SHENZHEN · FOOD GUIDE
Eating in Shenzhen
Shenzhen is China's youngest major city and its most cosmopolitan table. With no single native cuisine, it has absorbed Cantonese, Chaoshan, Hakka, Hunanese, and overseas-Chinese influences. The result is a city where it is possible to eat superbly cheaply or extravagantly, often within the same building.
潮汕牛肉火锅
Chaoshan Beef Hotpot
Premium cuts of fresh beef — sirloin, brisket, tendon — briefly dipped in plain beef-bone broth; flavour depends on meat quality.
Where to try: Niu Ba Wang (牛霸王), Futian; Baxian Beef Hot Pot, Nanshan.
客家盐焗鸡
Hakka Salt-Baked Chicken
Whole chicken cured in sea salt and baked in a clay pot; the flesh is juicy, the skin paper-dry and fragrant.
Where to try: Hakka-themed restaurants in Longhua district; Dongmen Old Street food stalls.
烧肉
Siu Yuk
Cantonese-style crispy roast pork belly with crackling scored across the fat.
Where to try: Roast-meat shops (烧腊店) in Shekou and Nanshan residential streets.
肠粉
Rice Noodle Rolls
Steamed rice sheets rolled around shrimp or pork, served with sweet soy and sesame paste.
Where to try: Dim sum teahouses in Luohu; any 肠粉 specialist cart in residential areas.
蚝烙
Oyster Omelette
Chaoshan street dish — small oysters coated in sweet potato starch and fried with egg until crispy at the edges.
Where to try: Dongmen Old Street food stalls; Chaoshan-focused restaurants in Futian.
Futian CBD
Imperial Treasure Fine Chinese
- Address
- MixC World Mall, Futian
- Hours
- 11:00–15:00, 17:30–22:30
- Metro
- Futian (Lines 2/11)
- Order
- Char siu, peking duck, double-boiled soups
Coco Park Food Hall
- Address
- Coco Park, Futian
- Hours
- 10:00–22:00 daily
- Metro
- Shopping Park (Lines 2/9)
- Order
- Various stalls: Cantonese roast, ramen, Hunanese
Min Jiang Restaurant
岷江酒家
- Address
- Shenzhen Grand Hyatt, Futian
- Hours
- 11:30–14:30, 18:00–22:00
- Metro
- Shopping Park (Lines 2/9)
- Order
- Dim sum, roast duck, wok-fried crab
Shekou / Nanshan
Shekou Restaurant Row
- Address
- Harbour City, Shekou, Nanshan
- Hours
- Varies by venue
- Metro
- Sea World (Line 2)
- Order
- International and Cantonese options
Blue Lotus Hakka Kitchen
- Address
- Nanhai Boulevard area, Nanshan
- Hours
- 11:00–22:00 daily
- Metro
- Taoyuan (Line 1)
- Order
- Salt-baked chicken, stuffed tofu, pork belly with preserved vegetables
Dongmen Snack Market stalls
- Address
- Dongmen Old Street, Luohu
- Hours
- 10:00–23:00 daily
- Metro
- Laojie (Line 1)
- Order
- Oyster omelette, chaoshan fish balls, sugarcane juice
Dongmen Old Street (东门老街) in Luohu is Shenzhen's longest-running street market, blending clothing wholesale with Chaoshan and Cantonese food stalls. The Shaibu Market in Longhua draws cooks from across China and is good for regional noodles. The waterfront at Sea World in Shekou has a concentration of international restaurants popular with the city's expat community.