Pearl River Delta: Dongguan

VIEW TO A THRILL

BEACON CAFÉ
61/F, SOFITEL DONGGUAN HUMEN ORIENTAL
HUANGHE TOWER, HUMEN AVENUE
HUMEN TOWN, DONGGUAN
(86 769) 8288 8888
WWW.SOFITEL.COM

The Beacon Café offers a bird's eye view of the city that was the site of the burning of 20,000 crates of opium in the run up to the first Opium war in 1839. The à la carte menu boasts starters, appetisers, salads and soups and moves on to Chinese cuisine, Asian specialities, noodles, steaks and chops, pasta, sandwiches, cheese and desserts. The 220-gram Australian rib-eye steak is recommended. The sweet and sour pork has an unusual twist: in addition to sliced pineapple it has deep-fried taro. Most diners opt for a buffet. The breakfast one has a generous spread of Chinese, Asian and international favourites. At lunch and dinner there are stations for Japanese food, seafood, salads, cheese, Western hot dishes, Chinese hot dishes, Italian pasta, soups, stretched noodles, hot pot, beverages and tempting desserts. MICHAEL TAYLOR

HINT OF SPICE

FORUM FOOD STREET
G/F, PULLMAN DONGGUAN FORUM
32 DONG CHENG ZHONG LU
DONG CHENG DISTRICT, DONGGUANG
(86 769) 2336 8888
WWW.PULLMANHOTELS.COM.CN

This all-day restaurant features contemporary Cantonese dining with an emphasis on the spicy flavours of Southeast Asia. They range from Hakka and Chiu Chow-style appetisers and marinated meats to curries, Southeast Asian specialities, vegetarian dishes, to home-style Cantonese favourites. Not to be missed is the baked cod with salad dressing. Tender fillets of gently fried cod are coated in a creamy yellow sauce that has hints of citrus and wasabi - very pungent and flavourful. The boiled green beans with meat paste features diced string beans laced with spicy ground pork, and the pan-fried stuffed bean curd has an unusual depth of flavours. Other featured dishes include curry pork with mushrooms, soft crab with Thai sauce, fresh cuttlefish with soy sauce, and braised melon with fish maw in chicken stock. Desserts run from crispy water chestnut cake to sweet barley buns with nuts, and taro and sago cream soup. Be sure to leave room for the purple sweet potato rolls that are crispy, sweet, and crunchy, with a hint of spice. MICHAEL TAYLOR