Yunnan on a Plate: Hearty, Sour, and Spicy Rice Noodle Soup at Daoxiaoman
The people who work around Sanlitun are blessed, aren't they? Sure, they have to contend with traffic and crowds, but they're spoiled for choice when it comes to lunch. One of our favorites is a humble but hearty rice noodle shop called Daoxiaoman.
Hidden in the basement of one of the neighborhood's most popular lunch spots, Pacific Century, Daoxiaoman was extremely busy during the lunch peak period, so much so that we were obliged to share a table with strangers after waiting in the long queue that stretched outside the small eatery. Offering several cold dishes, Daoxiaoman also provides the popular rice noodle soup 过桥米线 (guoqiao mixian, literally crossing-the-bridge noodles), among numerous noodle soup options.
The crossing-the-bridge noodles (RMB 39) were served in a sizable clay pot, with half of a chicken, deep-fried bean-curd sticks, enoki mushroom, cordyceps flowers, and chrysanthemum petals. The broth was hearty with strong chicken and peppery flavors, and the rice noodles were thankfully springy and not limp, thanks to the 19 hours of preparation they claim to put in, along with their strict "no preservatives" policy.
We also recommend the tomato with fish rice noodle soup (RMB 35), an abundance of tomatoes giving its broth an inviting orange-red hue. It was like Yunnan on a plate – hot, spicy, sweet, sour, and moreish, with fish fillets in the broth, and rice noodles in a bowl on the side. We also couldn’t leave without trying the rose cake (RMB 6), which was still hot with a flaky and buttery exterior. It boasted a sweet rosy filling, satisfying enough to make you forget all about the calories.
The service here was efficient for a food chain, while the rice noodles are generously portioned, making Daoxiaoman a standout among the slew of more generic noodle joints that can be found throughout Beijing.
Craving more Yunnan cuisine? Check out our comprehensive coverage here.
Daoxiaoman
Daily 10am-9.30pm. B1-132, Pacific Century Place, A2 Gongti Beilu, Chaoyang District (6500 4327)
刀小蛮半只鸡云南米线：朝阳区工体北路甲2号盈科中心裙房B1层132单元
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Email: tracywang@thebeijinger.com
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Photos: Tracy Wang, dianping
