Magnificent Guilin — Huangyao Ancient Town and Its Food
I arrived at Huangyao in the late afternoon and I had not had any food since a very early breakfast. I decided to have a bowl of Guilin Mifen (rice noodles) before I did more touring of the ancient town.
Photo: The West Gate of Huangyao, outside of which I found the Guilin mifen bowl noodles.
The First Bowl of Guilin Mifen
It did not seem to me that the restaurants were open inside the ancient town, so I exited through the West Gate and hunted for food outside of the ancient town. Right across the street from the West Gate there were some small establishments open. I was going to try a popular one, where some patrons were already sitting, but I noticed the one next door was cleaner. I then picked that one.
And make no mistake, this would be the very best Guilin mifen (rice noodles) that I had throughout all of this trip. What a pleasant surprise!
The noodles were very chewy. There were small pieces of pork, which were tender and flavorful. Then there was an unlimited refill of condiments: spring onions, pickled vegetables, garlic crisps and roasted peanuts. I also added some vinegar, and the food was a bowl of delight, with a wonderful mixture of complex textures. For all of the Guilin mifen that I had after this, there was not one bowl that had chewy noodles. I guess the standard mifen was simply soft and smooth.
I felt incredible satisfied, as I also had a serving of dumplings, which were not bad either. With this I went back into the ancient town to see more of its antiquity.
The Specialty Product of Huangyao Ancient Town
Despite it being a pretty developed town with commerce and a civilized lifestyle, Huangyao is still rural in character. The most well-known product of Huangyao is fermented black beans. Its black beans come with a wide variation of different types. The most common kind was the plain fermented black beans, where you would have to add your own seasoning and marinate to go along with meats. They are in dry, sealed packages. Then there are the pre-marinated kind, with other strongly-flavored ingredients, such as red chilli or soy sauce. For those, you would just dish out the black beans to serve as a flavor-booster along with a plain noodle.
Milky Can Drinks
When I was strolling in the ancient town, I came across a store selling milky can drinks. This drink acquires its name for its being cooked on “cans,” over an open fire stove. I ordered the rose tea, and it came with rose petals, dried longan, osmanthus fragrans, dried red dates, goji berries and some other dried herbs and flowers. The mixture sat on the stove for a good ten minutes to draw out all the fragrances. Served piping hot this potion of delight kept me warm for the rest of my sightseeing.
Steamed Spareribs with Huangyao’s Specialty Fermented Black Beans
When I have made a round throughout Huangyao, the night had befallen. I figured that it was time for dinner. I found Tingtao Fandian, a restaurant with outdoor seating by the Yaojiang creek. It has the beautiful name meaning “hearing waves.”
Photo: At the restaurant, I sat by the creek and savored this view of Huangyao as I had my dinner.
Unfortunately, they did not serve the other famous dish of Guilin, which is the beer fish pot. I then ordered the next thing on my list – steamed spareribs with fermented black beans. Since I was in Huangyao after all, I should have the ancient town’s specialty.
The plate of steamed spareribs came in a generous portion, and the seasoning of the fish was done just right. Steaming the spareribs preserves the natural juiciness of the meat, and the fermented black beans really accentuated the savouriness of the dish.
I had to eat very slowly because frankly half of that big bowl of Guilin mifen that I had just two hours prior was still keeping me full. As I was eating at a leisurely pace there were fireworks. I was impressed – it clearly was low season but the ancient town put up fireworks. I was very happy with my dining experiences in Huangyao. But I was too full.
After dinner, I walked again around the Main Street area, and the night lit shops certainly gave out a different vibe. It was beautiful and peaceful to walk in Huangyao at night.
The bus to Yangshuo would be passing by Qianxing Square the next morning at 8:40am. It’s the only bus to Yangshuo, running once daily. I decided to head back to the Dayuan Cultural Theme Hostel and rest for the night.
