One thing I love about living in a big city like Guangzhou is that there are always new places to discover. Even on a road that I have walked down a hundred times, I might discover a shop that I never noticed or hadn’t ever entered. I never thought I would like living in a big city, but over the years, I’ve realized that there is a lot of charm to a city like Guangzhou. I love the juxtaposition of the historical with the modern. I love the corners that are full of delightful little secrets. I love the mountains planted right in the middle of the city that give a spot of nature to a bustling metropolis.
Last week, my friend, Clara, asked if I wanted to go to a place that she had just found recently. We headed out later than we had planned because it was pouring when we had wanted to leave. The rain lessened up enough that we could leave without getting soaked, and we met at the restaurant at around 5pm.
I walked over to the restaurant from the subway, following the map according to the location that she had sent. I didn’t pay much attention to the Chinese name of the restaurant, but the location name included the English word “Vintage.” I assumed that they had just added a random English word, but I didn’t imagine that the restaurant would actually be decorated in a vintage style.
When I arrived at the restaurant, I realized that I had walked by this spot many times, and while I had noticed the shop that was covered in flowers and ivy and other random decorations (like a giant butterfly), I had never been inside. One or two people took pictures in front of the restaurant, posing in front of the flowers.
“How many people?” A restaurant worker asked.
“Two, thanks.”
One of the workers led me through some small hallways, past a bathroom and into another room. This room was a bit smaller than the open front room, and a few other people sat at other tables. I was amazed by the decorations. It was a very vintage style!
Two horses that looked like they were taken from a carousel stood in front of a transparent wall on one side of the room. The wall created another small hallway that led to a different room. A decorative mirror on the opposite wall added to the vintage feel. A third wall had different colors of wooden panels covering the wall. The wall next to our table was pretty normal. A few chandeliers hung from the center of the room, but they only gave off muted lighting, creating a comforting and calming atmosphere, especially with the remnants of the rainstorm dripping onto the tin roof outside the window next to our table. More warm yellow lights were on each of the tables. The only decoration that I didn’t love was a Christmas tree in one corner (I mean, it is May!), but it blended in so well with the rest of the vintage atmosphere, that I didn’t notice it at first.
After Clara arrived, we ordered a set meal. She had a few recommendations and then we tried a couple of new dishes. The first one to come out was a baked potato! I don’t think I have ever had a baked potato in a restaurant in China, and it was really good! The white topping tasted a bit more like yogurt than sour cream, but it was still good. I think there was also a bit of tuna instead of bacon, but you take what you can get. The potato was cooked to perfection.
We had also ordered a steak dish. The meat was served with roasted tomato and pumpkin slices on a platter covered in small rocks. Another stone was on top of the rocks and the food was on top of the stone. After the waitress set the plate down, a guy came up with a ladle and stood next to our table.
“Did you want to take a picture or video?” He asked.
“Oh! Yes!” I fumbled for my phone so I could take a few pictures. I should have asked more questions, but I was surprised when he started pouring fire out of the ladle around the outside of the platter and onto the rocks. It burned for a few minutes and then stopped.
We also got a chicken and fig salad (I was surprised by the figs, but they were really nice!). And the last dish was a cheesy spaghetti. I think that was the dish that I was least interested in because although the cheese looked really good, spaghetti is one of the few dishes that I can cook at home, so I try to avoid eating it outside. But this one surprised me by how good it was. The flavors were excellent—this wasn’t any simple sauce from a bag like the one that I use. Or if it was sauce from a bag/jar, it was a much better one than mine!
Clara and I ate and chatted and took just a few pictures. Clara sent a picture to her husband who had to attend a banquet and prom with his high school students.
Where are you? He asked.
Secret trip, Clara replied.
Even from me?
No, I mean the restaurant is called Secret Trip. “Isn’t that right?” Clara asked, showing me the message.
“I mean…” I looked at the name of the restaurant again. “The direct translation of the Chinese name is Secret Trip (秘(mì)密(mì)旅(lǚ)行(xíng)), but the English name on the sign is ‘Traveler Kitchen’ and in the maps app, there was the English word ‘Vintage.’ So who knows what the English name actually is.”
Anyway, our secret trip experience was not a secret, and when I told another friend about it, she said that this restaurant has several branches around the city, and most of them have different decoration styles. So it sounds like I’m going to have to find some of the other locations!
