A Bite of Guangzhou is Cantonese food in Auckland. A Bite of Guangzhou in Auckland was one of those place I’d heard about for some time before getting around to visiting. I was curious, but I did not have high hopes; Cantonese cuisine has a precision and lightness that take practice to get right, and as far from Guangzhou as we are I didn’t know if it could of being achieved.
It turns out I had a really good meal, the sort that’s proper and careful but not over-trying to impress. Here’s what I ate, what the experience was like, and whether I’ll return. There was no tricks or frills, just an honest run-through of a Cantonese meal in Auckland.
My Meal at A Bite of Guangzhou
A Taste of Guangzhou The restaurant was located deep within a shopping centre. Its frontage had been decorated in a very traditional manner with large window posters and dark timber. This gave it quite a classic appearance.
As I walked inside I saw the timber lattice screens separating private dining room and the classic emblem on the door. It had a touch of formality without any stuffiness, which I liked.
After grabbing a table, I opened the menu; and was pleasantly surprised by its size. It’s a pretty large selection of Cantonese classics: everything from roast meats to congee, clay pots to stir-fries. Just to test the waters, I ordered a combination of dishes that I would typicaly get at home.
A sour plum drink, cold and poured into a tall glass, was first out of the gate. It wasn’t too sweet. It was refreshing.
It honestely set a good tone. A place that pay attention to the details… Like getting the drinks right.
Is a place I always think about.
And then the food arrived. They was some stir fried greens with a light sauce that were crisp and clean, just as you’d hope for such a straightforward veggie dish. The prawns was shell on, glossy, and cooked perfectly with a little snap remaining.
Not fancy stuff at all, but both executed well.
A claypot of congee and a plate of spring onion fried rice followed. The congee had that proper milky consistency you get when it’s been simmered long enough, and the rice was fragrant and fluffy with no grease at all. I ended up eating far to much congee, which is always a good sign.
I should mention one thing: They’ve got an online ordering system you can bring up on your phone when you sit down. While we were dining, I scrolled all the way through the entire thing, and it’s realy deep. From dim sum options to various kinds of clay pot rice dishes, there’s a lot I didn’t get to try this time.
They also has roast duck and char siu. If you like to explore a menu across several visits, this place has plenty for you to work through. A Bite of Guangzhou is solid, no-frills Cantonese food done well.
The flavors is clean and balanced, as Cantonese food should be, and nothing is flashy, but it is all done with care. It’s the sort of restaurant where I’ll definitely return and work my way through some of the other items on the menu, including those I didn’t try here. Do you have a favourite Cantonese restaurant in Auckland (or have you been to A Bite of Guangzhou)?
What did you order? I’d love to know.
