34. 区域性菜系 (qū yù xìng cài xì)
In contrast to their generally adverse attitude to foreign cuisines, the locals have no such compunction about food from other regions of China. Indeed Guangxi cuisine has been based on taking on what it fancies from other 区域性 (qū yù xìng cài) regional cuisine and making it their own. This continues.
Funds permitting, I can find grub from all over this large land. From Xinjiang to Shanghai; from Yunnan to Heilongjiang. There are restaurant in Liuzhou from almost everywhere (Tibet is the obvious exception).
Most hotel restaurants are Cantonese, catering to the business people coming in from Hong Kong, but there are a few very expensive Cantonese independents.
金河軒 Cantonese Restaurant
I seldom trouble them. Overpriced and under-flavoured, if you ask me. That said, there is one chain place, Kong Oh! in their version of English, that is just OK and not crazily priced. Their roast goose is good.
Sichuan is well represented, with the locals drawn by the spicy experience, so I’m not short of my mapo doufu fix.
I have to mention in passing a long gone Sichuan place that had really good food. They also had a bizarre gimmick. Bald waitresses! One follicley challenged young lady told me that the waitresses received a handsome increase in renumeration if they shaved their heads. She also said she wore a wig when not at work, but wasn't worried as her hair would always grow back.
Hunan, too is represented. For years, the main Hunan restaurant was a bit of a dump with great food. The biggest problem was the huge portraits of Mao, a Hunan native, covering its walls. A few years ago it relocated across the road to a more upmarket venue and in the process, Mao got dumped.
韶山 (sháoshān) - Shaoshan was Mao''s hometown in Hunan. The restaurant is named after the town
Shanghai gets a look in for its soup dumplings. That's all this small restaurant does.
才哥汤包馆 - Caige Soup Dumpling Shop
And from the best food city in China we have a great Xi'an restarant.
西安好吃管 - Xi'an Good Taste Food
North-west China is well represented with Xinjiang Muslim food as is Lanzhou, home of hand-pulled noodles. We also have good Xi’an cooking.
Saieid Muslim Restaurant (from Xinjiang)
兰州拉面 (lán zhōu lā miàn) - Lanzhou Hand-Pulled Noodles from Gansu Province
Even Heilongjiang province in the frozen far north-east bordering Siberia gets a look-in with its great dumpling (and more) restaurant, Harbin Jiaozi King.
哈尔滨饺子王 (hā ěr bīn jiǎo zi wáng) - Harbin Jiaozi King
But at the end of the day, the locals like their familiar comfort foods and head to places like this specialising in Liuzhou and Guilin dishes.
Liu-Gui Restaurant
or even better, a bowl of noodles while perched on a plastic stool in the street.
