Guangzhou Airport Food Guide: Best Local Delights

what to eat in guangzhou airport

Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport offers a wide variety of dining options for travellers. From Western and Chinese fast food to Japanese and Halal food, there's something to suit every taste and dietary preference. For those seeking a quick bite, fast-food chains like McDonald's, KFC, and Burger King are available. However, if you're craving more authentic local flavours, the airport also boasts Cantonese cuisine, including the famous Michelin-recognised Tao Tao Ju restaurant in Terminal 2, where you can savour delicious dim sum. Outside the airport, a short metro ride away, you'll find even more dining options, including street food carts serving classic Chinese dishes and unique treats like red rice sausage prawn rolls and the legendary Chinese hamburger, Rou Jia Mo.

Characteristics Values
Variety of food options Western food, Chinese food, Japanese food, Halal food, Cantonese cuisine, fast food, street food
Restaurants Starbucks, McDonald's, KFC, Burger King, Dicos, Guangzhou Restaurant, Pacific Coffee, YOSHINOYA, Master Kong, TAOTAOJU, Pullman Hotel
Street food dishes Pork and Pepper Stir-fry, red rice sausage prawn roll, Rou Jia Mo (Chinese Hamburger), squid and fish options
Other food options Buffets, convenience stores with fruit, vegetables, alcohol, and Chinese snacks

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Street food

Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport offers a variety of food options, including Western, Chinese, Japanese, and Halal food, as well as fast-food outlets. However, if you're looking for street food, there are a few options outside the airport that can be reached by taxi or metro.

One popular choice for street food near the airport is Shangxiajiu Pedestrian Street, which can be reached in about an hour by metro or taxi. This area offers several famous rice roll restaurants, including some that are over 100 years old and offer cheap, local cuisine. If you're looking for Cantonese food, try Hui Fu Lu, where you'll find good food at decent prices. Dian Du De, located nearby, also offers dim sum.

Another option for street food is the Beijing Lu pedestrian mall, located near the People's Park. This area offers a more upmarket and boutique-style dining experience. If you're looking for a specific dish, Beijing hand-pulled noodles and steamed rolled rice noodles are two popular choices in China.

If you don't want to leave the airport, there are still some options for trying local cuisine. The Pullman Hotel, located inside the airport complex but outside immigration, offers a Chinese restaurant with reasonable prices and high-quality food. Additionally, Terminal 2 of the airport houses a famous Cantonese food chain restaurant called TAOTAOJU, which has received Michelin recognition for its main branch.

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Michelin-recognised restaurants

Guangzhou Baiyun Airport features a branch of the Michelin-recognised restaurant Tao Tao Ju, which is located in Terminal 2. The main branch of this restaurant received a Michelin star, and the airport branch offers a variety of local specialties and dim sum. Some of the dishes you can try include Tao Tao Ju Jumbo Shrimp Dumplings and Steamed Pork Ribs with Garlic and Black Bean.

As of the 2024 Michelin Guide, there are 20 restaurants in Guangzhou with a Michelin star rating. The Michelin Guides award restaurants with one to three stars, with one star indicating "high-quality cooking, worth a stop", two stars for "excellent cooking, worth a detour", and three stars for "exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey".

If you have a longer layover and can exit the airport, you can try some of the Michelin-starred restaurants in the city, such as the one mentioned by a user on TripAdvisor, which is located a short metro ride away from the airport. This restaurant serves unique dishes such as orange chicken in ice and 红米虾肠 (red rice sausage prawn roll).

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Chinese food

Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport offers a variety of Chinese food options for travellers. The airport features a range of restaurants serving Chinese cuisine, including Cantonese specialities and dim sum. If you're looking for a sit-down meal, there are several options to choose from.

One popular choice is TAOTAOJU (陶陶居), a famous Cantonese food chain located in Terminal 2. TAOTAOJU is known for its delicious dim sum and has even received Michelin recognition. It offers a range of Cantonese dishes, and you can recognise the restaurant by looking for food pictures posted outside.

If you're near Terminal 1 or 2, you'll find a variety of restaurants serving Chinese food, including Guangzhou Restaurant. Additionally, there is a Chinese restaurant in the airport mall downstairs that serves dim sum. These options allow you to enjoy a variety of Chinese dishes without having to leave the airport.

For those who enjoy street food, the area around the airport offers a plethora of choices. The streets adjacent to the main area, including the parallel road to the Hilton hotel, feature numerous Guangdong cuisine joints and Chinese food buffets. You can find dishes like 红米虾肠 (red rice sausage prawn roll) and the legendary Chinese Hamburger, Rou Jia Mo (肉夹馍), which foreigners often remember as it sounds like "Roger Moore" in English. Street BBQ, or Kou Rou, is also a popular option, offering well-priced squid and fish options, best enjoyed with a cold Chinese beer.

Lastly, if you have a longer layover and can exit the airport, the Pullman Hotel, just a 5-minute walk from the curbside, offers an excellent Chinese restaurant with reasonable prices.

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Western food

Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport offers a wide variety of Western food options for travellers. The airport features several well-known fast-food chains, including McDonald's, KFC, Burger King, Starbucks, and Dicos. These restaurants provide convenient and familiar dining choices for travellers seeking Western meals.

In addition to fast food, the airport also hosts a range of other Western dining establishments. For those seeking a sit-down meal, there are restaurants like Guangzhou Restaurant, which offers a variety of dishes, and Pacific Coffee, which is perfect for coffee lovers. These options provide a more relaxed dining experience.

Travellers with a longer layover or those seeking a more upscale dining experience can explore options outside the airport. A short metro ride away, you can find a wider range of Western food options, including international chains and restaurants catering to various tastes.

While Western food is readily available at Guangzhou Airport, it's worth noting that the city is known for its delicious local cuisine, including Cantonese dim sum and other Chinese specialties. So, if you're feeling adventurous, you may want to explore the local food options as well!

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Cantonese dim sum

Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport offers a wide variety of food options, including Western food, Chinese food, fast food, Japanese food, Halal food, and, of course, Cantonese cuisine.

If you're looking for a taste of traditional Cantonese dim sum, the airport has a few options to consider:

TAOTAOJU (陶陶居): Located in Terminal 2, TAOTAOJU is a famous Cantonese food chain restaurant that offers delicious dim sum. It has even received Michelin recognition, making it a popular choice among travellers.

Chinese Restaurant in the Airport Mall: Head downstairs in the airport mall, and you'll find a Chinese restaurant serving dim sum. While it may not have the same Michelin acclaim as TAOTAOJU, it's still a great option for a quick bite.

When it comes to Cantonese dim sum itself, it originated in the southern China region of Guangdong, specifically in the city of Guangzhou (formerly known as Canton). It is believed to have started in tearooms during the latter half of the 19th century, after opium dens were banned. Travellers and traders would take breaks in these tearooms and enjoy small-portion meals called "yum cha" or "brunch."

Over time, dim sum evolved into a separate branch of cuisine with a very broad range of flavours, textures, cooking styles, and ingredients. Dim sum can be classified into regular items, seasonal offerings, weekly specials, banquet dishes, holiday dishes, and even travel-friendly items. Some popular dim sum dishes include:

  • Shrimp dumplings (har gow, xia jiao)
  • Soup dumplings (xiaolong bao)
  • BBQ pork buns (charsiu bao, chashao bao)
  • Chicken feet (tau zi fung zao, chizhi feng zhao)
  • 红米虾肠 (red rice sausage prawn roll)

Dim sum is typically served with tea, and the dining experience can vary between traditional cart service and modern checklist-like menu cards.

Frequently asked questions

Guangzhou Baiyun Airport offers a wide variety of food options, including Western food, Chinese food, fast food, Japanese food, Halal food, and Cantonese cuisine. If you're looking for a specific restaurant, there's a famous Cantonese food chain restaurant called TAOTAOJU (陶陶居) in Terminal 2, which is known for its Michelin recognition and excellent Dim Sum. Another option is the Pullman Hotel, located just outside the airport complex, which has an excellent and reasonably priced Chinese restaurant.

Guangzhou Airport offers a range of unique dishes, including 红米虾肠 (red rice sausage prawn roll) and orange chicken in ice. If you're looking for a quick bite, the legendary Chinese Hamburger, Rou Jia Mo (肉夹馍), is a popular choice among foreigners and costs only 8 RMB.

Yes, there are plenty of street food options near Guangzhou Baiyun Airport. The area adjacent to the airport features numerous Guangdong cuisine joints, buffets, and other Chinese food options. You can find classic street food carts serving various dishes, including duck and breakfast wraps.

While there is no specific mention of vegan or vegetarian restaurants within Guangzhou Airport, you can find fruit, vegetables, and other plant-based options at the mini-marts and convenience stores located there.

Yes, in addition to Chinese food, Guangzhou Airport offers a variety of international options, including Western food, Japanese food, and Halal food. You can find familiar restaurants such as Starbucks, McDonald's, KFC, and Burger King across Terminal 1 and Terminal 2.

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