A celebrated street food from the karst mountains region of Guilin in Guangxi province, these rice noodles are served in a clear pork-and-beef broth and crowned with an array of punchy toppings. The magic is in the build: savory braised meat, crunchy peanuts, tangy pickled long beans, and a slick of chili oil come together over slippery rice noodles.
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time40 mins
Total Time60 mins
Servings4
Yield4 servings
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (estimated)
- 720 kcalCalories
- 22 gFat
- 6 gSaturated Fat
- 78 gCarbs
- 4 gFiber
- 6 gSugar
- 38 gProtein
- 1180 mgSodium
- 640 mgPotassium
- 90 mgCalcium
- 5 mgIron
- 12 mgVitamin C
- 85 mcgVitamin A
Ingredients
For the pork bone broth
- 2 lb pork neck bones, rinsed
- 8 cups cold water
- 1 yellow onion, halved and charred
- 4 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 (3 inch) knob fresh ginger, sliced
- 2 star anise
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp kosher salt
For the braised beef topping
- 1 lb beef brisket, cut into 2 inch chunks
- 3 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
- 1 tbsp rock sugar (or brown sugar)
- 2 star anise
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- 3 slices fresh ginger
- 2 cups water
For the rice noodles and toppings
- 1 lb fresh wide rice noodles (or 8 oz dried rice sticks, soaked)
- 1/2 cup chopped pickled long beans (douchong)
- 1/4 cup chopped pickled chili peppers
- 1/3 cup roasted unsalted peanuts, lightly crushed
- 2 cubes red fermented tofu (nanru), mashed with 1 tbsp of its sauce
- 4 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 2 tbsp chili oil, plus more to taste
Directions
- Make the broth: combine pork bones, water, charred onion, garlic, ginger, star anise, cinnamon, soy sauce, and salt in a large pot. Bring to a boil, skim off any foam, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 45 minutes, adding water if needed to keep bones covered. Strain and keep hot.
- While the broth simmers, braise the beef: in a small heavy pot, combine brisket, both soy sauces, rice wine, sugar, star anise, cinnamon, ginger, and water. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer over low heat for 1 hour, or until the beef is fork-tender. Remove, cool slightly, and slice thinly across the grain. Reduce the braising liquid to a glossy glaze and reserve.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. If using fresh rice noodles, blanch for 30 seconds just to heat through; if using dried, cook according to package directions until tender but still chewy. Drain and divide among 4 large deep bowls.
- Spoon 1 1/2 to 2 cups of hot pork bone broth into each bowl over the noodles. Top with sliced braised beef, then arrange small mounds of pickled long beans, pickled chilies, crushed peanuts, and a teaspoon of mashed fermented tofu over each.
- Finish with a generous shower of scallions and cilantro, drizzle with chili oil, and serve immediately with extra chili oil on the side for diners to adjust heat to taste.
Cook’s Notes
- Char the onion directly over a gas flame or in a dry skillet until blackened; this gives the broth a deep, smoky backbone characteristic of the original.
- If pork neck bones are unavailable, use a mix of pork ribs and trotters for body and richness.
- Pickled long beans (douchong) and red fermented tofu (nanru) are nonnegotiable for authentic flavor and can be found in any Chinese grocery.
- For a lighter version, skip the braised beef and serve with simple blanched pork slices and a splash of the braising liquid instead.
- Adjust chili oil at the table; Guangxi locals love it quite spicy, but start with a small drizzle if you are heat-sensitive.










