Some of my fondest memories from China are from the most simple meals, the ones where you grab a bowl of something local, sit down at a plastic stool, and just eat. Guilin was no exception, and one such meal have stayed with me: dry rice noodles with all the toppings and a side of fish ball soup.
There’s nothing fancy about it, nothing on must-eat list I’d seen, but it was exactly the type of meal that made me glad I was there.
A Simple and Yummy Lunch
Guilin Rice Noodles Lunch
That looked like everyone else’s order, so I got the dry rice noodle. They arrived served in a bowl with a mountain of toppings on the side… Peanuts, pickled vegetables, chili, some unidentifiable herbs, which you then mix into the noodles yourself.
At least initially, I had no idea how much of any given topping to use but luckly I could just watch the person next to me and do roughly the same. The soup were served separately: light and clean tasting, with soft bouncy fish balls suspended in a clear broth. It was perfectly balanced; the soup cut through the richness and oiliness of the noodle toppings making everything feel less heavy.
It’s not much, realy. It is a little noodle restaurant with some tables and a steady parade of people entering and leaving. And that’s what I liked about it.
It wasn’t here for tourists; no one taking pictures or writing blog posts about it; it was here for locals who wanted to get a quick bite for lunch. I polished off my bowl shortly after and left satisfied, paying the equivalent of around twenty yuan for the entire meal. I should of stayed longer.
Do you like Guilin rice noodles?
Have you tried it? Do you likes them dry or in soup?
