Chen Siqi

vankochensq@163.com

When the much-hyped milk tea shop Chayanyuese (茶颜悦色) opened two seasonal shops in Shenzhen for only three months starting April 2, scalpers even touted 200-300 yuan (US$30-46) for a cup of milk tea because there were too many people queuing for its drinks every day.

In addition, Shenzhen Wenheyou Superb, where the tea shops are located, also went viral on social media. On its opening day April 2, its online queuing system showed more than 50,000 people waiting to get in.

Hailing from Changsha, Hunan Province, Shenzhen Wenheyou Superb is a market museum which is home to more than 100 brands of catering and creative products. The famous food community’s Shenzhen outlet is a four-story 30,000-square-meter building in Dongmen in Luohu District and its retro-style building replicates the local 1980s street culture. What makes the Shenzhen outlet unique is the incorporation of LED screen neon images into its nostalgic architecture.

Now, let me show you some tips for dining in Wenheyou and grabbing Chayanyuese milk tea.

Do you need to pick up a number online before entering Wenheyou?

Yes, you do. You need to pick up an online number on the WeChat account “SZWENHEYOU” before you enter Wenheyou, but sometimes, when the queue is not long, staffers will let visitors in.

Does entering Wenheyou mean having a chance to buy at Chayanyuese?

No, not at all. You still have to retrieve another number to get a qualification for buying Chayanyuese drinks. There are two Chayanyuese shops — one on the ground floor and the other on the third floor. Each shop will offer quotas for 80-100 customers around the clock between noon and 10 p.m. Each customer can only buy up to two cups of tea.

You will be asked to scan a QR code and follow a third-party WeChat account to grab the numbers. Codes are different for the two shops. Visitors have to decide to compete for which store’s number to use since each code is valid in the area with a radius no more than 50 meters from the shops.

It’s not easy to grab a number since most people enter Wenheyou just for Chayanyuese. Sometimes, you have to wait again and again if you fail to grab a quota around the clock. So I suggest you and your friends all use your phones for more chances to grab quotas.

Chayanyuese combines milk with green or black tea topped with cream and nuts. Its Shenzhen seasonal stores only provide six specialties, which are made with black tea or oolong tea. Try oolong milk tea named “Yanhuo Yileng” (“烟火易冷”) on Wednesday and you will get the second cup at half price. If you go there on rainy days, the shops will offer the same discount on another oolong milk tea named “Zhengzheng Zhiyuan” (“筝筝纸鸢”).

Luckily enough, visitors will have a taste for milk tea drinks whether they get a number or not since Chayanyuese staff will offer samples on site.

Must-try dishes at Wenheyou

1. Shenshenghao 深笙蚝

You will be impressed by the oyster towers that stand at almost every table while you step into Shenzhen Wenheyou. The oyster towers with three different tastes are from Shenshenghao, which provides traditional local specialties — Shajing oysters, the counterpart to Changsha Wenheyou Superb’s crayfish. Foodies can diversify their meals by ordering from other brands gathering in one menu here, including Guangming roasted squabs, Seasons Coconut Chicken Hotpot in coconut juice, Shikou casserole porridge and others.

2. Loteifong Yantian Changfen

老地方盐田肠粉

Loteifong Yantian Changfen serves wide ranges of changfen, or steamed noodle rolls, with different fillings such as pork, beef, eggs, shrimps and oysters. It is famous for its special soy sauce.

3. Youzhang Beef Offal 有章牛杂

You will be tempted to buy yourself a bowl of beef offal when you pass by and smell the delicious aroma from Youzhang Beef Offal. Your bowl of beef offal can be perfectly paired with a cup of lemon tea from the shop.

4. Xiaoluo Stinky Tofu 小罗臭豆腐

I highly recommend Xiaoluo Stinky Tofu. It’s another popular store that customers have to queue for food. Over the past few years, the founder of Xiaoluo, who came from Sichuan Province, has garnered many fans by selling stinky tofu in a tricycle each night in Shenzhen. Now, he has a fixed location in Wenheyou.

Xiaoluo doesn’t usually serve the typical Changsha stinky tofu but its tofu really tastes good and makes customers want to have more after a bite with a tasty soup.

5. Highland Whisky 高地威士忌吧

There’s a whisky bar called Highland Whisky at the corner on the second floor for visitors to get some alcoholic drinks. Customers can watch bullet trains passing by from the bar or in the corridor just outside the bar.

Aside from food and drinks, what else can be explored in the building?

Coca-Cola Time Museum will attract your attention with a big Coca-Cola bottle in front. Drinks and souvenirs are available here, where the history of the brand and its stories with polar bears are exhibited. Come and take some pictures of the giant statue of Pop Mart’s “Molly” toy that is “coming out from the wall” near its store.

You will also find a store selling CDs and gramophone records. There’s a game center on the ground floor right next to Chayanyuese where you can rest and play several rounds while waiting for your food and drinks.

Is Shenzhen Wenheyou Superb worth visiting?

If you just want to grab a cup of Chayanyuese milk tea, the place is not for you. An alternative way is to go to Changsha where there are more shops with more specialties and no long queues. If you want to experience the nostalgic atmosphere and explore the food realm, then check this out.

Hours: 11 a.m.-midnight

Venue: Shenzhen Wenheyou Superb, Luohu District (罗湖区深圳文和友)

Metro: Line 1 or 3 to Laojie Station (老街站), Exit G