ZhuHai travels 2- XLB Food Hunt + Pigeon Soup + Souvenirs (BLOG SERIES 2014)

On our second last day we embarked on a Xiao Long Bao hunt.

Before our trip, we received this sms from a friend(fan):

"Hey Shoestringtravels, I heard ZhuHai is famous for their Xiao Long Baos, could you help me source for the different types of Xiao Long Baos and which is the best and most affordable one?"

For everyone's information, Xiao Long Baos (XLB) is a special delicacy of China; each XLB is a tasty dumpling that holds soup and pork inside. There are different ways to produce XLBS, fried steamed etc. Refer to this manual on the special way of eating this chinese delicacy (Eating a Xiao Long Bao) 

And so here are what we have found:

1) Big Soup XLB

BIG SOUP XLB

YO MAMA'S XLB

These XLBS are sold individually, they are the size of a palm and come with ginger. Inside it is filled with soup that over spills into the bowl once the skin is broken. *comes with a straw*

Verdict: 2/5. This XLB is too big for our liking.

2) Normal steamed XLB (prawn and pork)

XLB pork and prawn

These XLB are sold in 7 per tray. They are the average XLB, we bought 14 pork and 7 prawn. These XLB are steamed, but the shop also sells the fried version of the XLB.

Verdict: 3/5. This XLB is typical, which can also be found in Singapore, but it is sold really cheap over at Zhu Hai. This store can be found in the Zhu Hai underground shopping center.

3) Fried XLB (prawn and pork)

Over at this small dingy store, which looks like a normal chinese takeaway store, most tourist wont bat an eyelid not to enter. However inside stores one kick of a XLB.

Small chinese eatery 

XLB with a Kick

The moment we saw these XLB we were asking ourselves "are you serious? frying an egg together with XLB?". But the looks are deceiving and these XLB pack a kick, crispy on the outside and juicy and flavorful inside the soup explodes in your mouth when you bite in them. The egg is also not bad.

Verdict: 4/5. The XLB that is served packs a kick and it deserves the 4/5. Also hand made and crispy on the outside. Gives us the cravings even when writing this.

The food that we ordered

Pigeon soup

For the shoestringer that is more adventurous, you might want to try a pigeon soup. The taste is really exotic and this is the first time we are eating pigeon too. Worth a try.

Hence we wrote back to our friend(Fan):

"Hi, we have found the exact XLB that will leave you coming back for seconds. The XLB packs a kick, and explodes in your mouth the moment you bite into it. The address is opposite the Zhu Hai Charming Hotel and L hotel.

credits :kktravel.com.tw

The amazing XLB is around the area at the right blue pointed sign.

yours sincerely,

the nice people from shoestringstravel"

And after the eating, its time for us to do some souvenir shopping. As Shoestringstravellers, the souvenirs that we buy consist of tidbits and local delicacies and all these can be found in a SUPERMARKET.

Zhu Hai Supermarket>

Supermarket

The supermarket is a short walk from the store selling pigeon soup.

At night, we went to the Gongbei underground shopping center to get our dinner. On our last day, we tried some of the sze chuan food there.

Chilli fish

Stir Fried Beef

Stir fried chicken

Late night supper> 

The walking street becomes busy at night. We went to the walking street around 9.30pm and the entire atmosphere was different than that in the day. At night there were many hawkers selling their food, as well as many pimps trying to solicit business. But overall the food there was cheap and good. 

BBQ Mussels (WE LOVE IT!!)

Each of us ate 1 plate of this

Shoetrings Travel Tips

• The walking street has alot of pimps trying to solicit business, try to steer away from them as some of them are quite persistent.
• Eat the roadside mussels, WE LOVE IT!!

Shoestring Travelers Budget List (RMB)

211 bal b/d

(9) dim suum

(42) dim sum

400 cash

(36) dimsum

(5) instant noodles

(146) dinner

(3) water

(12) octopus ball

(50) oyster

(40) oyster

(3) water

(50) differential adjustment

215 bal b/d

* take note that above costs are based on 4 pax

Lover's Road + ZhuHai Fisher Girl + Seashore Park + Wan Zai Seafood Street (BLOG SERIES 2014)

In the morning, we walked from our hotel to the "Lovers Road". It was a fifteen minute walk from our hotel to the place.

The "Lovers Road" is a stretch of pavement along the seaside which provides a majestic view of the sea and the Macau skyline (if you are lucky).

Walking along Lovers Road

The view across Lover's Road

Romantic street

There are peddlers that offer couple bicycles for rent, but we decided to walk and slowly enjoy the beauty of God’s creation. We sat down under the pavement trees and played cards. 

Walking down further, we found a bus that took us to our next stop, the Fisher Girl statue. The bus alighted us at the nearby "Seashore Park" and took a stroll to the Fisher Girl statue. The Fisher Girl is a great symbol of ZhuHai, like the Merlion of Singapore. The Fisher Girl has a romantic story behind it here's the link to the story> (Love story of Fisher Girl)

The Fisher Girl

Fisher girl from afar

The seashore park is bustling with activity; there were children playing around, couples having a picnic. 

We took a stroll in the park and relaxed until sunset there. There are various activities for children to do there, prawning, flying kites etc. The park is really family-friendly.

Children feeding fish

Celebrating China's 65 birthday

SEESHORE PARK!!

Fly high like a kite

Soaring

Chinese Sweets

After spending much time at the park, we used our GPS to locate a bus terminal within walking distance of the seashore park. Our next stop is Wan Zai Seafood Street. The bus ride is around 45 minutes because there is a slight jam at the causeway. 

WAN ZAI SEAFOOD STREET is a long stretch of hawkers selling live seafood, and parallel to the hawkers are rows of restaurants. This place is definitely not for the shoe-stringer, but it is the 2nd last night of our trip hence lets splurge on ourselves for once, after travelling on a shoe-string  7 days! This place is a must-visit for anyone who LOVES SEAFOOD!!! They offer crabs, prawns, abalone, fish, whatever(non mammal**) you name that is in the sea, you got it. 

View of the seafood street

Restaurants and Hawkers unite

This is how it works, 
First you have to purchase your seafood from the hawkers, or you can go to the restaurant and take a basket to purchase seafood

Next go to the respective seafood stores and purchase your seafood.

After that, bring your seafood to the restaurant, they will advise you on how you want to cook your food. The price varies according to the type of seafood that you order from the hawker and how you would like it to be done, steamed or fried

Lastly, pay the restaurant a bit of “work money” and they will cook the seafood for you.  

Altogether we bought 1) 4 flower crabs, 2) some prawns, 3) mussles, 4)small fish, and together it totaled to $369 Yuan (SGD $18.45/pax). 

Compared to eating these at a local restaurant, it would be considered cheap.

Step 1: Purchase your seafood

Step 1: Ask them to weigh your seafood/ Negotiate for price

Step 2: Bring your seafood to the restaurant

Step 3: Pay for the "Work Money"

Fresh Prawns

Crabs Cooked

Great Delicious Food 

MussleMANIA

Although we had to wait a long time for our food to be served, it was indeed very fresh. You could take out the meat from the prawns easily and the fish detaches from its bones effortlessly. 

By the time we finished eating, it was already 10pm. Although there were buses nearby, it was late and all the buses only operate until 8 plus. We didn’t have a choice but to take a cab back. The average price of a cab from the Seafood Street to Gongbei border is 30-35 yuan, 

Map of ZhuHai

The verdict on Wan Zai Seafood Street? Fresh and Novel!

Shoestrings Travel Tips

• If you eat until late, most probably there wont be buses, the buses end really early (around 8.30pm). Be willing to fork out a sum for cab back.
• At WANZAI SEAFOOD STREET, you HAVE to bargain for your seafood. The locals all bargain really aggressively so if you don’t, you might be scammed.
• According to the locals, the restaurants are more or less the same price so don’t bother bargaining with the restaurants. However we were abit skeptical and chose the restaurant which does not look expensive.
• We took a local driver (not a cab), it is okay in ZhuHai to travel on other local's cars, ensure that they do not overcharge; Shoestringstravel's average cost (from Wan Zai Seafood Street to Zhuhai Border gate) is 30-35 yuan.

Shoestring Travelers Budget List (RMB)

389 bal b/d
(50) kebab
(89) lunch
(6) seaweed
(8) bus
(16) stick
(2) loan to andy for bus
400 deposit

Seafood
(140) crab
(25) prawn 165
(25) oyster 190
(20) fish 210
(159) restaurant (369)

(35) "taxi"
(3) differential adjustment
211 bal c/d ------ CLOSED
* take note that above costs are based on 4 pax