Walk the last block of Shuiwan Road in Shekou, past the old apartment complexes and the weekday crowds heading to the metro, and you will find two roast-meat shops standing shoulder to shoulder. On the right, E Zui Hao (鹅最好), a ten-year neighbourhood institution. On the left, a newer arrival with a minimalist storefront and a queue that did not exist last year. That newer arrival is Tan Ji Shaola (潭记烧腊), Shekou branch, which opened about a year ago and has already climbed to the top of Dianping’s Nanshan District roast-meat ranking. We dropped in on a recent weekday afternoon to see whether the ranking holds up.
Getting There from Hong Kong
The fastest route is to cross at Futian Checkpoint (Lok Ma Chau East Rail Line), then ride Shenzhen Metro Line 2 west through the central city and out toward Shekou. Shuiwan Station sits on Line 2 and Line 12, deep enough into Shekou that most Hong Kong day-trippers never make it this far. Take Exit C and you are 110 metres from the restaurant, a two-minute walk past a residential estate.
If you are crossing at Shenzhen Bay, Line 12 connects directly from the port area to Shuiwan and is often less crowded on weekends. Either approach puts you in Shekou within 50 to 60 minutes of Central, and Shuiwan is a quiet neighbourhood stop rather than a major interchange, so the walk above ground is pleasant. The restaurant itself is on the ground floor of a 1990s-era residential complex with a street-facing shopfront. The signage is simple: 潭记烧腊 in large red characters with a small English sub-line.
The Goose, Upper vs Lower Cut
Roast goose is the whole show here. Tan Ji is a Cantonese-style siu mei specialist with the oven front and centre, glazed birds hanging in the window and a butchering station where staff chop to order in front of you. The first decision is which cut you want.
Cantonese roast goose is traditionally divided into two sections. The upper cut, 上庄 (shàng zhuāng), covers the breast and wings: leaner meat, less fat, a cleaner profile for anyone who wants to taste the bird without the grease. The lower cut, 下庄 (xià zhuāng), covers the legs and lower body: more fat rendered into the meat during roasting, richer flavour, the section that most old-school Cantonese eaters actually prefer. At Tan Ji, about a third of Dianping reviewers specifically mention the lower cut with goose leg combination as their order, and another significant share goes for the upper cut when they want less fat. Neither is wrong. We recommend ordering a half portion of each if you are two people, so you can taste both on the same plate.
The third option is 斩料 (zhǎn liào), the chopped-to-order plate where you just tell them a price range and they cut you a mixed selection from whatever is hanging. This is how Cantonese families actually eat it at home. Expect to pay ¥40 to ¥80 for two people, depending on how greedy you are.
The skin is the test for any siu mei shop, and Tan Ji’s is consistently described in reviews as crispy and well-lacquered, served traditionally with a small dish of plum sauce (酸梅酱) for dipping. Eighty-seven Dianping reviewers specifically called out the crispy skin and tender meat of the roast duck, which is the second bird on the menu and worth ordering if you have more than two people. For solo diners or couples, stick with goose.
Beyond the Goose: What Else Is Worth Ordering
The menu fans out beyond roast goose into a full siu mei line-up, and the top sellers rank in a clear hierarchy:
招牌烧鹅饭 (Signature roast goose rice, ¥58 range). The default weekday lunch. A half-bird portion over plain white rice with a light pan sauce, a choice of upper or lower cut, and a side of blanched vegetables. This is the third-most-ordered dish on the menu and the most common way locals eat here. The rice absorbs the goose juices, and the blanched greens (choi sum or similar) balance the richness.
蜜汁叉烧例牌 (Honey char siu, standard portion). The second-most-popular dish after the signature goose itself. Cantonese char siu done properly: a pork shoulder cut, slow-marinated in a honey-soy-five-spice glaze, then roasted so the edges caramelise and the interior stays juicy. A standard portion feeds two as a side dish, or one as a small meal with rice.
红烧乳鸽 (Red-braised pigeon). Shenzhen’s unofficial meat of choice, and a standard item on every Cantonese siu mei menu that takes itself seriously. Whole spatchcocked young pigeon, marinated and braised to a deep mahogany, served halved or quartered. The meat is dark, rich and noticeably gamier than chicken, which is the point. Worth ordering if you have never tried it.
海南鸡饭 (Hainanese chicken rice). Less expected on a siu mei menu, but a top-five order here. Poached chicken, skin-on, sliced over oil-fragrant rice cooked in chicken stock, served with three dipping sauces (ginger-scallion, chilli, dark soy). A lighter, cleaner option if you are rotating through the siu mei with someone who does not want more roast meat.
蜜汁烧排骨例牌 (Honey-glazed roast ribs, standard). Pork spare ribs cut into short sections, glazed like the char siu but with a slightly smokier finish from the open roasting. Ranks alongside the char siu in popularity.
香酥鹅 (Crispy goose, chef’s drinking snack). Listed on the menu as 厨师长的下酒菜 (“the chef’s own drinking snack”), this is a twice-cooked preparation: roast goose pieces deep-fried to extra crisp, served with salt and pepper. It is a sharing plate, not a main, and pairs with a cold Zhujiang beer.
Two Noodle Dishes Worth Flagging
If you prefer noodles to rice, two options stand out. 烧鹅捡面 (Roast goose lo mein) pairs sliced roast goose with dry-tossed noodles, pan sauce and scallions. 港式鹅油捡面 (Hong Kong-style goose oil noodles) is the stripped-back version: plain noodles tossed in rendered goose fat and soy, no meat on top, served as a side dish the way a proper Cantonese meal would include it. Both run around ¥25 to ¥35. We recommend the goose oil noodles alongside a roast goose plate. It is the most Cantonese thing on the menu.
The Dining Room and the Ranking
The interior is bright, tiled, and deliberately unfancy. White walls, wood tables, a couple of rows of four-tops, and the siu mei cutting station visible from every seat. Dianping reviewers mention the clean bright environment more often than any other environmental cue (160 out of 876 reviews call it out by name), which in mainland Cantonese restaurants is a genuine distinguishing feature. The space seats perhaps 30 to 40 on a good night and turns over quickly because most orders are rice-based singles.
The ¥58 average per head reflects the realistic order: a roast goose rice or duck rice, a side dish, a drink. Two people sharing multiple siu mei plates and noodles will push the per-head closer to ¥80, which is still a bargain for the quality of meat. The service sits at 4.5 stars, the taste and environment both at 4.6. Peak queues happen at weekend lunch between 12:30 and 13:30, but only four reviews in total flag the wait as a problem, so it is not a serious concern. We arrived on a weekday around 15:00 and walked straight in.
The Next-Door Neighbour Question
The Cantonese food internet has spent the last year arguing about whether Tan Ji opening next to E Zui Hao, a ten-year roast-meat shop, was a bold move or a provocation. Locals who reviewed both on Dianping tend to split the preference along cut lines: E Zui Hao does the upper cut better, Tan Ji does the lower cut better, which means the two shops are genuinely complementary rather than substitutes. If you are serious about roast goose, you can eat at one on Saturday and the other on Sunday. But if you only have one meal in Shekou, Tan Ji’s ranking speaks for itself.
Quick Info
| Chinese name | 潭记烧腊(蛇口店) |
| Address | 深圳市南山区水湾路287号（水湾路22号新湖滨综合楼1楼） |
| English address | Shop 1F, Xinhubin Complex, 22 Shuiwan Road (building no. 287), Nanshan District, Shenzhen |
| Amap pin | Open in Amap |
| Metro | Shuiwan Station (Line 2 / Line 12), Exit C, 110m walk |
| Hours | Opens 10:30, closes around dinner service |
| Price per head | ¥58 |
| Rating | ★4.6 (876+ reviews, #1 in Nanshan roasted meat) |
| Must-order | 招牌烧鹅 signature roast goose, 蜜汁叉烧 honey char siu, 燒鵝下裝 lower-cut roast goose, 招牌烧鹅饭 roast goose rice |
| Payment | WeChat Pay, Alipay |
| Booking | Accepted via Dianping, no private rooms |
