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

Charlie’s

Just about every weekend, we come across the same question: Do you have any suggestions for brunch and free flow? The usual suspects tend to be mentioned and rest assured, they are all fantastic. However, there’s one that barely gets brought up and we’re starting to think that perhaps it's because those who go there strive to ensure that it’s kept a secret. But of course, we’re generous that way and we’re here to spread our love of food and drink… and bottomless brunches.

Enter Charlie’s, a casual bistro-cafe in Yuexiu district’s Dongshankou that specializes in authentic homemade Italian food made with fresh and imported ingredients, complemented by an extensive wine and cocktail list, a selection of espresso-based drinks and a full bar. 

For just RMB288, Charlie’s offers delicious Aperol Spritzes and Prosecco for a whole two hours, with one brunch meal (except fish and meat). Now, that’s quite a steal of a deal, especially if you can drink one every 15 minutes. Fav brunch favs are (not surprisingly) their egg benedict options and pasta. The meatballs are particularly excellent too and will be sure to invoke some extra loud mamma mias and chef fingers kisses.

Oh, and in case you’re wondering, the answer is yes. Charlie’s is Hope and Sesame’s sister, which perhaps also explains why the drinks are so good… 

NOT

Overly Cautious Meituan Delivery People

This week’s NOT is a typical first-world problem.

On a hot and busy Friday at work we decided to order an iced Americano and a bowl of noodles from a local healthy eatery to the office.

The Meituan delivery driver dropped off the noodles and coffee and sent us a picture of our lunch sitting on the table outside our office block. However, when we went to retrieve them ten minutes later, they had gone. 

We opened up Meituan and asked the driver what had happened. He informed us that he had come back to see if we had taken our grub. When he saw that we hadn’t he took them away.

It took another 30 minutes of us convincing him that we weren’t going to report him (he was apparently just trying to make sure our lunch didn’t get stolen) if he just redelivered the noodles. By the time he did agree, he was over 20 minutes away and instead of getting an iced Americano and hot noodles, we got a hot americano and cold noodles. 

Cue the world’s smallest violin playing just for us. 

Again, let us emphasize we are not blaming the driver, he was just trying to make sure our food didn't get stolen and those guys work under a lot of pressure. 

Want to understand just how much pressure? Check out this article on China's gig economy. 

READ MORE: Getting Giggy With It: The Rise of China's Gig Economy