This is Canton! part 2

*See the 1st part of the series here.

**Entries in this series are going to be photo-heavy...

Continuation of Day 1: Out and About

In any foreign country I've been, it's always fun to walk off in some random direction and see what the street vendors are selling. My parents found a man on the sidewalk with kamote (sweet potato) on a previous trip and started buying like crazy. They would bring it home for pasalubong to our equally appreciative relatives back in Manila.

I understand what they're going on about. The kamote is prepared in a very straightforward manner: roasted in a big, covered container. They don't season it or anything. But the outcome is very tender and sweet, a lot like rustic mashed potatoes.

A word of warning though: Be wary of the way goods like these are priced. Some vendors use a different set of scales (like the one the man is tinkering with on the photo below) and they move about quickly. That and the language barrier can create some confusion on the total bill.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="576" caption="Sweet Potato Man"][/caption]

One of my favorite street foods in Canton are the lamb skewers (estimated price at RMB3-4/Php20+). They come in long or short bamboo skewers and very slightly resemble the appearance of our own isaw. (Note: The tastes of isaw and lamb bbq are two entirely separate things.) I first tried it in Tianjin and fell in love with the very tasty, slightly crispy morsels. The meat is seasoned with a spice powder that I've wondered about for such a long time. Upon my close inspection, I successfully identified cumin as a crucial component to the fantastic taste.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="420" caption="Lamb Barbecue Stand"][/caption]

Next stop was Shangxia Jiu. It's similar to Korea's Myeong Dong in that it is a stretch of street devoted to all manners of shops. You can easily spend the entire afternoon exploring all the retailers, and it is a delight for foodies because every couple of steps will lead you to a food vendor.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="640" caption="Shangxia Jiu"][/caption]

On the bangketa (sidewalk) shopping front, we found lots of salesmen (like the one in the photo below) peddling dried fruits and nuts from a kariton (cart). There's apricots, red/white raisins, walnuts, almonds, etc. The vendors give free taste of the product and I have to say that they are nice and fresh, and the prices are good. I don't use legumes so much in baking because it's much more expensive to get them in Manila. Needless to say, we started hoarding almonds, raisins, and dried kiwis.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="640" caption="Bangketa Vendors"][/caption]

Have I mentioned that Guangzhou is a haven for exotic foods? Some of the best-tasting Chinese food in the world come from the Cantonese. I've seen my fair share of scorpions impaled on barbecue sticks, but have been too afraid to try. And even though one might not be an extremist foodie, there is always something to eat for even the not-so-adventurous.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="640" caption="One of the Many Food Shops: A store that sells various parts of chicken."][/caption]

For example, dinner comprised of  "the old favorites". These are dishes that can be found at any tea house or Chinese restaurant back home. We ate here... (Sorry, I don't have the English translation for the name of this resto.)

We had:

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Roasted Pork (Asado)"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="560" caption="Shrimp that came with..."][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="...a baby Shrimp with claws!"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Fried Rice"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Beef Ho Fan"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="and Fish on a Bed of Broccoli"][/caption]

Everything was good and high quality. I cannot stress enough that all the food I ate on this trip was fresh and executed very well by the cooks. It doesn't even matter if it's from a restaurant or street food.

But I have to mention that restaurants in China have a tendency of serving rice later on into the meal. As in, all the viands have already been laid out and you are still waiting on the rice. So you either request that the rice come out first, or you have to wait for it before you start eating.

After our meal, we rushed to the pier for the Pearl River Cruise. This is a must-do for first-timers in Canton. You get to go on a scenic tour of the city at night and see a series of bridges lit with different colored lights. The experience is so serene.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="640" caption="View from the Ship's Deck"][/caption]

The cruise also offers a buffet, but we got on the last trip for the evening. By then, they only served tea.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="560" caption="City Lights"][/caption]

Halfway through the ride, we got up on the roof deck to take pictures with the view as the backdrop.

Then it was time to go back to sign out for the night.

To be continued and...

Happy New Year!