An Insider’s Guide to The Best Local Food in Guilin

Guilin is a popular destination for first time travelers in China. With its beautiful karst mountains, winding Li river, and delicious local foods, it’s not hard to see why. But, the absolute best food in Guilin sometimes hides in unexpected places.

Between 2018 and 2019, I spent eight months in Guilin, China attending language classes and exploring what the city had to offer. Below is an “insider’s guide” to my six favorite spots for local eats around Guilin.

1. Rice noodles // mifen (米粉)

Any list of the best food in Guilin absolutely has to include mifen. Guilin locals are famous for their love of mifen, and can often be seen eating a bowl streetside for breakfast or lunch.

Guilin rice noodles are a white, soft, fragrant, and cheap noodle that is added to a savory, spiced broth unique to each shop. Vendors will add thinly sliced beef or pork and peanuts to the noodles. I personally recommend adding a spiced egg (ludan, 卤蛋) as well. 

For the best local mifen spot, visit Laodong Jiang Mifen (老东江米粉). This place operates like a standard store – first, order the amount of noodles you want. I personally recommend a serving of two liang (二两, or about 100 grams). Add in shaved meat, peanuts, and an egg if you’d like. Then, top it off with some pickled vegetables and broth. Seating is at communal style tables, where strangers will sit and eat together.

Most non-chain restaurants will be open from early morning until they run out, usually around 2 or so in the afternoon. If you have a craving for mifen late at night, I recommend the Minggui Mifen (明桂米粉) chain. You can recognize these restaurants by their signature yellow sign.

Directions: Take bus lines 14 or 30 to Longyin Qiao (龙隐桥) bus stop, or 25 or 204 to Shijiayuan Intersection (施家园路口)

2. Snail rice noodles // luosifen (螺蛳粉)

A lesser known specialty, snail rice noodles is a spicy soup noodle dish unique to the Guangxi Province. Rice noodles are cooked in a snail-based broth, before being topped with pickled bamboo shoots, tofu skin, peanuts, and other fresh vegetables. It is then drizzled with a spicy oil. 

While there are noodle shops all over Guilin offering this dish, my personal favorite was Lanfang Luosifen (岚方螺蛳粉). The restaurant space is quite small, so I recommend ordering to go (after stating your order, tell the staff “dai zou (带走)”). Similar to mifen, I recommend ordering a two liang serving, with either low or medium spice, to do right by some of the absolute best food in Guilin.

Then, bring your noodles to the small lake located on the same side of the street behind Putuo Road. There are plenty of benches surrounding the water where you can eat your luosifen. 

Directions: Take bus lines 6, 9, 14, 16, 30, 32, 35, 98, 214, 301, 302, D2 or K2 to the Sanlidian (三里店广场) bus stop.

To get to the lake picnic area, keep walking north on Putuo Road and cross over Qixing Road before turning right. Turn left on Qixing Road 3rd Alley, and the lake is right ahead.

3. Oil tea // you cha (油茶)

Oil tea is a strong, spiced tea “soup” that is traditional to the Dong people. Don’t worry – you’re not actually drinking a thick, oily sludge! Instead, oil tea is prepared by frying tea leaves, garlic, salt, ginger, and other spices. Water and crushed tea leaves are then added to this mixture.

I recommend Tianyu Youchadian (天宇油茶店). Pro tip: Add puffed rice to your tea to drink it the local way.

Directions: Take bus lines 3, 14, 21, 25, 30, or 209 to Shizi Jie West (十字街解放西路) bus stop, lines 10, 18, 24, 30, or 207 to Shizi Jie East (十字街解放东路) bus stop, or 2, 10, 11, 91, 100, 205, or K99 to Shizi Jie Shopping Center (十字街中心广场) bus stop.

4. Candied hawthorn // tanghulu (糖葫芦)

One of my favorite, sweet and tangy foods – tanghulu  – is a staple of Chinese street vendors. Tangy hawthorn fruits are coated in a hardened sugar shell, and skewered on a long bamboo stick. 

Visit Dongxi Xiang (东西巷) and walk through the streets – you’re guaranteed to find at least one vendor in the alleyways offering bits of the best food in Guilin.

Directions: Take bus lines 10, 11, 14, 18, 21, 24, 25, 30, 91, 203, or 206 to Jiefang Bridge (解放桥) bus stop.

5. Chinese BBQ // shaokao (烧烤)

Chinese BBQ is heavily spiced, skewered street food that is a staple to any night market. At a shaokao stall, you’ll select the refrigerated, pre-skewered vegetables, meat, tofu, and bread you want. Then, the food will be braised with a heavily spiced oil before being flame-grilled on the barbeque. 

My favorite place east of the Li River is Haoxiang Lai Shaokao (豪香来烧烤). I highly recommend ordering enoki mushrooms and corn.

Directions: Take bus lines 30 or 98 to the Guangxi Normal University (广西师大) bus stop.

6. Somad Brewery //  半颠精酿啤酒馆 

Located in alleys behind Lijiang Road is the Somad Brewery. If you’re craving locally brewed, small-batch craft beers, look no further. Although a glass is a little pricey (50 kuai), this was easily the best beer I tried in Guilin.

When I last visited the brewery in spring 2019, they were offering stouts, sours, IPAs, lagers, and more. The owners are friendly and know English. 

Directions: Take bus lines 16, 30, 98, or 302 to Sanlidian Square North (三里店广场北口). The brewery is located in a residential alley nearby. 

While the shops above are my personal favorites, you really can’t go wrong no matter where you visit in Guilin. Happy eating!

by Nicole Cook

Nicole is an analyst currently based in Washington DC. She deeply misses her time in China, and all the delicious, cheap street food she could eat.