As one of the oldest tea houses in Guangzhou, Huiru Restaurant was founded in 1875, renowned for its Cantonese cuisine, dim sum, and dragon phoenix pair cake. In 1995, due to the city's subway construction, it left its old-town location and soon closed down, fading from the public eye. After more than three decades, this time-honored restaurant has finally returned. On August 16th, Huiru Restaurant officially reopened in the Gaoxin Design Building in Baiyun District, where seats were fully occupied and the waiting area was packed.

"We aspire to preserve the classics remembered by Guangzhou locals, while creatively crafting new flavors that satisfy modern palates," said Yang Junjie, General Manager of Guangzhou Hechuang Huiru Restaurant Catering Management Co., Ltd. He explained the new teahouse's core philosophy is "to keep historical flavors alive today." For instance, their signature dish "traditional-style smoked crispy caramel chicken" melds the age-old Cantonese smoking technique with a caramel sauce to enhance the contemporary taste while inheriting the tradition.

Chinese master chef Guan Zhiquan emphasized that a time-honored brand's value lies not just in its dishes, but also in the tea-drinking atmosphere and the human warmth. "Traditional afternoon tea in old Guangzhou featured dim sum like preserved-egg pastry and BBQ Pork Puff (Char-siu-so), paired with Pu'er or Shoumei tea, with servers pushing trolleys around the tables. That sense of everyday life and ceremonial is the essence of a teahouse."

Notably, this revival was backed by the Guangzhou State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission. According to the head of Guangzhou Time-Honored Brand Investment Holding Co., Ltd., the deep participation of state-owned enterprises not only ensures consistency in brand strategy, but also promotes product development, store expansion, and cultural heritage with a unified plan. This model preserves brand image and utilizes scale to reduce costs and enhance market resilience.

广州惠如楼"复活重生"，老字号能否"归来如故"？

作为广州历史最悠久的茶楼之一，惠如楼始建于1875年，以粤菜、点心和龙凤礼饼驰名。1995年因地铁建设离开老城区，不久后停业，淡出大众视野。时隔30多年，这家老字号终于回归。8月16日，惠如楼在白云区高芯设计大厦正式开业，现场座无虚席，门口候位区也坐满了人。

"我们希望既守得住老广记忆里的经典，又创得出符合当代味蕾的新意。"广州市合创惠如楼餐饮管理有限公司总经理杨俊杰介绍，新店的核心理念是“让历史味道活在当下”，如招牌菜“古法烟熏脆皮焦糖鸡”，便是在传统“烟熏”技法上加入焦糖汁调配，既保留古法韵味，又增添现代口感。

中国烹饪大师关志泉则强调，老字号的价值不仅在菜式，更在饮茶氛围与人情味。“老广州的下午茶讲究皮蛋酥、叉烧酥这些点心，配着普洱、寿眉，服务员推着小推车绕桌服务。那份烟火气和仪式感，才是茶楼的精髓。”

值得注意的是，此次复业的背后推手是广州市国资委。广州老字号公司负责人表示，由国企深度参与，不仅能保持品牌战略的一致性，还能在统一规划下推进产品研发、门店扩张与文化传承。这种模式既维护了品牌调性，也通过规模化降低成本，提升市场抗风险能力。

文｜记者 陈泽云 孙绮曼 廖梦君
图｜记者 廖梦君 陈泽云
译丨郑奕玲
英文审校丨林佳岱