Geographically, Gui Zhou is a mountainous province situated at the southern part of China, surrounded by Sichuan, Yunnan, Guangxi and Hunan. During the reign of Ming Dynasty, many people from the neighbouring province migrated to Gui Zhou and brought along their culture and lifestyle into Gui Zhou.

Wholly owned by Gu Tou Guan Restaurant which is located further down the same street, Gui Zhou Garden is located next to Hong La Qiao at Changkat Thambi Dollah. Similar like Hong La Qiao, most of the patrons here are China Chinese who just love to talk loudly, hence this place could be a little bit noisy during peak hour. And same like its neighbouring restaurants, remember to bring along a friend/relative who can speak Mandarin!

We were recommended by the si tau poh (lady boss) to try this starter, Fried Lotus Root in Hot Plate (RM 20). Seasoned minced pork and turnip were sandwiched in between two pieces of thinly sliced lotus roots, battered, deep fried and served with chilli sauce on a hot plate. The lotus roots were sliced with just the right thickness which retains the crunchy texture but it is advisable to eat them as soon as possible as the coating batter might turn soggy if left around too long.

There are two types of specialty for fish available; both are spicy but one of them is prepared with broth. If you’re not into something soupy, you can order their Steamed Fish Head with Special Sauce (RM 48). The humongous portion of fish head is steamed to perfection, and then topped with spring onion, grounded ginger, a special type of chilli pepper brought from China (green yellowish in colour with slightly thicker skin that gives a crunchy sensation) and soy sauce. Do keep in mind that this dish might need up to 20 minutes to prepare.

I prefer this more than the steamed fish. Sliced Fish with Special Spicy Broth (RM 35). Tilapia fish fillets were first marinated with Chinese wine, while the head and bones were pan fried and added to chicken broth. The broth is then boiled with dried chillies, garlic, spices, spring onion, Chinese cabbage, cucumber and large bean sprouts before the fish fillets were added to the broth. The result is a spicy but sweet fish broth that made us slurp till the last drop! The spiciness level is adjustable on request.

Steamed Towel Gourd (RM 15) might look plain and rather uninteresting but this simple dish, served with glass noodle, superior soy sauce and minced sautéed garlic is a good source of fiber (that’s according to what the lady boss told us).

Another simple Chinese dish, the Stir-Fry Pork (RM 18) is once regarded as the “poor man’s dish” in China, where the family will stir fry the pork together with whatever vegetables they can get from the farm or garden (according to the lady boss, again). The thinly sliced pork were stir fried with lard, green peppers, red peppers, ginger, garlic and shallot. Good to go with rice.

We end the meal with some home made Pumpkin Pancake (RM 2, minimum 6 pieces per order) which does not sweetened by sugar. Old pumpkin were chosen for their natural sweetness for this dessert; they were skinned, steamed till soft, mashed, mixed with flour and breadcrumbs and then deep fried till golden brown. Surprisingly, it doesn’t get fibrous (as some people claimed that old pumpkin’s flesh might be a bit hard and fibrous).

Total bill amount? Forgotten as someone else forked the bill. If compare to Hong La Qiao and Dong Bei, Gui Zhou’s prices are on the higher side. But next time if you’re looking for a place to celebrate birthday or other small occasion, why don’t give Chinese food a try for a change?

GuiZhou Garden Restaurant
No. 57, Jalan Changkat Thambi Dollah,
Off Jalan Pudu,
55100 Kuala Lumpur.

Tel: 03-2148 5950
Fax: 03-2148 7950
Business Hour: 11.00am – 3.00pm, 5.30pm – 10.30pm daily
Non halal.

Read also the post by Tummythoz here.