Chongqing is a city of steep hills, rivers and stairs, and its food culture is built for people who work outdoors and eat early. Xiaomian is sold from small shops and street stalls from about six in the morning, and it is eaten standing or on a plastic stool at the curb, usually before eight.
The bowl
Thin alkaline wheat noodles are boiled briefly and dressed in the bowl rather than the pot. The standard dressing is chili oil, sesame paste, ground dried chili, pickled mustard greens, chopped scallion, crushed peanuts, a little soy sauce and vinegar, and sometimes a spoonful of lard or a piece of braised beef. You mix it hard with chopsticks before eating so the sauce coats every strand.
How to order
You will be asked two questions. The first is the noodle quantity, usually described in liang, with one or two liang being a snack and three a meal. The second is the spice level: wei la for mild, zhong la for medium, te la for very hot. Zhong la is the local default and is hot by most visitors' standards. Extra toppings such as braised beef, pork ribs or a fried egg cost a little more.
Where to eat it
Every neighborhood has its noodle shop, and the best ones have a queue at 7 a.m. The chain shops are consistent but less interesting. Small stalls in the older districts, in Ciqikou and along the river, are the ones to look for. Vegetarian versions without the meat topping are available and are usually just as good.
Practical notes
Bring small notes or be ready to pay by phone. The noodles contain wheat and usually sesame paste, so they are not suitable for gluten-free or sesame-allergic diets. After eating, the standard local move is to drink the small bowl of hot soy milk that most shops sell alongside.
