GUANGDONG (CANTONESE)

Guangdong province, which hugs the southern coast of China right above Vietnam. It’s a tropical land with rich farmlands, fresh and saltwater sea creatures, a rainbow of vegetables, and a love for dried as well as sparklingly fresh ingredients. Pork and chicken are beloved here, and you should count yourself fortunate if you are able to dine at some of the old-timer holes-in-the-walls that serve everything from pig tails to chicken intestines.

Generally speaking, funkier seasonings such as fermented fish paste and chile-flecked satay sauce will be found in Guangdong’s northern and inland areas (home to the Hakka and the Teochew/ Chaozhou), while milder flavors will prevail elsewhere. A great Cantonese restaurant of any stripe will be a temple to crustaceans, fish, pork and poultry.

— Carolyn Phillips

King Wah

The monastically beige interiors of this Sunnyvale veteran do a huge disservice to its food. For over 30 years on a quiet downtown side street, King Wah has been serving up no-frills Cantonese stalwarts like Honey Walnut Prawns and Sweet and Sour Pork Pineapple with a bygone honesty. During peak hours, nearby tech employees and local residents may find themselves rubbing elbows in groups of twos and threes at a 10-top table. The stir-fries pack some serious heat without excessive grease or starch. Look to the specials board (diplomatically written in English and Chinese) for homestyle Cantonese dinner fare that begs for third helpings of white rice: Steamed Pork With Salted Egg, Lotus Roots With Pork Meat, and Soybean Sprout With Garlic. All that’s missing from the table is Grandma. — April Chan

If you go: 219 E. Washington Ave., Sunnyvale, (408) 245-2647, www.kingwahchinesefood.com. Lunch through dinner Monday-Saturday.

What to order: Steamed Egg With Clams, Spinach With Two Flavor Eggs, Honey Walnut Prawns, Fried Rice With Dried Scallop and Egg White, Lotus Roots With Pork Meat