NOTE: Most of the shops mentioned here are marked on the map. Click here to view.

Please remember that things change. Shops run out and never restock! I try to keep this up to date, but if you know something I don't, please tell me!

This page is about the availability of Western food in Liuzhou. Chinese food is everywhere from supermarkets to street markets and hardly needs any guide. By western food, we mean those things which are more commonly used in Western cooking. So, although olive oil is widely available, it is included here because it is not usually used in Chinese cooking.

Availability of Western foods is still limited although it is much better than ten years ago when there was only one shop selling very little.

Unfortunately, there is no one shop specialising in western foodstuffs. Back in July 2007, Nanning's western food store opened a branch in Liuzhou. In a shambolic display of utter commercial ineptitude they opened their shop in an obscure housing block in the north of the city and issued zero publicity. When very few people went, they came up with the brilliant idea of saving money by only opening two weeks each month. Of course, no one could ever remember which two weeks. After six months the place closed down. The Nanning shop has since closed, too.

So today, you have to visit a selection of outlets and see what they have! But remember, what they have today, they may not have tomorrow. Chinese shops are notorious for stocking goods which sell like the proverbial hotcakes, then never restocking!

The shops below are all located in the central area of the city. This is for two reasons. 1) This is where I live and these are the shops I know! 2) This is an area everyone gets to know.

They are in order more or less north to south.

If you know of any other shops selling anything interesting please contact us with the address and what they sell. Many thanks.

Supermarkets

The two most important supermarket chains in Liuzhou are Lianhua and Nanchang Supermarkets. They carry a very similar range of goods at almost identical prices. They also seem to run out of stuff and restock at the same time. Presumably, they use the same suppliers. That said, by far the best supermarket in Liuzhou is RT Mart which unfortunately lies outside the city centre.

Lianhua Century Mart has been in Liuzhou the longest. Previously owned by local company Jiayong, it has several branches around town, ranging from the huge flagship store on Fei'e Lu near the railway station to little corner shops. The one pictured above is in Jiefang Beilu, near the city square and the Traditional Chinese Hospital. It is a useful general supermarket but has a very limited range of western goodies. Things to check out are their olive oils, sausage meats and bacon*, yoghurts and if the omens are favourable, cheese! They stock several kinds of "cheese", most of which are processed gloop, but they do occasionally have cheddar cheese. This always runs out first, but they hold back on restocking, presumably in the hope of selling the gloop. It doesn't work. They also stock frozen cod. They did once, several years ago, have avocadoes for about a week. I bought the lot and they never restocked! They also have dried chick peas /garbanzo beans. Lianhua also has a larger store on Fei E Road near the railway station. It stocks the same stuff - just more of it!

Nanchang Supermarket calls itself Nanchang Department Store and indeed the branch on the south side of Liujiang Bridge is a real department store which includes a supermarket apparently designed by a maze maker.  The branch in the city centre is under Liuzhou Square and is only a supermarket. There are three entrances - two on the south side of the square itself and a third at the northern end of the underground shopping mall. The foodstuffs they stock are virtually identical to Lianhua. They do the same cheese and bacon, but have a wider range of olive oils. This is, I believe, the cheapest place to buy Extra Virgin Olive Oil. (By the way, none of Liuzhou's shops seem to know the difference between EVOO and Pure Olive Oil, so they charge almost the same for the latter although it is of much lower quality and should be about half the price!) They also have both black and white peppercorns which come in their own little grinders. Disappointingly, the freezers which promise "Frozen Pastry" contain no such thing. In fact, most of the "English" signs in the shop are amusing nonsense.

Vogue Health and Beauty

Almost next door to Lianhua Supermarket is Vogue Health and Beauty. A casual observer would think this is a cosmetics and personal hygiene product store, and they would be correct. However, head to the back of the shop and you will find a strange selection of western foodstuffs. They are strong on soft drinks and mixers (tonic water etc.) and breakfast cereals. They also have a range of pastas and sauces. Dried fruits and biscuits (cookies) are also featured. They also carry some Japanese goods. As with other places, the range alters from time to time, so it's always worth a look if you are passing.

Maison Cherry

Opened on December 30th 2010, Maison Cherry is now the only the real bread making place in Liuzhou, although they are very unreliable at stocking the stuff regularly.  Look for 大法包 on the labels or ask for fǎ bāo. They do croissants which, if you get them freshly baked, are delicious. If slightly past their best, a few seconds in the microwave revives them. They also have a range of beautiful looking hand made Belgian and French style chocolates, can do you a coffee and have an interesting selection of ice creams. Friendly, enthusiastic staff, too.

The shop is located on 金鱼巷 or Goldfish Lane, off the northern end of Wuxing Pedestrian Street, next to the fake KFC style fast food joint, HPB. It is down the lane at far end of the same building.

Cheese and Butter etc.

From Vogue, head down the pedestrian street to where it is bisected by Gongyuan Lu and turn right towards Pizza Hut. Cross to the other side of the main road and continue into the side street. Here you will find what we call the 'butter shop'. This was the first shop in Liuzhou to sell anything resembling western foodstuffs. They have Kraft Singles for ¥16. They also have Philadelphia Cheese at ¥25 for what looked to me like a fairly large block. (Can't stand the stuff myself. But then I like cheese!)

They also sell butter. Real butter from real cows! It's in the fridge just beside the cash desk. If you don't see it, ask for .

They also have pasta, real curry powder and curry paste made in India, Tabasco sauce, canned red kidney beans, tuna, black olives, flours, baking powder and dried yeast and other odd things. Always worth a look. They mainly supply restaurants and hotels, and have a shop in Guangzhou from which they bring stuff in. They are friendly and will try to satisfy reasonable requests.

OK where are they? Click here to see a map.

Department Stores

Liuzhou's oldest and perhaps, most important, department stores lie next to each other. First, diagonally opposite McDonalds is Wuxing or Five Star Department Store (五星商业大厦), opened in 1952, and which gives its name to the whole area.

What is less well known is that it has a small supermarket attached. In the picture above, behind the tree, under the red sign is the entrance to the supermarket. Mind your head!

As usual the supermarket stocks mainly Chinese goods, but does have a small selection of fruit juices and has a range of canned tuna and pasta sauces. It also stocks muesli. However, it is best for supplies of biscuits (cookies). It's always worth a look when you are in the area, but make sure you can't find the same goods elsewhere. This place ain't cheap.

Across the way, towards the main road is the second department store, Gong Mao (工贸大厦). Hidden away at the back of the basement is a supermarket. which has an ever changing range of western goods. It is strong on sweets (candies) and biscuits (cookies) but also has a good, if expensive range of olive oils. There are a few different coffees (although some of the coffee specialists around town are a better source). It has a range of canned tuna and crab meat, wine and balsamic vinegars, pasta and steak sauce. As with Wu Xing, compare with other places before buying. A lot of their stuff is available elsewhere at much lower prices.

直营店

zhí yíng diàn

If you continue down towards the river and head along 曙光东路 shù guāng dōng lù heading towards  Dong Men (East Gate), there is a shop at No. 177  which has a selection of western foodstuffs.  It is the second shop from the right (next to the orange shop) in the picture below.

The chaotic shop has a bizarre selection of stuff. They get things in, sell them and never restock, but replace them with something totally different. It is good on nuts and beans, sardines, liver paté and odd sauces. From time to time they have Heinz baked beans, Bovril, Canned lentils and other delights. There is a small fridge at the back of the shop which usually contains butter (salted and unsalted) and Danish Camembert. Definitely worth a weekly inspection but always check expiry dates.

Tea Shops

It isn't exactly difficult to find tea in China! After all, it came from China and China still produces more than anyone else. Supermarkets and corner shops stock a basic selection or you can go up market and specialised in many of the hundreds of tea shops across the city. Should you wish to go local, try Xishan green tea, available in all the supermarkets. It's cheap but satisfying.

If you prefer herbal teas or Indian / Sri Lankan types, a  reader has pointed out the following:

There are two small shops selling herbal teas imported from Sri Lanka near Yu Feng Park. They have numerous flavors including Passion Fruit, Strawberry, Vanilla, and even Earl Grey, at 13 Yuan per box of 30 bags. A smaller assortment of these teas is also available at Gong Mao for twice the price.

Both shops are on the south side of Liu Yong Road (柳邕) near the intersection with Hong Yang Road (红阳). The shop with the best selection is about 5 meters east of the intersection and the other is perhaps 100 meters west.

In fact, not all the teas are from Sri Lanka. Most are from China - particularly Fujian province.

 Liu Yong Road is a rather seedy street which runs from Liu Shi Road (near the Workers Hospital) along behind the main  bus station. Between broken television repair shops, fake Dulux paint shops and several  brothels are a couple of tiny tea shops. See my crude map below.

The shop described as being the better of the two (Tea Shop 1 on the map) is below.

The second shop has nothing which the first doesn't also have.

If you know of any other goodies, please let me know.