Shenzhen Gripefest

[Marcos Goodwin]

Hi, everyone! I wasn't originally planning on writing this post, but some things really needed to be shared! Of course, there were points I wanted to criticize as well as must-try delicious food. Let's start with the less pleasant experience.

• Part One: Xiao Meisha Beach, Don't Go!
  • A lot of those beautiful pictures of Xiao Meisha online have been heavily Photoshopped, don't take them too seriously! Even my photo was Photoshopped, hahaha!
  • We got up early at 7 am and rushed happily to the renowned Xiao Meisha Beach. The moment we arrived, I was shocked - admission to the beach actually cost 50 RMB per person!
  • Thinking that since we were already there, it might be better inside? Result...I can't help but laugh talking about it.
    • After entering, the beach really disappointed us. The sand was rough and extremely uncomfortable to walk on, and the beach itself was far too small to give any sense of a vast ocean-like atmosphere, hence a truly poor experience.
  • It didn't take long for the intense sun to wear down our energy. Since we had paid to enter despite ourselves, we awkwardly climbed a place called "Lover's Cliff" (I forgot the exact name) where the view from the peak wasn't that impressive, either.
  • The entire process lasted less than 20 minutes; after taking a few photos, we hightailed it out of there.
  • ️ IMPORTANT WARNING:
    • Xiao Meisha beach is strongly not recommended, you really get nothing from paying that entrance fee – it's pure waste of money!
    • If you want to see the sea in Shenzhen, consider heading over to Dà Meisha Beach nearby—it’s at least free! (Reportedly similar quality to Xiao Meisha);

Part Two: Chen Pengpeng Roasted Goose Restaurant, Worth a Try!

• On our first day in Shenzhen, we went to Wanxiang Tian Di (a rather modern shopping mall), and noticing this “Chen Pengpeng Roasted Goose Restaurant” had the most people queuing up outside at its entrance, we joined in the line.
• Not originally holding much hope of deliciousness, as common long queues suggest possibly average flavoring of the restaurant. However, to my amazement – this place was genuinely delicious!
• We ordered a roasted goose dish with five parts, a pork dish (again forgot the specific name, embarrassing ), two soups and a vegetable platter.
• While the dishes looked rather simple upon arrival, their taste is top-notch, with the goose very well-matched, pork also handled well, extremely flavor-packed! Super recommended!

Part Three: Local Bubu Street Flavors

• We stayed near Huaqiangbei (famous electronics market) in Futian District at a hotel called "Mint International Grand Apartments," well-priced with value for money. A loft space, with 2 bedrooms plus a living area, fitting perfectly for two couples.
• Not too far from the hotel is Bubu Street (a famous food district). You may think it’s just to fool tourists, but not this time, there’s actually lots of delicious stuff here!
  • (Oh, so preoccupied with eating, I forgot to take photos again, sorry guys, this share turned out pretty light on details, blame me for that.)
• We stopped by “Shengji” Restaurant, incredibly big seating almost half the street length.
• Mainly ordered seafood and grilled specials. No photos, but the flavor was superb, with us four only spending more than 300 RMB, great value for money! Fresh seafood, the chef-prepared fried noodles were equally delicious without ripping us off.
• Shenzhen felt inclusive, diverse good eating places await, worth revisiting!

This share is a bit short, but hope my ranted points and recommendations provided some guidance. Next time, I'll ensure more photos are taken!