Ultimate Halal Dim Sum Guide to Guangzhou: Beyond Huimin Restaurant for Muslim Travelers
[Internet Repost]
The Ultimate Guide to Halal Dim Sum in Guangzhou: Beyond the Classic Huimin Restaurant, Discover These Hidden Gem Spots in the City of Rams
Abstract:
Deep-dive into the rich variety of halal dim sum options in Guangzhou. Breaking the stereotype that "halal dim sum only exists at Huimin Restaurant," we explore several popular halal dim sum spots, testing out classic tea-time treats like signature beef shrimp dumplings, steamed beef siu mai, and beef short ribs in black bean sauce.
As an authentic foodie from Northern China raised on heavy-handed, bold northern flavors loaded with oil, salt, chili, and Sichuan peppercorns, moving to Guangzhou for college was a massive culture shock. After taking my very first bite of southern-style sweet stir-fried tomatoes and eggs—which almost made me hurl—I harbored a deep hostility toward southern cuisine for a long time. I vowed to bury myself in the warm embrace of Lanzhou beef noodles and never come out.
Life, however, is full of those ironic moments where you eventually eat your words. Not long after, I got totally sick of the unchanging taste of Lanzhou noodles and finally mustered the courage to give Cantonese food another shot. Huh? The taste actually wasn't bad, um... I guess you could say it was pretty delicious! So, whenever I had free time, I'd drag my friends and local Guangzhou grandpas and grandmas to grab zaocha / yum cha (Cantonese morning tea / dim sum) together and gossip.
Although Guangzhou has quite a few ethnic Hui Muslims, most of them are international visitors or folks from Northwest China. The local Muslim population is tiny to begin with, which means halal Cantonese cuisine is sadly scarce. Having lived in Guangzhou for seven years, I only knew of two halal dim sum spots: Guangzhou Muslim Restaurant (Huimin Restaurant) and the Xinjiang Building Restaurant.
Guangzhou Muslim Restaurant (Huimin Restaurant) is easily the most famous halal dim sum joint in Guangzhou. Located on Zhongshan 6th Road, it boasts a history of nearly 60 years. The flavor is totally authentic; a local Guangzhou friend who came with me said it tastes practically identical to non-halal Cantonese dim sum. Since our food blog has already covered Guangzhou Muslim Restaurant (Huimin Restaurant) before, this time I'll mainly focus on the dim sum at the Xinjiang Building's Bazaar cuisine, while also comparing the dim sum between these two spots~
Xinjiang Building is located at Linhexi. If you're taking the subway, take Exit B, walk straight, and you'll be there in two or three minutes. The main entrance looks like this:
Turn left as you walk in, take the elevator to the second floor, and you've arrived at your destination~ The interior decoration features a classic Xinjiang vibe, offering both Cantonese dim sum and traditional Xinjiang dishes. Cantonese chefs and Xinjiang guys run the kitchens here, so the flavors are relatively authentic. It gets pretty packed inside—mostly older folks, along with a few foreigners. Young foodies like yours truly are relatively scarce (since I snapped these photos right around noon as I was leaving, the crowd had already thinned out).
Let's check out the menu first: even though it's a Cantonese dim sum spot, it still hides quite a few Xinjiang-style pastries inside.
Next up is the solo show:
① Southeast Asian Crispy Red Rice Cheung Fun (Steamed Rice Rolls): As the absolute star of the show, this dim sum uses a classic red-and-green color combo that delivers a striking visual punch. Ahem, its aesthetic game is definitely strong. The wrapper of this cheung fun is made from red rice, with a layer of fried crispy yellow beancurd skin inside, wrapped around crab sticks and whole shrimp, accompanied by blanched choy sum on the side. It also comes with a small dipping sauce primarily offering a savory kick. Because the rice rolls themselves have a very mild flavor, northern foodies who love heavy flavors should definitely remember to dip them. Take a bite, and the rice rolls are soft and chewy, the yellow beancurd skin is crispy, the shrimp and crab sticks are savory and fresh, and the dipping sauce adds a hint of saltiness that cuts right through the oiliness of the beancurd skin. So many textures melting together in your mouth yet balanced to absolute perfection. Take a sip of black tea right after swallowing—tsk tsk, as a foodie, I thoroughly enjoyed this. Guangzhou Muslim Restaurant (Huimin Restaurant) doesn't carry this red rice roll, so you can only get it right here~
Recommendation Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
② Steamed Beef Short Ribs with Garlic and Black Bean Sauce: The beef short ribs are melt-in-your-mouth tender with just a subtle kick of spice; they're stewed alongside potatoes that soak up the rich broth completely, making them a tiny bit greasy. But pairing them with black tea completely solves that issue! This steamed dim sum is pretty much identical to the one at Guangzhou Muslim Restaurant (Huimin Restaurant).
Recommendation Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
③ Pan-Fried Beef Pastries & Yunnan Vegetarian Chicken Shreds Spring Rolls:
The beef pastries have a soft, smooth, and slightly springy texture. Inside, you'll find water chestnuts, beef, and cilantro (heads up! If you hate cilantro, steer clear!). Guangzhou Muslim Restaurant (Huimin Restaurant) doesn't have a matching version of this, so cilantro lovers definitely need to drop by here~
Recommendation Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
The spring rolls have a crispy exterior packed with shredded veggies and chicken, keeping the overall flavor pretty light. The taste of these spring rolls is very similar to the ones at Guangzhou Muslim Restaurant (Huimin Restaurant).
Recommendation Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Both of these pan-fried and deep-fried dim sum items lean a bit oily overall, so I usually pair them with the dipping sauce to cut the grease.
④ Spicy Tossed Shrimp Wontons & Stir-Fried Beef Noodles:
Wontons are basically northern huntun (dumplings in soup). The wontons themselves are savory and fresh. Although they're called shrimp wontons, they don't contain whole shrimp inside. The wontons are drizzled with a spicy sauce, giving them a bold, savory, and spicy flavor profile. This is another exclusive item you can only get here~
Recommendation Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The stir-fried noodles have a relatively light overall flavor. The noodles are super soft while still maintaining a nice chew, and the beef is exceptionally tender and smooth. Because the flavor is quite mild, it struggles a bit to cut through the grease. I usually add chili oil or dip them to balance things out (yep, I'm genuinely terrified of oiliness...). The stir-fried noodles made at Guangzhou Muslim Restaurant (Huimin Restaurant) aren't as oily, so I personally recommend those more.
Recommendation Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
⑤ Shrimp and Chicken Xiaolongbao (Soup Dumplings) & Oyster Sauce Mutton Char Siu Bao (Barbecue Mutton Buns):
The xiaolongbao filling is tight and compact with tender meat. While they don't burst with a ton of soup juice, the flavor is still reasonably savory and fresh. However, they pale slightly in comparison to Guangzhou Muslim Restaurant (Huimin Restaurant).
Recommendation Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The mutton char siu buns lean sweet on the inside with a subtle hint of saltiness. Compared to the ones at Guangzhou Muslim Restaurant (Huimin Restaurant), though, they fall way short overall: the filling is scarcer, there's too much dough, and the flavor is sweeter while lacking that deep savory punch. So if you're craving mutton char siu buns, definitely make sure to hit up Guangzhou Muslim Restaurant (Huimin Restaurant).
Rating: ❤❤
⑥ Golden Garlic Steamed Chicken Feet & Spicy Soaked Chicken Feet:
This steamed chicken foot dish is totally amazing! The chicken feet are super tender and fall-off-the-bone, wrapped in a rich, savory sauce. With every bite, you get a mouthful of garlic flavor—sweet, spicy, salty, and umami—which actually tastes better than the Zijin steamed chicken feet at Guangzhou Muslim Restaurant (Huimin Restaurant)!
Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤
The spicy soaked chicken feet are way more refreshing; they live up to their name and pack a mild kick. But compared to the steamed chicken feet, they definitely fall a bit short—overall, the flavor doesn't soak in deeply enough, and they pale in comparison to the sweet vinegar ginger chicken feet at Guangzhou Muslim Restaurant (Huimin Restaurant).
Rating: ❤❤❤
⑦ Steamed Taro and Chicken Meatballs: The overall flavor of the meatballs is very mild, and both the taro and chicken are super soft. You definitely need to dip them in sauce while eating. This steamed dim sum item is also unique to this spot.
Rating: ❤❤❤
⑧ Original Pan-Fried Turnip Cake: The turnip cake leans pretty oily and has a very mild taste. It’s packed with whole strips of shredded radish inside. You have to pair it with dipping sauce when eating, otherwise it gets super greasy.
Rating: ❤❤❤
⑨ Sampan Congee (Tingzai zhou): When talking about Guangzhou zaocha / yum cha (Cantonese morning tea / dim sum), you absolutely cannot miss freshly boiled congee, and sampan congee has the most loaded ingredients—mini youtiao (crispy fried dough sticks), peanuts, beef, fish slices, and little meatballs are all in there. Unlike northern congee, southern congee is savory. Northerners might find it a bit weird the first time they try it, but after a few bites, you'll discover how amazing it is. The congee at both of these dim sum spots is flawless—absolute must-orders!
Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤
⑩ Mango Coconut Milk Jelly & Signature Durian Pastry:
I am seriously obsessed with the mango coconut milk jelly!!! I’m someone who doesn't usually love desserts because they always feel too heavy, but the sweetness level on this coconut jelly is spot-on—not cloying at all. The white part has this rich, creamy coconut flavor, while the orange part brings a sweet-and-tangy mango punch. The combo is absolute perfection! Best of all, you can only get this here, so you've gotta order it when you come!
Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤
The durian pastry has a crispy, flaky crust, and the durian inside melts into a molten lava texture from being heated. But it's overall quite sweet, so you pretty much need to sip some black tea after every bite to cut through the richness. That said, if you're a total sweet tooth, I highly recommend it~
Rating: ❤❤❤
As a landmark foodie hotspot for halal eats in Guangzhou, Guangzhou Muslim Restaurant (Huimin Restaurant) isn't just famous for its long history; its flavors also represent the most traditional Cantonese dim sum style (verified by my local Cantonese foodie friends). Meanwhile, the new-school representative, Xinjiang Building Bazaar's Cantonese dim sum, blends some Xinjiang twists into the traditionally light Cantonese flavor profile, making it a huge hit with non-Cantonese folks—though its flavors are still totally authentic. When you guys want to try them out in the future, just pick based on your own preferences, because at the end of the day, whatever suits your taste is best~
Bazaar Eats
Recommended Dishes: Southeast Asian Fresh Shrimp Red Rice Noodle Rolls, Pan-Fried Beef Patties, Golden Garlic Black Bean Steamed Lamb Ribs
Average Cost per Person: 60 RMB
Address: 2nd and 3rd Floors, Xinjiang Building, No. 76 Tianhebei Road (near Times Square)
Phone: 020-38782778, 020-38782781
PS: All photos in this article were shot by yours truly, and some filters were used strictly to restore the true colors of the food.
End-of-article surprise!!! If you pay the bill at the dim sum spots before 11:30 AM, you get a discount! Xinjiang Building offers 15% off, and that applies even on holidays and weekends. Guangzhou Muslim Restaurant (Huimin Restaurant) offers 12% off, but no holiday discounts apply.
The Ultimate Guide to Halal Dim Sum in Guangzhou: Beyond the Classic Huimin Restaurant, Discover These Hidden Gem Spots in the City of Rams
Abstract:
Deep-dive into the rich variety of halal dim sum options in Guangzhou. Breaking the stereotype that "halal dim sum only exists at Huimin Restaurant," we explore several popular halal dim sum spots, testing out classic tea-time treats like signature beef shrimp dumplings, steamed beef siu mai, and beef short ribs in black bean sauce.
As an authentic foodie from Northern China raised on heavy-handed, bold northern flavors loaded with oil, salt, chili, and Sichuan peppercorns, moving to Guangzhou for college was a massive culture shock. After taking my very first bite of southern-style sweet stir-fried tomatoes and eggs—which almost made me hurl—I harbored a deep hostility toward southern cuisine for a long time. I vowed to bury myself in the warm embrace of Lanzhou beef noodles and never come out.
Life, however, is full of those ironic moments where you eventually eat your words. Not long after, I got totally sick of the unchanging taste of Lanzhou noodles and finally mustered the courage to give Cantonese food another shot. Huh? The taste actually wasn't bad, um... I guess you could say it was pretty delicious! So, whenever I had free time, I'd drag my friends and local Guangzhou grandpas and grandmas to grab zaocha / yum cha (Cantonese morning tea / dim sum) together and gossip.
Although Guangzhou has quite a few ethnic Hui Muslims, most of them are international visitors or folks from Northwest China. The local Muslim population is tiny to begin with, which means halal Cantonese cuisine is sadly scarce. Having lived in Guangzhou for seven years, I only knew of two halal dim sum spots: Guangzhou Muslim Restaurant (Huimin Restaurant) and the Xinjiang Building Restaurant.
Guangzhou Muslim Restaurant (Huimin Restaurant) is easily the most famous halal dim sum joint in Guangzhou. Located on Zhongshan 6th Road, it boasts a history of nearly 60 years. The flavor is totally authentic; a local Guangzhou friend who came with me said it tastes practically identical to non-halal Cantonese dim sum. Since our food blog has already covered Guangzhou Muslim Restaurant (Huimin Restaurant) before, this time I'll mainly focus on the dim sum at the Xinjiang Building's Bazaar cuisine, while also comparing the dim sum between these two spots~
Xinjiang Building is located at Linhexi. If you're taking the subway, take Exit B, walk straight, and you'll be there in two or three minutes. The main entrance looks like this:
Turn left as you walk in, take the elevator to the second floor, and you've arrived at your destination~ The interior decoration features a classic Xinjiang vibe, offering both Cantonese dim sum and traditional Xinjiang dishes. Cantonese chefs and Xinjiang guys run the kitchens here, so the flavors are relatively authentic. It gets pretty packed inside—mostly older folks, along with a few foreigners. Young foodies like yours truly are relatively scarce (since I snapped these photos right around noon as I was leaving, the crowd had already thinned out).
Let's check out the menu first: even though it's a Cantonese dim sum spot, it still hides quite a few Xinjiang-style pastries inside.
Next up is the solo show:
① Southeast Asian Crispy Red Rice Cheung Fun (Steamed Rice Rolls): As the absolute star of the show, this dim sum uses a classic red-and-green color combo that delivers a striking visual punch. Ahem, its aesthetic game is definitely strong. The wrapper of this cheung fun is made from red rice, with a layer of fried crispy yellow beancurd skin inside, wrapped around crab sticks and whole shrimp, accompanied by blanched choy sum on the side. It also comes with a small dipping sauce primarily offering a savory kick. Because the rice rolls themselves have a very mild flavor, northern foodies who love heavy flavors should definitely remember to dip them. Take a bite, and the rice rolls are soft and chewy, the yellow beancurd skin is crispy, the shrimp and crab sticks are savory and fresh, and the dipping sauce adds a hint of saltiness that cuts right through the oiliness of the beancurd skin. So many textures melting together in your mouth yet balanced to absolute perfection. Take a sip of black tea right after swallowing—tsk tsk, as a foodie, I thoroughly enjoyed this. Guangzhou Muslim Restaurant (Huimin Restaurant) doesn't carry this red rice roll, so you can only get it right here~
Recommendation Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
② Steamed Beef Short Ribs with Garlic and Black Bean Sauce: The beef short ribs are melt-in-your-mouth tender with just a subtle kick of spice; they're stewed alongside potatoes that soak up the rich broth completely, making them a tiny bit greasy. But pairing them with black tea completely solves that issue! This steamed dim sum is pretty much identical to the one at Guangzhou Muslim Restaurant (Huimin Restaurant).
Recommendation Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
③ Pan-Fried Beef Pastries & Yunnan Vegetarian Chicken Shreds Spring Rolls:
The beef pastries have a soft, smooth, and slightly springy texture. Inside, you'll find water chestnuts, beef, and cilantro (heads up! If you hate cilantro, steer clear!). Guangzhou Muslim Restaurant (Huimin Restaurant) doesn't have a matching version of this, so cilantro lovers definitely need to drop by here~
Recommendation Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
The spring rolls have a crispy exterior packed with shredded veggies and chicken, keeping the overall flavor pretty light. The taste of these spring rolls is very similar to the ones at Guangzhou Muslim Restaurant (Huimin Restaurant).
Recommendation Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Both of these pan-fried and deep-fried dim sum items lean a bit oily overall, so I usually pair them with the dipping sauce to cut the grease.
④ Spicy Tossed Shrimp Wontons & Stir-Fried Beef Noodles:
Wontons are basically northern huntun (dumplings in soup). The wontons themselves are savory and fresh. Although they're called shrimp wontons, they don't contain whole shrimp inside. The wontons are drizzled with a spicy sauce, giving them a bold, savory, and spicy flavor profile. This is another exclusive item you can only get here~
Recommendation Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The stir-fried noodles have a relatively light overall flavor. The noodles are super soft while still maintaining a nice chew, and the beef is exceptionally tender and smooth. Because the flavor is quite mild, it struggles a bit to cut through the grease. I usually add chili oil or dip them to balance things out (yep, I'm genuinely terrified of oiliness...). The stir-fried noodles made at Guangzhou Muslim Restaurant (Huimin Restaurant) aren't as oily, so I personally recommend those more.
Recommendation Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
⑤ Shrimp and Chicken Xiaolongbao (Soup Dumplings) & Oyster Sauce Mutton Char Siu Bao (Barbecue Mutton Buns):
The xiaolongbao filling is tight and compact with tender meat. While they don't burst with a ton of soup juice, the flavor is still reasonably savory and fresh. However, they pale slightly in comparison to Guangzhou Muslim Restaurant (Huimin Restaurant).
Recommendation Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The mutton char siu buns lean sweet on the inside with a subtle hint of saltiness. Compared to the ones at Guangzhou Muslim Restaurant (Huimin Restaurant), though, they fall way short overall: the filling is scarcer, there's too much dough, and the flavor is sweeter while lacking that deep savory punch. So if you're craving mutton char siu buns, definitely make sure to hit up Guangzhou Muslim Restaurant (Huimin Restaurant).
Rating: ❤❤
⑥ Golden Garlic Steamed Chicken Feet & Spicy Soaked Chicken Feet:
This steamed chicken foot dish is totally amazing! The chicken feet are super tender and fall-off-the-bone, wrapped in a rich, savory sauce. With every bite, you get a mouthful of garlic flavor—sweet, spicy, salty, and umami—which actually tastes better than the Zijin steamed chicken feet at Guangzhou Muslim Restaurant (Huimin Restaurant)!
Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤
The spicy soaked chicken feet are way more refreshing; they live up to their name and pack a mild kick. But compared to the steamed chicken feet, they definitely fall a bit short—overall, the flavor doesn't soak in deeply enough, and they pale in comparison to the sweet vinegar ginger chicken feet at Guangzhou Muslim Restaurant (Huimin Restaurant).
Rating: ❤❤❤
⑦ Steamed Taro and Chicken Meatballs: The overall flavor of the meatballs is very mild, and both the taro and chicken are super soft. You definitely need to dip them in sauce while eating. This steamed dim sum item is also unique to this spot.
Rating: ❤❤❤
⑧ Original Pan-Fried Turnip Cake: The turnip cake leans pretty oily and has a very mild taste. It’s packed with whole strips of shredded radish inside. You have to pair it with dipping sauce when eating, otherwise it gets super greasy.
Rating: ❤❤❤
⑨ Sampan Congee (Tingzai zhou): When talking about Guangzhou zaocha / yum cha (Cantonese morning tea / dim sum), you absolutely cannot miss freshly boiled congee, and sampan congee has the most loaded ingredients—mini youtiao (crispy fried dough sticks), peanuts, beef, fish slices, and little meatballs are all in there. Unlike northern congee, southern congee is savory. Northerners might find it a bit weird the first time they try it, but after a few bites, you'll discover how amazing it is. The congee at both of these dim sum spots is flawless—absolute must-orders!
Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤
⑩ Mango Coconut Milk Jelly & Signature Durian Pastry:
I am seriously obsessed with the mango coconut milk jelly!!! I’m someone who doesn't usually love desserts because they always feel too heavy, but the sweetness level on this coconut jelly is spot-on—not cloying at all. The white part has this rich, creamy coconut flavor, while the orange part brings a sweet-and-tangy mango punch. The combo is absolute perfection! Best of all, you can only get this here, so you've gotta order it when you come!
Rating: ❤❤❤❤❤
The durian pastry has a crispy, flaky crust, and the durian inside melts into a molten lava texture from being heated. But it's overall quite sweet, so you pretty much need to sip some black tea after every bite to cut through the richness. That said, if you're a total sweet tooth, I highly recommend it~
Rating: ❤❤❤
As a landmark foodie hotspot for halal eats in Guangzhou, Guangzhou Muslim Restaurant (Huimin Restaurant) isn't just famous for its long history; its flavors also represent the most traditional Cantonese dim sum style (verified by my local Cantonese foodie friends). Meanwhile, the new-school representative, Xinjiang Building Bazaar's Cantonese dim sum, blends some Xinjiang twists into the traditionally light Cantonese flavor profile, making it a huge hit with non-Cantonese folks—though its flavors are still totally authentic. When you guys want to try them out in the future, just pick based on your own preferences, because at the end of the day, whatever suits your taste is best~
Bazaar Eats
Recommended Dishes: Southeast Asian Fresh Shrimp Red Rice Noodle Rolls, Pan-Fried Beef Patties, Golden Garlic Black Bean Steamed Lamb Ribs
Average Cost per Person: 60 RMB
Address: 2nd and 3rd Floors, Xinjiang Building, No. 76 Tianhebei Road (near Times Square)
Phone: 020-38782778, 020-38782781
PS: All photos in this article were shot by yours truly, and some filters were used strictly to restore the true colors of the food.
End-of-article surprise!!! If you pay the bill at the dim sum spots before 11:30 AM, you get a discount! Xinjiang Building offers 15% off, and that applies even on holidays and weekends. Guangzhou Muslim Restaurant (Huimin Restaurant) offers 12% off, but no holiday discounts apply.
