Classic Guilin Rice Noodles. This new kid on the block, opened about a year ago, is worth trying. After falling in love with the delicate taste of 桂林米粉 (guilin mi fen / Guilin rice noodles) during a trip to Guilin a few years ago, I searched to no avail for something similar in California. There are places that call themselves Guilin noodle shops, but none came close to what I ate in China (for 50 cents a bowl). Last month, I skeptically walked into Classic Guilin Rice Noodles on 10th Street just to check it out and found, to my surprise, authentic Guilin rice noodles. Unfortunately, this restaurant received some negative Yelp reviews from customers who walked in expecting ramen, pho, and the like (um…wrong country, folks) and admittedly, the broth can be a bit salty. But the fact that we can get a real taste of Guilin right here in Oakland Chinatown is impressive. Like Guilin, the waitresses here speak only Mandarin. The noodles, they inform me, are made locally by a noodle sifu in Chinatown.

Vien Huong. If locals are reading, this restaurant needs no introduction. Number 21 with half egg noodles half flat rice noodles is my order, and regulars are very particular and consistent about what they want here. Soup on the side, extra kidneys, or a load of chili on top — everyone is adamant that their way of enjoying Vien Huong Chiu Chow noodles is the correct way. (For ideas, run a search on the hashtag, VienHuong (i.e., #vienhuong) on Instagram.) Vien Huong has a loyal following. At age 9, I recall standing outside with the crowd in a two-hour line, reading Chinese comic books purchased by my mother from the bookstore next door to pass the time. Today, the length of the line remains the same, and the children that I waited with are now parents, struggling to entertain and convince their restless children that it’s well worth the wait.