Good Eats in Shiyan City

The hot dry noodles served at the entrance of Youyi Hotel by the bridge of Zhangwan Hospital and Yanliang Hotel are fantastic. They come with generous toppings and rich flavour, costing 10 yuan a bowl. The portion is enormous, more like a small basin.

For handmade rice noodles, try the tiny shop opposite the Brake Shoe Factory next to the gymnasium. Their pork liver rice noodles (handmade) and stir-fried rice noodles are amazing. I often drive all the way there just for a meal.

The beef rice noodles beside Kaiyue Hotel are well worth trying.

Sewu Lamian across from the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China in Hongwei is run by Sichuan locals. In my opinion, it tastes better than Tan Er Lamian. I cannot go three days without eating here.

Delicious beef rice noodles can be found next to the courthouse on Youdian Street. Tasty hot dry noodles are sold near the Century Garden intersection. Big Shiyan flatbread beside Shiyan Power Supply Bureau is a great snack. Fresh soya bean milk is available right outside Factory 54. Wonton at the former Star 88 in Hongwei tastes wonderful, and hand-pulled noodles at the gate of Zhangwan Hospital are excellent.

There is also "Killer Noodles" at the foot of No.1 High School slope.

Not many hidden gems are left! The thick rice noodles opposite Dongyue Shopping Mall are incredibly satisfying. The hand-pulled noodles diagonally across from Zhangwan Hospital taste terrific and offer home delivery. They are far better and more affordable than those made by Xinjiang vendors, though the dining area is small.

A newly discovered spot along Yindu Street serves superb lamb chops and beef tendons — absolutely mouth-watering. What’s more, the staff are exceptionally welcoming.

Supplementary recommendations: A small alley near the China Mobile business hall in Fukang Community serves outstanding sour fermented noodles. There is also a barbecue stall at the intersection, which often closes early if you arrive late.

Right by the bridge opposite Dongyue Shopping Mall (facing the Technical Center), a Guizhou beef rice noodle shop offers extra-thick noodles with authentic flavour.

Directly across from Meng Laosan Restaurant, a shop run by Hunan people sells handmade rice noodles that rival the famous beef offal noodles elsewhere. They have a wide selection of dishes, and the whole family running the shop is very friendly.

The hot dry noodles at Shenchu Fast Food near the No.2 Shiyan High School intersection are delicious. They also offer hand-cut noodles and seafood noodles with disposable tableware. Do not come in the morning, as the shop is packed with high school students and you will not get a seat.

The clay pot rice at Kaiyue Hotel is outstanding, especially the cured sausage flavour.

Jiajia Clay Pot Rice next to Dongfeng Theatre is always full despite its small size. (The restaurant has now moved downstairs to Huanghe Hotel across from the Finance Bureau.)

On the left side of the intersection near Shiyan Thermal Power Plant and the Steering Gear Factory, a restaurant serves spicy fish offal hot pot together with Honghu specialties such as marinated lotus roots. Prices are low, hygiene is mediocre, yet the flavour is unbeatable. I frequently take a taxi there. Their braised dried tofu with pork belly is unforgettable.

Near the Wulu Bus Stop on the road from Zhangwan Roundabout towards Hongwei, a Japanese hot pot restaurant offers cheap meals in spicy or mild broth.

Another great fish offal hot pot restaurant is located in Sanyan District.

A lady runs a barbecue stall under Ronghua Night Club next to Liuyuan Library. Her grilled green beans and baby cuttlefish taste fantastic.

Another good barbecue stall sits beside Jiujiu Duck by the factory bridge. Fried meat skewers near the Government Primary School are also tasty.

Other picks: chopped chilli fish head in Huanglong, Sanqianli Korean Barbecue on Dongyue Road, and Tan’s Fish Head beside Xingguang Electrical Appliance Mall.

Wanli Barbecue serves tasty grilled steamed bun slices, shiitake mushrooms and crucian carp. The grilled crisp bones at Northwest Wolf behind Liuyuan Square are highly recommended.

If you love meat, head to Golden Gulf halfway up the slope on Dongyue Road. This restaurant specialises in pork shank soup. The broth is extremely fresh, and you can suck out the bone marrow through a straw — absolutely delicious. Prices are very low, and the owner is a funny, amusing character. (Not available for Muslim diners.)

The first seafood restaurant in Shiyan next to McDonald’s Liuyuan serves amazing teppanyaki squid.

Under the bridge at the Support Department, there is a pickled fish restaurant called Bridge Fresh Fish House. The fish is tender, the sour cabbage is well seasoned, and the price is budget-friendly.

Tuotuo Fish restaurant under the Zhangwan Bridge (next to Zhangwan Post Office) cooks great fish at reasonable prices. It has a branch in Hongwei.

Many people love prawns. Go down the stairs on the right side of the old railway bridge near the train station and you will find Yanlong Prawn Restaurant. Their cooking style originates from Yicheng big prawns. The owner keeps a secret spice blend for the final simmer, similar to the steamed basin prawns popular in Zhuxi County. Whole prawns are cooked until the meat stays tender with a spicy kick. The prawn season runs from June to October.

On the right side of the bridge behind Liuyuan Gymnasium, Old Sichuan Restaurant is run by a Chengdu native. Together with Yanlong Prawn Restaurant, these two shops dominate Shiyan’s large prawn market. When they are fully booked, big prawns become scarce and prices rise citywide. Their Sichuan pickled pepper prawns carry a unique tangy fermented vegetable flavour. Every summer, both restaurants are crowded with customers, and the owners claim they turn over tables four times a day.

(Repeat note: The fish offal hot pot restaurant near the thermal power plant is highly recommended again.)