Wokipedia Holiday Special: Nice Noodle Guide #4
Greetings, eaters! As the holidays draw to an untimely close, we’ve steered our rickety old noodle wagon all the way down south. Two provincial neighbors at the bottom end of China - Guangxi and Guangdong - are on show today, both with rice noodle-based dishes, naturally. One of these is world famous, the other a bit of a bally old secret, chum. Enjoy.
Guangxi (广西)
Snail noodle soup (luosifen, 螺蛳粉)
Originating from Liuzhou in Guangxi Province, these noodles are much less known but just as tasty as the ubiquitous Guilin mifen. The complex soup broth is flavored with small Chinese snails and pork ribs (removed before serving), and the noodles are served with deep-fried beancurd sheets, pickled bamboo, peanuts, wood ear fungus and preserved cowpeas.
The noodle Rice noodles of medium thinness – older rice is said to be favored as it results in noodles that are chewier and harder.
The local “The snails give this dish a unique smell that some people don’t like – a bit like stinky tofu. But the flavors are delicious. I like how the fuzhu (fried beancurd sheets) become softer in the soup as you eat.” Lulu Zhao (PR)
The restaurant Head to Xiao Luo Hao (小螺号) at no. 55 Huguosi Jie, a renovated, food-themed hutong just east of Pinganli subway station (line 4). Run by Guangxi natives, they even have a small shop in the back selling cooking ingredients and canned drinks from the province.
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Guangdong (广东)
Dry-fried wide rice noodles (chao hefen 炒河粉)
This staple Cantonese dish is popular all over the world, abbreviated to “chow fun” in America. Oh, America. The rice noodles are usually stir-fried with beef (though the example in the photos is with mushrooms), bean sprouts, other veggies and soy sauce.
The noodle Long, wide and flat rice noodles, with a slippery, slightly elastic chewiness. They are usually cut to required thickness from large sheets.
The local “This is a really simple dish but actually it is a challenge of a chef’s skills, because they must balance a high heat and use as little oil as possible.” Amy Fung (restaurateur)
The restaurant You can find these noodles at any Cantonese restaurant (most big hotels 4 stars and above have one), but these photos were shot at Ying He Cantonese Style Restaurant on Gulou Dongdajie, a tiny but tasty restaurant with authentic and cheap dishes low on oil and big on flavor.
