The Place
Tucked in a fairly ‘local’ food plaza off of Huangpu Avenue, where shoppers still do head-turns upon spotting laowai, Slow Life is reassuringly chicer than its surroundings.
Inside, ‘mixed-culture’ decor – a blend of Chinese porcelain tile flooring and Scandinavian furniture – creates a sleek, modern vibe, while rustic ‘Welcome’ signs hung with twine and a wall of fresh herbs grown onsite make the space feel homey.
Marketing itself as an organic, health-conscious restaurant, Slow Life also doubles as a foreign grocery store. Currently, a modest range of imported goodies are in stock for prices well under Ole’s, though cofounder Johnny Ding tells us slow-cooked meats (prepared and then frozen) as well as washed and cut organic vegetables from the restaurant’s farm in Qingyuan will be available soon.
The Food
We didn’t know what to expect of this Hong Kong-based eatery going in, but Slow Life’s menu – and food – turn out to be amazingly on point. It’s progressive, for one: every dish on the menu is guaranteed to be free of MSG, additives and hormones, while vegetarians have their choice of mains.
Ding says he refuses to compromise or change recipes to suit local palates, which means you won’t find fruit salads drenched in mayo here. It also means you won’t need to make reservations – the place operates at half-capacity most nights, as Chinese clientele have been slow to warm up to the unfamiliar (read: authentic) Western food.
Spanish cuisine is the focus (try the seafood paella, RMB198), but every dish contains a creative fusion of global flavors, from the grilled shrimp and cashew salad tossed with sticky rice vinegar, basil, red chilies and honey (RMB55) to the squid stuffed with pork, rice and onions sauteed in orange juice (RMB45, three pieces). The former is tasty but treats lettuce as a garnish, so if you prefer more veggies order the green apple caramel walnut salad served on a bed of rocket and romaine (RMB42).
For appetizers, bet on a platter of 18-hours slow-cooked pork belly mini burgers, crispy on the outside, juicy in the middle (RMB42 for two pieces), or the pan-fried foie gras with caramel apple (RMB78, three pieces).
Save room for a couple mains, of which we thoroughly enjoyed the slow-cooked salmon with handmade pasta (RMB80), even if it seemed heavy on the cream for a restaurant priding itself on being nutritious.
You might try the steak instead – specifically the imported Australian wagyu ribeye (250g) served with roasted vegetables and a creamy pepper sauce (RMB268). Certified Australian organic and sourced from Jack’s Creek (named the World’s Best Steak Producer in the 2015 World Steak Challenge), it’s one of the best cuts of beef you’ll find for that price in the city.
Moving onto dessert, the durian cheese tarts (RMB10), filled with cream and D24 Malaysian durian meat, are a must-try. You’re probably thinking ‘but I don’t like durian,’ which was exactly our stance before we tried one… and loved it.
All of this can and should be paired with wine (RMB150-600), if only because it’s summertime and Slow Life desperately wants you to chill out (see below).
The Vibe
As Ding told us on our visit: “Guangzhou is a busy city where everyone is always rushing, so hopefully this is a place where people can come to relax and enjoy life with friends and family.”
You can’t really force guests to slow down, but Slow Life tries its best by providing a reasonably quiet, private atmosphere, smart wait staff and innocuous dinner music that shouldn’t leave you irritated. If all else fails, remember the wine.
Price: RMB150 for dinner and drink
Who’s going: young parents, in-the-know expats
Good for: affordable organic food, Spanish cuisine, set lunches
Nearest metro: Liede (Exit B), 22 minutes.
Open daily, 11am-10pm. See listing for Slow Life.
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