity.

Kung Fu Style Tangerine Peel and Fresh Ginseng Soup: Cantonese people love soup, and I'm no exception. Different soups for different seasons offer both flavor and nourishment. This soup combines aged tangerine peel and ginseng, with minced lean pork for extra umami. It's nourishing without being heavy, and the tangerine peel helps with digestion and energy—very healthy. What's special is that it's served in a small clay pot similar to Chaoshan kung fu tea ware, which locks in the flavors perfectly. Pouring it into teacups indeed feels like savoring kung fu tea.

Golden Garlic Beef Bite: The chef cooks this dish tableside, and watching their exquisite skills is quite entertaining.

The chef stir-fries beef cubes with snowflake marbling, adding Shandong garlic and golden fried garlic chips—aromatic and tasty.

The beef is buttery and tender, every bite a delight.

Pepper-Flavored Abalone and Crispy Chicken: A stunning dish where abalone is stuffed into a free-range chicken, then roasted with Sichuan pepper sauce. The skin is crispy; biting through it releases a burst of succulent juices, with a slight numbing spice that adds complex layers of flavor.

Abalone and chicken always seem to pair well; their fresh flavors combine to create something even richer. The abalone inside the chicken is bouncy and sweet, extremely appetizing.

Olive Oil Steamed Grouper: Grouper fillets are steamed with olive oil in a small electric rice cooker. The fish is firm and sweet, the olive oil fragrant. Served directly in the rice cooker, it's inexplicably charming.

Sakura Shrimp Inaniwa Noodles with Seasonal Vegetables: A Japanese-style dish. The tiny sakura shrimp are very sweet, paired with noodles for an easy, delightful bite. The noodles are soft and smooth without being sticky, very refreshing.

Mango Pomelo Sago with Traditional Egg Tart: I haven't had such an impressive egg tart in a long time. The crust is supremely flaky, shattering instantly in the mouth—hallmark of a top-quality tart. The egg custard filling turns liquid upon contact, sweet but not cloying.

Japanese kaiseki cuisine shares many similarities with Cantonese culinary philosophy, emphasizing seasonality and fresh ingredients. It requires precise cooking to preserve the original flavors.

Niwa Japanese Restaurant is exquisitely decorated, full of the ambiance of a Japanese garden.

Here, you can watch the chefs prepare dishes right before your eyes—whether it's sashimi, sushi, or robatayaki. Seeing ingredients transformed into delicacies by skilled hands is a true pleasure.

Appetizers: The starters were a delightful surprise. The appetizer trio includes dried shrimp with sea salt, wasabi octopus, and ginkgo nuts with sea salt. The shrimp is savory, the octopus refreshing and appetizing, and the ginkgo nuts sweet. Each has an excellent texture, perfect for awakening the palate.

Sashimi Platter: Freshness is paramount for sashimi. All ingredients are top-notch fresh, beautifully plated, very appealing from the moment it arrives.

Golden sea bream: The fish is crisp and sweet, sliced thin and served with freshly grated wasabi. The translucent slices have an exceptionally fresh mouthfeel.

Tuna: The most premium sashimi ingredient, rich in fat and remarkably tender, resembling beef. The melt-in-your-mouth fatty sensation is exactly what connoisseurs crave.

Ark shell clam: Crisp and refreshing, with a uniquely crunchy texture.

Grilled Seaweed Chicken Wings and Teriyaki Mushrooms: The wings are juicy, with a charred, crispy skin that seals in the juices. Adding crushed seaweed and sesame—both wonderfully fragrant—enhances the aroma.

The mushrooms are thick and meaty, glazed with a savory-sweet teriyaki sauce that complements their natural fragrance—very appetizing.

Sushi: There are several sushi selections. Sea urchin sushi is wrapped with a thin egg sheet, topped with fresh uni. The sea urchin is incredibly creamy and sweet, with a texture like mayonnaise. Paired with the egg, the mouthfeel becomes even more layered.

Flounder: The fish is sweet, paired with fragrant sushi rice—very delicious.

Seared crab stick sushi uses premium crab stick, torched to bring out a smoky sweetness, adding an extra dimension of flavor.

Teppanyaki Tiger Prawns and Scallops: Tiger prawns are superb, with thick, firm meat and intense sweetness—truly top-grade sea shrimp.

The prawns are butterflied and pan-fried on the teppan, locking in their natural sweetness. The scallops are tender, and cooking them doesn't compromise their soft, smooth texture—in fact, it makes them even sweeter.

Wagyu Fried Rice: The rice is infused with the aroma of Wagyu beef and butter, each grain distinct and richly flavorful. Even when already full, I couldn't resist a large serving.

Daifuku and Fruit Platter: Daifuku is a Japanese dessert, similar to mochi—soft and chewy with a sweet filling, very tasty. Paired with fresh fruit to cut the richness, it's perfect.

For Cantonese people, morning tea isn't just about dim sum; the sight of servers pushing trolleys and calling out their offerings is an indelible memory.

At Liwan Pavilion, this classic morning tea experience is recreated.

Liwan Pavilion's décor is full of vintage charm, even displaying the small boats that once plied the Liwan River. Sitting inside, you feel as if you've traveled back to old Liwan, with its murmuring waters, flower boats, and delicious food.

Liwan Pavilion specializes in classic morning tea dim sum, and after renovation, it returns before us.

The newly renovated Liwan Pavilion is steeped in tradition, but the refreshed décor exudes a different kind of charm—indeed, flavors abound.

Visiting the new Liwan Pavilion is like stepping into the lively Liwan riverside of old, truly feeling the joyful, bustling life of Guangzhou's past. Did you know? There are nine must-try experiences to discover here: In a platinum five-star hotel, 'carry' a stool and sit on the 'street' to enjoy Xishi bean curd pudding; sit in a sampan and savor sampan congee, experiencing the life of boat dwellers; taste barbecued pork roasted with lychee wood, letting its unique fragrance tickle your taste buds; listen to a young storyteller narrate classic tales, hearing the familiar phrase 'And now, the story continues…'; dress in a qipao and take a photo shoot in front of the oyster shell wall and flower boats, waiting to collect the most likes on social media; choose fresh boat people's small fish on the spot and enjoy a 'customized' dish; sit before the oyster shell wall and eat oysters; under the lychee trees in Liwan Pavilion, savor lychee sago cream for an extraordinary smooth richness; play Chinese chess under the old banyan tree and experience the fun of 'flying elephant across the river'—isn't it delightful? With bold culinary designs, an atmospheric riverside setting, and an ingenious layout, how could you possibly miss it?

Once upon a time, having a Western meal in Guangzhou was no easy task. In the days when Western restaurants were hard to find, Mingshi Court was like a red mole on many people's hearts—that unforgettable first love. Dining on Western cuisine there is a youthful memory for many longtime Guangzhou residents.

Time has flown, and now getting a Western meal in Guangzhou seems effortlessly simple, with options on every street at all price points. Yet for many, Mingshi Court remains an indelible splash of color in their hearts.

Mingshi Court is decorated in a classic European style, with Greek columns and window veils that filter the light, giving off a sunny Mediterranean vibe. Even though you're in Guangzhou, you feel as if you're basking in the sun on Santorini.

There's also a grand piano, often played by someone, its melodious notes telling stories of Guangzhou and the timeless beauty of the Garden Hotel and Mingshi Court.

In the midst of the concrete jungle, the Garden Hotel offers a hidden retreat. Here, whether in the lush garden, the cozy rooms, or the cuisine, there's a blend of tradition and modernity. Amid bustling central Guangzhou, it feels like a pure land. Unwind here, savor a variety of dishes, enjoy the comfortable setting, and leave with a happy heart—that's the joy of travel.