Restaurant: Chunji Roasted Goose Restaurant

Location: No. 12, Jiangan Road, Qixing District, Guilin, China / No. 21, Qixing Road, Qixing District, Guilin, China / 1/F, Nanxi Square, Chongxin Road, Xiangshan District, Guilin, China / 2/F, Jinshuiwan International Restaurant, Jinshui Road, Lingui County, Guilin, China / No.2 Middle Zhongshan Road, Xiufeng District, Guilin, China / No.1, North Zhongshan Road, Diecai District, Guilin, China

Date: August 6 & 8, 2018

Cuisine: Guangzhou Chinese

Rating: Big menu, great service, good food

The Guangzhou province city of Guilin is famous for its unusual and beautiful mountains.

Like Elephant Trunk Hill (above).

While staying here, we went twice to Chunji Roast Goose, at two different locations — like most successful Chinese restaurants there are several locations in the same city.

This location’s spacious interior.

The kitchen was impressive to see.

Look at the army of wok cooks!

This is the second location frontage.

And here we had a private room.

Both shared the same Guangzhou style menu.

Chinese beer, local I think.

Chunji brings an hour glass to the table. If it runs out (30 min) before all your food has come your meal is free! I don’t think it ever happens with that army of cooks.

Egg pudding/custard, soy sauce, salted steamed pork. A delicious dish we ordered twice. The egg has a lovely soft texture and the pork adds savory flavor.

BBQ pork (char siu). This is the kind of sweet “candied” pork I really love. It was soft, rich, and delectably flavored.

Glass noodles with mushrooms and egg. Pleasant.

Beef of some sort with chilies.

Pork and green peppers.

Cauliflower. This was the second “version” of this dish they made. The first had bits of pork in it and was delicious. This was properly vegetarian but flavored mostly with soy sauce and was a bit salty.

Bamboo shoots with spring onions and pork. This wasn’t supposed to have meat either, but they included more of the “sneaky meat.” I do have to say, it improved the flavor.

Shredded potatoes and vinegar. I love the slightly sour quality of this dish.

Cabbage.

Stewed tofu (with sneaky pork). The kind of pan fried tofu in a light broth.

Bean curd. Not my favorite version of this dish as it was a bit dry, but I do like the texture of this scum from the soy bucket bean curd.

Beer fish. This is a local specialty. Fish braised in a sauce of tomatoes, beer, and chilies.

Steamed fish. Blander.

Vegetable fried rice. Always a favorite. Meat version is better, but any fried rice is good.

Toffee taro. Chunks of taro deep fried and coated in syrup. They tasted just like glazed donut balls. Delicious and rapidly stick together.

Toffee water chestnuts. Same think, different “filling.” I liked the crunch of the water chestnuts. Tasted very slightly less desserty.

Durian puffs. Flakey buttery dough filled with durian paste. These had a very strong durian (petrol) flavor. I find it really delicious at first but the aftertaste wears on me.

Fruit plate.

Chunji does a very good job. Service was solid and they have a big menu that seems well executed as most dishes were delicious. I don’t have that much experience with Guangzhou fare although certain dishes are familiar to me from Cantonese.

For my catalog of Chinese restaurant reviews in China, click here.

Observe the city’s iconic mountains