By Lena Gidwani
Meet Teun and Nausikaä, parents to Aiden (9), Jools (7) and Lenn (5). They have lived in Guangzhou since December last year so their first year is almost a wrap! They hope to stay on in the city, and they have really enjoyed exploring the many attractions. They have also embraced the language, with the children taking regular lessons in Chinese. The three children go to The British School of Guangzhou and really enjoy it there. Urban Family spoke to them to learn more about their family favorites.
Favorite restaurant
We have a few favorite restaurants but Roku Roku is definitely on the top of our list. We normally like to go out with the kids to have something to eat at a pub or bar, so that they can run around a bit. But if we want to have a good meal, sit at a table and really enjoy our food, Roku Roku is a recommendation! It serves quality Japanese cuisine, with a beautiful interior and friendly service. If you want you can also sit in the teppanyaki room, were you can eat in private. There’s plenty to choose, from different sorts of sushi to fish and other Japanese dishes like curry.
1/F, Xiang Long Garden, No.175-181 Tianhe Bei Lu, Tianhe District, Guangzhou
Favorite chill-out cafe
One of our most favorite chill-out cafes is the Tavern. Every Friday night we meet up there after work, to start the weekend. The kids can play, while we enjoy some pool. And if Uncle Johnny is there, he is always busy with them! They love him! We always eat in a tapas way, ordering small bites during the night. The food is mainly Western but really good, it's made fresh (like the fries and pizzas) and it's just really delicious! Sometimes, for a change, we also like to go to Hooley's on Xingsheng Lu. It’s usually busy when when we come, but the service is always friendly and the food is just great, like their burgers, nachos and pizzas!
The Tavern Sports Bar: Poly 108, No.6 Huajiu Lu, Zhujiang Xincheng, Guangzhou
Hooley's: 101, 8 Xingsheng Lu, Zhujiang Xincheng, Guangzhou
Favorite place for Thanksgiving and turkey
Since we are from Holland, we don't celebrate Thanksgiving! For us, it's just a regular day, so sadly there is no turkey! But because we live in a residential area with people from all over the world, we will probably join in with the festivities like we do, for example, with Halloween. This is the first time the kids have been involved in trick or treating. And we loved it! Hopefully this will also be the first year we enjoy Thanksgiving by having dinner with our friends!
Favorite fashion designer
Since I, Nausikaä, have two online shops selling kids clothes, I love to go to the wholesale markets like Zhongshan Ba Lu and look for new, small and creative brands for my shops. And most of the time, I also shop there for my kids too! And just like in Holland, we also just buy our basics at H&M and Zara. But mostly I like to buy small, unknown brands that sell unique clothes. My husband, on the other hand, prefers the bigger brands. He loves to wear Hugo Boss but we haven't found a good shop (read: not fake!) here. So he shops for his clothes and shoes when he goes back to Holland.
Guangdong Plaza of Children Clothes: 97-101, Zhongshan Ba Lu, Liwan District, Guangzhou
Favorite Christmas holiday spot
Last year, we arrived in Guangzhou just a week before Christmas and we spent our holiday here. It was just lovely, as it was the first time that it was just the five of us exploring our new home. We had dinner at Paulaner Brauhaus, a German restaurant at the rooftop of TaiKoo Hui Mall, and it was just perfect. Good food and great atmosphere! It was a really nice Christmas, even though it was the first time without our friends and family. This year we will go back to Holland for Christmas to celebrate the holidays there. Just at home with our friends, visiting family and enjoying wintry days with our loved ones.
Paulaner Brauhaus: L307, 3/F, TaiKoo Hui Mall, No.383 Tianhe Lu, Tianhe District, Guangzhou