Goubuli (Steamed Stuffed Bun) was initiated in 1858 by Gao Guiyou. Born into a rural family in Wuqing County, Gao was given a childhood name “Gouzi”, which literally meant “baby dog”, in a humble and sincere hope that he would grow up safe and sound. At the age of 14, Gouzi apprenticed in a bun shop in Tianjin and mastered related skills. Then he opened a shop that sold his unique steamed stuffed buns with juicy filling and half-leavened dough wrappers. Soon enough, his buns, palatable and shapely, sold well far and close and kept him busy with no time left for chitchat. Seeing this, his neighbors made up a joke and nicknamed him “Goubuli”, literally “Gouzi sells buns and ignores people”. Later, his buns were also called Goubuli.

　　When Yuan Shikai, a top official of the Qing Dynasty, was training the Newly Created Army in Tianjin, he got Goubuli and then presented it to the Empress Dowager Cixi as a tribute. Cixi praised its taste as being life-lengthening.Since then, the reputation of Goubuli has traveled farther.

　　Made of well-chosen ingredients, Goubuli tastes mellow, tender and oily. Its filling contains lean meat, smashed ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil and broth; and its wrapper is juice-tight and chrysanthemum-shaped.

　　Today, the shop of Gouzi has developed into the Goubuli Group which owns ten restaurants in Tianjin, including the regular chains at Shandong Road, Heping Road, Nanshi Food Street and Water Park East Road.

　　Opening hours: 10:45 a.m.-9:00 p.m.

　　Add: 77 Shandong Rd, Heping District

　　Tel: 022-27302540

　　Average cost: 82 yuan