Treasures of the southern seas

New seafood restaurant in Guangzhou's 'backyard garden' Nansha, is raising local produce and ingredients to unprecedented heights, Li Yingxue reports.

Chef Liu Boda is making his daily pilgrimage to Shijiuchong, a bustling seafood market tucked away in the southernmost tip of Guangzhou's Nansha district in Guangdong province.

Here, just miles from the South China Sea, he selects from what's freshest — an array of ocean treasures that he will transform into art at the newly opened restaurant he heads, Suparnin.

Shijiuchong is more than a market — it's a convergence of nature and commerce located on a part of a bird migration reserve that is also a hub for seafood. Local residents buy fresh shrimp, oysters and fish to steam or blanch nearby to preserve their flavors, but 29-year-old Liu, who trained in the United States, sees untapped potential in these ingredients.

At Suparnin, he's re-imagined classic dishes with bold pairings. His signature, The Secret of Shijiuchong, combines sea urchin from Nansha and oysters from Taiwan. They're elevated with a delicate cashew foam, then dressed in a rich pumpkin, pumpkin seed, and butter sauce, and finished with a touch of smoked red chili powder.

The result is a surprising harmony: the natural sweetness of the seafood, enhanced by the earthiness of the pumpkin, and the richness of the cashew foam, giving a taste of the sea that is both familiar and surprising.

The dish is more than just a highlight of Liu's first menu for Suparnin; it's also a reflection of months spent exploring the food culture of Lingnan, which describes the region mainly spreading across provinces of Guangdong and Hainan, and the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

He hopes that his menu will do more than impress — it's his invitation to residents and visitors to see Lingnan produce in a new light.

In a district dominated by casual, farmhouse-style eateries, chef Liu's vision for Suparnin is different, and is something that could, in time, become a signature of Nansha.

"We want to tell the world that Nansha is home to great seafood and excellent dining," he says. "We have something unique to offer."

The chef began his culinary journey in the US in 2016, training in Michelin-starred kitchens, including Alexander's Steakhouse in Cupertino, California. He returned to China in 2020, and this summer, became head chef at Suparnin, where he oversees a team of 14 young chefs.