"Eat In Guangzhou"

According to an ancient Chinese saying, to enjoy the best that life has to offer, one should "be born in Hangzhou, marry in Suzhou, eat in Guangzhou, and die in Liuzhou." Among the many "zhou's" in China, why these four? Because Hangzhou has the most beautiful scenery, Suzhou has the most beautiful women, Guangzhou has the most beautiful food, and Liuzhou has the most beautiful hardwood forests–which produce the most beautiful coffins.

So why are most tour groups taken to Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an, Hong Kong and Macau (as mine was)? Because, apparently, there are not enough foodies who sign up for these tours.

If truth be told, Guangzhou (f/k/a Canton) was never much to look at. Never. It is primarily a commercial city. Always was, and always will be. In fact, China was America's first trading partner after independence, and Guangzhou was the port. With the possible exception of the new border cities of Shenzhen (next to Hong Kong) and Zhuhai (next to Macau), Guangzhou is probably the most charm-free city in the Middle Kingdom.

But that doesn't apply to the food. America's first Chinese restaurants were Cantonese restaurants for good reason. Delicious, cheap, and healthy. True 160 years ago, and true today.

But Guangzhou has more to offer than egg foo yung, shrimp with lobster sauce, and egg rolls (none of which it has actually, since they are American inventions). Yes, it has the vaunted dim sum, which is no better than American dim sum–though a darn sight cheaper. But Guangzhou has every single variety of Chinese cuisine. Why? Because it is the richest city in China, and thus attracts chefs from all over the MK, because they can make many times more than do in their hometowns. So if you're a foodie, you don't have to travel to every city in China to sample every type of Chinese cuisine. In this case, if Muhammad can't go to the mountain, the mountain will come to Muhammad. Speaking of which, Guangzhou has great Chinese Muslim food too!

If you are planning a trip to Guangzhou, be sure to check out the following websites: www.thatsmags.com, www.urbanatomy.com, www.asiaxpat.com, and www.gzstuff.com.

And, by the way, Guangzhou has the best western and middle eastern food in East Asia, too. But none of my beloved Greek restaurants (like I remember from my native New York City). So, if you're a Greek restaurateur, please come to Guangzhou. We need you! I need you!