What’s Hot, What’s Not is a series of recommendations of the best places to go for grub in Guangzhou (and some places you should steer clear of)! 

For more What’s Hot, What’s Not articles, click here. 

HOT

Elephant Grounds

Whilst not exactly new, Elephant Grounds at TaiKoo Hui is a quiet but ambitious player in the brunch market, giving its neighboring bigwigs Simply Life and Gaga Café a solid run for their money. Founded in Hong Kong in 2013, EG is a specialty coffee shop and all-around destination, offering exquisite coffees, ice cream sandwiches and hot meals that do not break the bank. The Mexican smash burger, eggs benedict with crab cakes, savory pancakes and cold brew are an absolute treat. The only drawback is not all dishes are available daily, so one needs to scan their mini-program to see what’s on offer that day. 

Must-haves: As long as it’s available, you won’t be disappointed. Good luck!

See a listing for Elephant Grounds

Maotai Ice Cream

Image via Dazhong Dianping

If you can’t beat them, you might as well join them. China’s much-loved traditional liquor was so keen to get a piece of the market that they’ve gotten creative. Infusing baijiu into ice cream, this 2% alcoholic treat is much more expensive that the likes of Venchi, Haagen-Daz and more. With purchases and production declining recently, it’s no wonder that they’ve diversified, and quite successfully too. Maotai’s flagship is at IFC and opens daily. Have you tried it? Tell us what you think of this concoction!

See a listing for Maotai Ice Cream

What’s Not

We’ve recently stumbled upon a lovely new flavor of Lay’s Potato Chips: Vitality and White Peach. At first, we thought it was a mistake. How does one incorporate the essence of vitality and a fruit? Well, we tried it and the verdict was well, not so peachy. While we admire their ambition, it’s safe to say that the sweetness and the saltiness were an odd match and did not gel well. And we thought cucumber was a weird flavor…