The City of Rams – Local Food in Liwan and the Origin Antique House and Hotel

I walked for about 8-10 minutes from the Changshou Lu Metro Station to the Origin Antique House and Hotel. Even from afar it looked delightful. It was clearly an old and a much larger structure even compared to the many old houses I saw on the way.

The feeling of a déjà vu continued as I walked along Baoyuan Road. Besides old buildings, there are also some retro-looking restaurants. Some have revitalized the antique buildings and they offer food in reasonable prices as well.

The Origin Antique House and Hotel

The Origin Antique House and Hotel is located in a convenient location in the Liwan District of Guangzhou. The hotel (it’s more like a guesthouse, but certainly more luxurious than a hostel) opened its doors for business three years ago, during the beginning of the pandemic. Thankfully the owner does own this property and so there was at least no rental obligations for the business.

The building that gives home to Origin Antique House and Hotel was formerly owned by a military general of the Kuomintang and it was his home. After New China, the building went through different phases. There was a time that it became a public rental and many residents cramped in its space. The descendants of the military general negotiated for ten years before they could regain their exclusive possession of the premises. Because the descendants live in different places in the world now, it took the owner, Ms. Ding Xiang and her husband, more than a year before they closed the deal.

Ding Xiang’s husband is a collector of antiques. This building then becomes the venue where he showcases his antique collection. For example, at the reception on second floor, there lies a set of Chinese mahogany table and chairs as the main workplace for the housekeeper. Further in the corner sits a beautiful 200-year antique sofa, from the Qing Dynasty.

I do believe that some rooms are indeed furnished with the antique furniture, such as a Qing Dynasty bed frame. My room came with the normal furnishing, since it likely was the cheapest room in the whole establishment. There are a total of eight private rooms in this guesthouse.

Chan Tim Kee and its Wonderful Fish Skin

I decided to head out to lunch first. My destination was Chan Tim Kee, which is a highly reputed neighborhood restaurant known firstly for its cold blanched fish skin in soya sauce, and then congee and other small plates.

Fish skin is no longer so commonly available in Hong Kong, because people worry about parasites. Therefore this dish does bring back some nostalgia for me. It comes out super chewy and the soya sauce is a wonderful accompaniment. Topped with a handful of peanuts, the crunch matches the savory taste perfectly. I also ordered a boneless pig trotter, it came in hearty slices, and I dipped the meat into the soya sauce of the fish skin. That was also heavenly.

There was still a bit of time before my hotel room would be ready, so I decided to head out to Yong Qing Fang, which lies in the vicinity of the restaurant, for a first look at Guangzhou.

Source

The Origin Antique House and Hotel, introduction on-site.