Reposted from the web

Summary: This 2025 Guangzhou halal food map follows Xiaobei, Shangbu, no-alcohol halal dining, Asia International Hotel, Cantonese morning tea, Baghdad Cuisine, American-style barbecue, Xinjiang Mansion, Hui Muslim Restaurant, Antalya, MADO, Indonesian food, Lebanese food, and Middle Eastern restaurants.

I have been to Guangzhou at least five times. This time, a business trip gave me the chance to dine at several high-quality restaurants. I have a feeling that the variety of halal food in Guangzhou is now close to that of Beijing. It is worth noting that most halal restaurants in Guangzhou do not sell alcohol, which is extremely rare in Beijing. As both are top-tier cities, I think Guangzhou manages this because of an unspoken agreement among the restaurants. In the Xiaobei and Shangbu areas, where many halal restaurants are clustered, most do not sell alcohol. However, restaurants outside these areas do. This is just like in Xi'an, where halal restaurants in the Muslim Quarter (Huifang) do not sell alcohol, but those that open elsewhere do. This kind of agreement seems unlikely in Beijing, where most halal restaurants operate like lone wolves and find it hard to reach such a consensus.

The list of restaurants introduced in this issue is as follows:

1. Asia International Hotel · Asia Fengcai Xinjiang Restaurant

2. Yishanggong Cantonese Morning Tea (Guangshi Zaocha)

3. Baghdad Cuisine Restaurant

4. Yiyun Niudao American-style Barbecue

5. Xinjiang Mansion Cantonese Morning Tea (Guangshi Zaocha)

6. Hui Muslim Restaurant (Huimin Fandian)

7. Ma Xiaohuo Handmade Pulled Noodles (Lamian) and Barbecue

8. ANTALYA Turkish Restaurant

9. MADO Turkish Ice Cream Shop

10. Xianglan Indonesian Restaurant

11. Saba Restaurant

12. AL MANARA Lebanese Restaurant

13. ARMADA Middle Eastern Cuisine

1. Asia International Hotel · Asia Fengcai Xinjiang Restaurant



I heard before coming that the Asia International Hotel in Guangzhou had a halal restaurant, so I specifically stayed there for one night. It is an old five-star hotel located in Xiaobei. The facilities are quite dated, which felt like a big drop compared to the Mandarin Oriental where I stayed the night before. However, the hotel has an excellent location and view. The 45th floor is a revolving buffet restaurant where breakfast is served, and the hotel has a dedicated halal section.



Most guests staying at this hotel are foreigners, primarily Arabs, so there is also an Arabic restaurant on the first floor.



A Xinjiang restaurant called Asia Fengcai opened on the ninth floor of the hotel. Even though it is inside a five-star hotel, the prices are quite affordable, with an average cost of around 100 yuan per person.





Asia Fengcai is run by people from Ningxia, so the restaurant serves both Ningxia-style northwestern dishes and Xinjiang cuisine.



I tried the peppercorn chicken (jiaomaji) and hand-grabbed meat (shouzhuarou) for you, and both tasted good. The peppercorn chicken is on the spicier side.



Their hand-grabbed rice (shouzhuafan) is also excellent. They use quality ingredients and include everything that should be in it, which earned praise from my friend.



2. Yishanggong Cantonese Morning Tea (Guangshi Zaocha)



Yishanggong is the third halal morning tea restaurant in Guangzhou. It is also in Xiaobei, just 400 meters from the Asia International Hotel. I ate there twice and basically tried everything on the menu. Compared to the Xinjiang Building, this place is not as refined, but it has its own style. The service is better than at the Hui Muslim Restaurant (Huimin Fandian), and overall, it offers great value for money.



Morning tea is served from 7:00 to 15:00. You get a 22% discount if you pay before 10:00, and a 12% discount if you pay before 12:00. They only serve morning tea during the day, but switch to Korean barbecue and hot pot for dinner.



The servers here help rinse the bowls for you, which saves me the trouble. I would not mind skipping it, but rinsing bowls is a local habit for people in Guangzhou.



Of all the dim sum I tried here, I did not like their chicken char siu bao. I think the lamb char siu bao at the Hui Muslim restaurant tastes better. Everything else was delicious, and the dim sum is made to order, not pre-made.



The waitress wears a hijab and is very warm and attentive. The restaurant is alcohol-free.































3. Baghdad Cuisine Restaurant



The number of foreign restaurants in Xiaobei rivals Sanlitun in Beijing. This one serves Iraqi food, and I also found Amman, Guinean, and Liberian restaurants nearby, which are cuisines you cannot find in Beijing.



Baghdad Restaurant is on the fourth floor, right above the Amman restaurant.



A friend invited me to eat here because her crush is an Iraqi guy who is currently in Baghdad.





They serve a complimentary bowl of lentil soup before the meal, which helps with digestion.





We ordered grilled pomfret and a lamb leg rice dish. The lamb leg rice was especially good; the lamb was tender and juicy, and the long-grain rice was fluffy and not sticky.





4. Yiyun Niudao American-style Barbecue



A brother from Guangzhou brought me here. He said it is rare to find halal American-style barbecue in China, so he wanted me to try it. The last time I had halal American barbecue was in Dubai, and that meal was truly satisfying.



This shop is in Shangbu, an area where Yunnan Hui Muslims gather. Yunnan people rarely move north; they prefer coming to Guangzhou and Sanya. This shop does not sell alcohol.



My friend recommended the slow-roasted Angus steak and roasted lamb chops. They smell great. The slow-cooked Angus has a strong smoky flavor, and the lamb chops are tender and have no gamey taste. Even without alcohol, the shop is very busy. You have to wait in line during peak hours. It is best to book ahead for barbecue so you do not miss out.



Even their Xinjiang kvass (gewasi) tastes great. It is a non-alcoholic fermented drink that pairs perfectly with barbecue. The shop is not expensive, with an average cost of about 100 yuan per person.





Next, I filmed some restaurants near Shangbu. They mostly serve Yunnan flavors, including Zhaotong small meat skewers (xiaorouchuan).















5. Xinjiang Mansion Cantonese Morning Tea (Guangshi Zaocha)



Many people recommend the Hui Muslim Restaurant when talking about morning tea in Guangzhou. If I had to choose, I prefer the morning tea at the Xinjiang Building. Although they have not been making Cantonese morning tea for long, their food variety and service are better than the Hui Muslim Restaurant.



The morning tea here includes traditional Cantonese dishes and some new creations, especially those using Xinjiang ingredients. This is easier for northern tourists to enjoy, as outsiders might not be used to many authentic local snacks.



Morning tea originally just meant drinking tea in the morning. However, people started pairing it with snacks, and these snacks became so rich that they are now the soul of morning tea.



After sitting down, the waiter will follow the rules and ask what tea you want. You can choose from black tea, green tea, flower tea, or Pu'er. You are also welcome to bring your own tea bags. Then, they give you a menu to check off the snacks you want.



The first step of morning tea is washing the tea set. The basin in the top right corner is not for trash, but for cleaning tableware. Even though the tea set is already clean, Guangzhou locals like to scald it with hot water again. I follow the local custom and do the same, even though I do not really worry about whether the dishes are clean.



Cordyceps flower and Qingyuan chicken porridge (chongcaohua qingyuan huaji zhou)

Breakfast in Beijing, specifically in Niujie, is always soy milk, fried dough cakes (youbing), lamb offal soup (yangza), fried tofu soup (doupaotang), and baked flatbread with fried dough (huoshao jia youbing). This is not friendly for someone like me who goes to the gym every day. I like to change my meals up, so breakfast is the hardest part of my day. If I want a balanced breakfast, I have to make it myself.



Steamed chicken feet with golden garlic sauce (jinjiang suanxiang zheng fengzhua)

If you eat morning tea alone in Guangzhou, you can order about three dishes based on the portion sizes. You can eat something different every day for about half a month. After that, you can start the cycle over again, which gives people a reason to get up early every day.



Qingyuan chicken bun (qingyuan jirou bao)

Cantonese morning tea is mostly light and contains no spicy flavors, making it suitable for children and people with sensitive stomachs.



Beef short ribs in black pepper sauce (heijiao shaozhi niuzaigu)

Morning tea is served from 7:00 AM to 11:30 AM. On weekdays, you mostly see local Guangzhou people drinking tea. They have money and time. According to my Guangzhou friends, they do not care much about how they dress. They might go out in a worn-out tank top and flip-flops, but they are very particular about food. They believe that what you put in your stomach is what really matters, which shows the practical nature of Guangzhou people.



Supreme shrimp and chicken dumpling (xianxia jili shaomai huang)

My taste preferences have changed over the years. I do not have much of an appetite for large, heavy-flavored meals anymore. I focus more on healthy eating and prefer light, small, and delicate food. My love for Cantonese morning tea grows every day, but unfortunately, I cannot find it in Beijing yet.



Mango coconut milk cake (xiangmang yezhigao)

I once had Wuzhong morning tea in Wuzhong, Ningxia, and I think this is a very promising and innovative way to do breakfast.



Pan-fried curry beef buns (shengjian gali niurou bao)

If you are trying Cantonese morning tea for the first time, I think you must order the barbecue pork buns (chashao bao) and pan-fried buns (shengjian bao). Rice noodle rolls (changfen), shrimp dumplings (xiajiao), and steamed chicken feet (zheng fengzhua) are also the best dishes to represent Cantonese cuisine. You might not get used to the taste, but you should definitely try them.



Thai-style chilled durian mochi (taishi bingpi xue liulian)

You should also try the small Cantonese desserts. They are delicately made and look beautiful. They come in portions of three, which is a hint that you should bring two friends along.



Swan-shaped durian pastry (tiane liulian su)

This swan-shaped durian pastry is a new addition. When I came here last time, it was just the regular gold-medal durian pastry (jinpai liulian su), so they really put effort into the shape this time.



Pan-fried water chestnut cake (xiangjian mati gao)



Beef brisket egg noodles (niunan tang danmian)

Cantonese-style noodle soup and rice noodle rolls have a fresh, slightly sweet taste that many women enjoy. I don't particularly like them, as I prefer the salty and savory style of Northwest Chinese noodles, but since I am in Guangzhou, it is worth trying a bite.



Chestnut and mushroom chicken rice noodle rolls (jinli xianggu jirou changfen)

The yogurt cake and egg tarts are a kind of innovative fusion dish because they use dairy products from Xinjiang. Green vegetables hold an important place in Cantonese cuisine. Guangzhou people must have green vegetables with their meals, and here, green vegetables only refer to leafy greens; gourds and root vegetables do not count.



Xinjiang smooth yogurt cake (suannai gao)



Xinjiang milk egg tart (puta)



Boiled Ningxia choy sum (caixin)

People in Guangzhou care a lot about healthy eating. They want fresh ingredients and balanced nutrition. They cook with all kinds of land and sea animals. You can find these dishes at morning tea, which lasts until lunch. After a midday break, people go back for afternoon tea. When it gets dark and cool outside, there is a late-night snack culture. You can spend the whole day eating.



Original juice bamboo shoot shrimp dumpling (xiajiao huang)



Mango pomelo sago (yangzhi ganlu)



Malay satay beef tripe (jinjian du)



Dried fish and peanut congee (chaiyu huasheng zhou)



Healthy sesame cake (zhima gao)



Southeast Asian shrimp red rice noodle roll (hongmi changfen)

6. Hui Muslim Restaurant (Huimin Fandian)



Huimin Restaurant is a state-run Guangzhou classic that has been open for over half a century. Most of the customers are local people from the neighborhood. I asked my local friends in Guangzhou, and they approve of the food quality here. They serve morning tea, afternoon tea, and regular meals. If you come for morning tea on a weekday, you get a discount.



Inside the restaurant, a sign says they serve Hui Muslims before 9 a.m., but when I arrived before 9, I mostly saw local residents of all backgrounds. The restaurant has a strong state-run vibe, and the service is okay. The tea set is not as fancy as the one at Xinjiang Mansion. You only get one teacup and one teapot, and the space is smaller and noisier.



Lamb barbecue bun (yangrou chashaobao)

For Cantonese-style dim sum, the Hui Muslim restaurant makes it more authentic. Take this lamb barbecue bun, for example; it is the only one of its kind in Guangzhou. Barbecue pork (chashao) means roasting meat on a fork, then wrapping it in dough to make a bun. When steamed, the top of the bun splits open naturally. I eat this every time I come here, as it is hard to find such authentic and delicious barbecue buns once you leave this restaurant.



Chicken broth soup dumpling (jizhi xiaolongbao)

Soup dumplings are one of my favorite breakfasts. When my appetite is not fully awake in the morning, I prefer delicate flour-based snacks. I might not have the appetite to finish a large steamed bun.



Job's tears and beef tripe porridge (yizhao niudu zhou)

In Beijing, I would never expect to find such a variety of nutritious porridge for breakfast. I have to complain about the porridge here, though. It does not taste like it was freshly cooked this morning; it tastes like it was reheated from a pre-made batch. Freshly cooked porridge has a thicker texture, and this place is not as good as Xinjiang Mansion in that regard.



Coconut sticky rice cake (yexiang nuomici)

The dim sum tastes pretty good, but it looks plain. It is not as refined as the food at Xinjiang Mansion, so it is not great for taking photos to post on social media. Many friends have told me the service at the Hui Muslim restaurant is bad. I did not experience that myself, but in terms of small details, Xinjiang Mansion is definitely more comfortable for dining.



Curry beef rice noodle roll (gali niurou changfen)



Shrimp salad dumplings (shalü mingxia jiao)

The dim sum platter I had today tasted a bit salty; it wasn't this salty before.



Three-item dim sum platter

7. Ma Xiaohuo Handmade Pulled Noodles and Barbecue



I ended up at this shop by accident. I was catching up with a friend at a cafe, but they felt the air conditioning was too strong, so we moved outside. Suddenly, a storm hit Guangzhou. We ducked into this little shop to escape the rain, ordered some food, and were surprised by how good it was.



My friend had a bowl of pulled noodles (lamian), and I ordered a portion of Xinjiang rice noodles (xinjiang mifen). The rice noodles came with plenty of toppings and tasted great. The shop was clean and bright. Although it was small, the dining experience was very comfortable. It is a chain, and there are currently three branches in Guangzhou.



8. ANTALYA Turkish Restaurant



Antalya Restaurant's Liede branch was the first place we chose for our team building. The second floor has Central Asian-style decor where you take off your shoes and sit on carpets. You used to be able to experience this at Rumi's Secret in Beijing, but unfortunately, that location closed. However, a new Rumi's Secret opened in Urumqi, and I visited it the year before last; the environment there is even better.



For Middle Eastern cuisine, black tea and baklava are must-haves, along with my favorite Turkish coffee. Whether it is day or night, I always have a cup whenever I eat Turkish food.





Besides its rich texture and coffee grounds, a highlight of Turkish coffee is the cup. It must not be served in a clear glass; it has to be in an exquisite porcelain cup to be authentic.



Hummus (yingzuidou ni)

The overall feel of this restaurant is just like Rumi's Secret, and the prices are similar, averaging about 200 yuan per person. The flavors are a bit localized and lighter, which suits Chinese tastes better.



Chicken leg with Arabic rice.



Hollow balloon bread.



Mixed chicken and beef kebab platter.



Cheese flatbread (pide).



Lamb patty with yogurt.

I have to say a few words about this final ice cream; it is not as good as MADO, a Turkish ice cream brand that uses goat milk. I will introduce the MADO ice cream shop in Guangzhou specifically later.



Ice cream.

9. MADO Turkish Ice Cream and Coffee Shop.



MADO is very famous, and I had heard of it for a long time. I still remember the rich milky flavor of the MADO ice cream I ate in Beijing. Before coming here, I checked and found that there are two branches in Guangzhou. We ate at MADO twice because most of the members in my Guangzhou group are women who love it, so I had to arrange it.



The ice cream shop has a wide variety of sweets and also serves full meals. It is Turkish cuisine, but the quality of the meals is not as good as the ice cream, so I suggest only eating ice cream there.



When you enter the shop, you can order ice cream first. You can mix and match from over twenty flavors. You can order a four-layer serving with four different flavors, which is the best value.



You can also sprinkle various toppings on the ice cream. I like the original handmade ice cream the best; it has the silkiest texture and a full milky flavor. The other flavored ice creams are not as good as the original.



The girls love the raspberry flavor. Raspberries are red, sweet, and tart, and Lu Xun even mentioned them in his writing.



The Turkish restaurants in Guangzhou are mostly filled with foreigners who enjoy chatting and smoking shisha in the cafes.



Sultan's Boat

If you see the colorful ice cream on the menu and don't know what to pick, I suggest getting the handmade ice cream in the original flavor. It is the best and does not need any extra toppings.



Handmade ice cream



The Turkish coffee is made so delicately and even comes with a small flower for decoration. I felt happy as soon as I walked into this shop, and eating dessert always puts me in a good mood. I really hope they open a branch in Beijing, where many people still love eating ice cream even in the winter.



Shepherd's salad

The main courses are just average and do not taste as good as those at Turkish restaurants that specialize in full meals. It is better to come here for afternoon tea or a late-night snack to have ice cream and desserts.



Mexican grilled meat wrap



Turkish stuffed flatbread (pide)

10. Xianglan Indonesian Restaurant



Ever since the Southeast Asian halal restaurants in Beijing all closed down, I have not been able to find authentic Nanyang-style food near my home. The last time I had Indonesian food was in Kuala Lumpur, but I did not even eat Indonesian food this good while I was in Indonesia.



The first reason to recommend this place is that it made the Michelin Bib Gourmand list. This is Michelin's list for affordable restaurants, with an average cost per person under 100 yuan. Being on this list in a food city like Guangzhou really says something.



I think everything on their menu is a specialty. Basically every dish is delicious, including the drinks. I don't know how the owner and the chef manage to hit the mark so perfectly for every diner's taste buds.



Fresh lime and lemongrass soda and pandan coconut custard cake (pandan ruanxin yezhigao).

Many friends highly recommended this place to me before I even arrived in Guangzhou. My taste matches the general public's, so I had high expectations, but it was only after tasting it myself that I realized it truly lives up to its reputation.



Bali crispy duck (Bali dao zangzang ya).

Although this restaurant has many dishes, the portions are small. This is perfect for someone like me who wants to try new things without wasting food. Also, they don't sell alcohol, which gives me peace of mind while eating. The staff mentioned that the owner is an Indonesian Chinese.



Black nut beef soup rice (heirouguo niurou tangfan).

Since I have traveled in Indonesia, I know that traditional Indonesian food doesn't usually focus on presentation. However, this restaurant has clearly adapted to the local style in Guangzhou. They pay close attention to color combinations in every dish, so they look great in photos.



Rambutan beef fried rice (hongmaodan niurou chaofan).

There is only one Xianglan Indonesian restaurant left in Guangzhou, and you have to wait in line during meal times.



Seafood turmeric rice (haixian hui huangjiangfan).



Grilled chicken with candlenut garlic sauce (shili suanrongjiang kaoji).



Lemongrass and turmeric fried chicken (xiangmao huangjiang zha tuji).



Kaya and avocado toast (kaye niuyouguo kao tusi).



Snack platter.

11. Saba Restaurant



The name makes it clear this is a Southeast Asian restaurant, but they also serve Middle Eastern food. My friend and I chose this place because we once traveled to Sabah together and have many great memories. Meeting up in Guangzhou now, things feel just like they used to.



When we walked in, the restaurant was playing Quran recitations, and they do not serve alcohol. I was surprised to see that most of the diners were Black. Since my first visit to Guangzhou in 2015, I noticed that over 80 percent of the friends (dosti) at Friday prayers (Jumu'ah) were Black. Today, the number of Black people in Guangzhou has dropped by more than half, and it is rare to see them at Friday prayers now.



Tom yum soup (dongyingong tang).

The menu starts with Thai dishes, followed by Chinese and Western food. I chose the tom yum soup, and they actually served it in a small hot pot.



Pineapple fried rice (boluo chaofan).

I loved eating pineapple fried rice when I traveled in Malaysia. The version here was just okay. Maybe the setting was wrong, so it didn't taste right. Sometimes you need the right mood to enjoy good food.



Lemon tilapia (ningmeng luofeiyu).

I picked dishes we had eaten while traveling in Thailand and Malaysia to reminisce about our time wandering the world.

12. AL MANARA Lebanese Restaurant



Guangzhou used to have two Lebanese restaurants. I went to the other one only to find it had closed. This shop is a roadside storefront with no main dining hall, just a few tables set up outside. It is very simple.



Chickpea puree (hummus) with Arabic flatbread (khubz)

A lady from Northeast China works here and speaks fluent Arabic. The person grilling the meat is a Lebanese Arab.



Chickpea fritter (falafel) chicken wrap

This Lebanese restaurant does not have as nice an environment as Alameen in Beijing, but the taste is authentic and the prices are affordable. Overall, it is not as good as the Lebanese restaurants in Beijing, which makes me feel a bit better.



Lemon mint drink

13. ARMADA Middle Eastern Cuisine



Most halal Western restaurants in Guangzhou are run by Turkish people. This place, Armada, is the same and is located near Xiaobei.



Assorted flavor soup (mercimek corbasi)

My friends in Guangzhou had never been to this shop, so I brought them here to check it out. Once inside, I noticed the waitresses were wearing headscarves (hijab). It is an alcohol-free restaurant.



Shepherd's salad



Rose black tea



The ladies love drinking rose black tea. I saw a Moroccan specialty tagine on the menu, so I ordered it. Guangzhou used to have a Moroccan restaurant, but it closed down during the pandemic.



Chicken and eggplant tagine

The restaurant's grilled meat and meals are all delicious, better than the main courses at MADO.



Mixed grilled meat platter



Cheese and tenderloin pizza view all