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A little preparation. A much better adventure.Independent travel advice · Made for China
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A taste of Guilin and Yangshuo

Lao Dongjiang Rice Noodles

老东江米粉

A family-run noodle counter that has been going for more than thirty years and is the shop Guilin residents name first when asked where the real thing is. You order by weight, the bowl arrives almost dry under a pile of braised meats, and the kitchen closes once the morning and lunch rush is over. There is no decor and no seating to speak of; it is a ten-minute breakfast, not an evening out.

¥5–15 per personlocal institutionGuilin city centre — reported on Longyin Road (龙隐路) and Shijiayuan Road (施家园路). Guilin has no metro.
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Why come here

A place worth making time for

No award. It is the shop locals repeatedly name, alongside Renli, as the benchmark for Guilin lucai mifen, praised for its lu broth and its crisp fried pork.

The house favourites

What to order

Point at the Chinese. Staff will understand it even where the menu has no English at all.

  • Braised-topping rice noodles (卤菜粉)
  • Crisp fried pork topping (锅烧)
  • Beef brisket rice noodles (牛腩粉)

What it actually tastes like

The bowl arrives with almost no liquid and that is correct: you mix the dark lu broth through the noodles, eat them dry, then ladle free bone broth from the urn by the door for the second half. Expect offal on the topping list and a pickle bar of sour beans, sour bamboo and raw chilli that is free and meant to be piled on.

Allergens in this kitchen

soygluten/wheatpeanut

This is the kitchen, not one dish. Woks, fryers, blanching water and utensils are shared in almost every Chinese restaurant, so for a serious allergy treat the whole premises as the unit rather than ordering around it.

Get to know the menu

Local specialities to try here

Crisp-fried pork topping 锅烧Deeply savoury with a crackling-like crunch giving way to soft fat