Fen Classic Guilin Rice Noodles

Chinese noodle restaurant · Chinatown

Fen Classic Guilin Rice Noodles

Chinese noodle restaurant · Chinatown

2

188 10th St, Oakland, CA 94607, USA

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Fen Classic Guilin Rice Noodles by null
Fen Classic Guilin Rice Noodles by Classic Guilin Rice Noodles
Fen Classic Guilin Rice Noodles by Luke Tsai
Fen Classic Guilin Rice Noodles by null
Fen Classic Guilin Rice Noodles by null
Fen Classic Guilin Rice Noodles by null
Fen Classic Guilin Rice Noodles by null
Fen Classic Guilin Rice Noodles by null
Fen Classic Guilin Rice Noodles by null
Fen Classic Guilin Rice Noodles by null
Fen Classic Guilin Rice Noodles by null
Fen Classic Guilin Rice Noodles by null
Fen Classic Guilin Rice Noodles by null
Fen Classic Guilin Rice Noodles by null
Fen Classic Guilin Rice Noodles by null
Fen Classic Guilin Rice Noodles by null
Fen Classic Guilin Rice Noodles by null
Fen Classic Guilin Rice Noodles by null
Fen Classic Guilin Rice Noodles by null
Fen Classic Guilin Rice Noodles by null
Fen Classic Guilin Rice Noodles by null
Fen Classic Guilin Rice Noodles by null
Fen Classic Guilin Rice Noodles by null
Fen Classic Guilin Rice Noodles by null
Fen Classic Guilin Rice Noodles by null
Fen Classic Guilin Rice Noodles by null
Fen Classic Guilin Rice Noodles by null
Fen Classic Guilin Rice Noodles by null
Fen Classic Guilin Rice Noodles by null
Fen Classic Guilin Rice Noodles by null
Fen Classic Guilin Rice Noodles by null
Fen Classic Guilin Rice Noodles by null
Fen Classic Guilin Rice Noodles by null
Fen Classic Guilin Rice Noodles by null
Fen Classic Guilin Rice Noodles by null
Fen Classic Guilin Rice Noodles by null
Fen Classic Guilin Rice Noodles by null
Fen Classic Guilin Rice Noodles by null
Fen Classic Guilin Rice Noodles by null
Fen Classic Guilin Rice Noodles by null
Fen Classic Guilin Rice Noodles by null
Fen Classic Guilin Rice Noodles by null
Fen Classic Guilin Rice Noodles by null
Fen Classic Guilin Rice Noodles by null
Fen Classic Guilin Rice Noodles by null
Fen Classic Guilin Rice Noodles by null

Highlights

Classic Guilin Rice Noodles is your go-to spot for hearty, no-frills Chinese noodle dishes, including flavorful beef and crispy pork options.  

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188 10th St, Oakland, CA 94607, USA Get directions

fencuisine.com

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188 10th St, Oakland, CA 94607, USA Get directions

+1 510 250 9333
fencuisine.com

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Mar 4, 2025

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@eater

"More than 20 herbs go into the namesake dish at the Bay Area’s first Guilin-style restaurant, which serves variations on the same staple: slippery rice noodles, peanuts, scallions, garlic, pickled long beans, egg, a soy-herb sauce, and your choice of meat. There are additional locations in Milpitas and San Mateo." - Dianne de Guzman, Momo Chang, Eater Staff

15 Outstanding Chinese Restaurants in the East Bay
View Postcard for Fen Classic Guilin Rice Noodles
@eater

"This Chinatown spot was one of the first places on the West Coast to introduce U.S. diners to the pleasures of its namesake dish — a beguiling, texturally pleasing mix of slippery rice noodles, roasted peanuts, pickled vegetables, meat, and broth. The restaurant is currently open for takeout for lunch only, Tuesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. (though they open a half hour earlier on weekends). Call in or walk up to order." - Luke Tsai

Best Restaurants in Oakland Chinatown Open for Takeout and Delivery - Eater SF
View Postcard for Fen Classic Guilin Rice Noodles

Yan Kuang

SerpAPI
The Food I am not sure how noodles differ in different regions of China. But when I walked by Classic Guilin Rice Noodles, it seemed like an interesting place to try. My friend and I ordered their Beef Brisket and Crispy Pork Guilin Rice Noodle (牛腩,脆皮桂林米粉) along with Special Small Bowl Rice Noodle (合味特色一口粉). The Special Small Bowl Rice Noodle came with a sampler of different noodles. These "Bite Rice Noodle" give a chance to try different noodle dishes. I enjoy both the Beef Brisket and Crispy Pork as well as Special Small Bowl noodles. I like these styles of noodles, and the flavors, though similar, are pretty good. They of course have a variety of other dishes besides noodles, so will need to return and try them. The Miscellaneous The restaurant itself is decent sized with a good amount of seating. The interior is clean with interesting decor, giving the typical Chinese restaurant vibe. The service and staff were nice and sincere. They took our order when ready, and the wait time for the food was pretty quick. Their menu has other selections besides noodles such as stew, hot pot and rice plate. The prices are not unreasonable so it is worth a try if you are in the area.

Dei Garcia

SerpAPI
My mom and It's favorite noodle spot of all time ever. My body feels like new when I have one of their classic bowls. Food really is medicine 🙏🙏. Please try it out. Their laiyou stuff is also delicious if you want a little kick

Joe Riley

SerpAPI
Had to try a bowl of their namesake classic. Pleasantly surprised they serve the broth on the side. I was in the mood for dry noodle and enjoyed the broth separately. First, just really clean broth, very well done. The noodles were fantastic texture and well dressed with peanut and some vegetable bits. I would have been happy with that. I added crispy pork, somewhat similar to bacon but the crispy edge was fantastic. I will return to explore more of their menu. Service was great too, very nice and helpful with their menu. Great job Fen!

Norman Hall

SerpAPI
Family run, friendly and quiet. I haven't had these noodles in twenty years. I remembered how I use to eat this once a week. And it was so good then, I ordered a large bowl and couldn't finish it all.

Question Asker

SerpAPI
Would give a 7/10 for authenticity. Price is reasonable. pretty good option when you miss the Guilin rice noodles.

Heliana Mano

SerpAPI
Hmmm...Not sure if i'm more disappointed about the let down of this place that I had chosen or because I made my husband have his first terrible meal for the past 3 months. The answer will haunt me for life!!! First things first, this place didn't have the best rating, BUT, as a good person I thought to myself - what's the point of trying only highly rated places? What about the other guys who are trying to get out there and make their restaurants known? Yea, that theory just died today! Not only this place didn't have the highest ratings but also didn't have a big amount of reviews - yea, I know, I should have known better. I learned my lesson though. The ambience was too modern for my Asian taste. The service was quick and friendly. They served complimentary tea which we both took one sip and didn't touch it (yuck). Surprisingly there were only locals eating here which made me feel - hey this place doesn't look like it will deliver but everything else says it will so let's keep our fingers crossed. That ship sailed and drowned immediately as our food arrived - hubby ordered nr 4 the beef and crunchy pork noodles with the broth on the side and I ordered nr 21 the spicy beef noodle soup. The flavors in nr 4 were pretty good, the noodles weren't bad but the meat quality was the worst we have had in a very long time. My dish was pretty bland and on the contrary to nr 4, nr.21 didn't even have flavor, the noodles were pretty sad and the meat was blah. Sadly, won't return to this place. It was a good budget meal but it just wasn't tasty.

Dave C

SerpAPI
This place was decent. It had good flavor, wasn't too heavy or light. I had a beef noodle bowl and it wasn't anything that would put me in a food coma for the rest of my afternoon. It was reasonably priced for the volume. The next time I come, I'll try a rice dish. The service was a tad slow considering it wasn't too packed. My bowl came out about 5 minutes before my mom's and the lunch rush hadn't started yet.

Ahmad Jetha

SerpAPI
I found Classic Guilin Rice Noodles on Yelp when searching of places that were open after 9 pm in Oakland. It caught my attention as its cuisine was not from the common Sichuan, Hong Kong or Shanghainese cuisine that dominates the non-Panda Express landscape within the US. A quick google search showed that the Guilin is a city from the Guangxi province in the southern part of China which is famous for its beautiful scenery and its rice noodles which are known throughout China. It is located on 10th & Alice which I wouldn’t call as the heart of Oakland Chinatown but surely within it. At around 9:15 pm the restaurant was completely empty which I did not take as a good sign. I approached the counter and asked for a menu from the server/hostess who was definitely surprised to see me. Anyway, the menu mentions that their signature dish is the noodle sampler bowl which has five small bowls of dry rice noodles with different toppings and a central bowl with a thick white dipping broth. As this dish is not convenient for take out I kept looking at the extensive menu with a gazillion combinations and settled on getting the Beef brisket & marinated beef Guilin Rice Noodles ($10.57) large to-go. I was charged another dollar for the to-go containers (there is a tiny sign on the counter that proclaims this) and even though they do take cards I think I did not hit the minimum and had to pay cash. After ordering it was a small 10-minute wait and I was on my way. I got two containers one for the broth and the other for the noodles which was a good start. The noodles were cooked correctly but the beef toppings were of very poor quality. The broth was clean and not overly salty but is was not like the thick white broth that I saw in the pictures of the sampler noodle dish on the menu. Overall it was average. Price wise it was definitely more expensive when you compare with what you will pay for a bowl of noodles in other Chinese restaurants in Oakland Chinatown but I’ll let that pass as this is specialized cuisine which will have a much smaller draw as compared to more mainstream Chinese restaurants. I think it would be better to dine-in at this restaurant rather than to get something to-go. I guess I’ll stop by when I get a chance and update my review at that point. For now I’m constrained to go with an A-OK grade.

Jiawei L.

Yelp
Located in China town. Food is mild taste which is good for lunch. The service is good. Server provided everything requested: vinegar, napkins. I will definitely come back again.

Yih R.

Yelp
It was rather expensive, more expensive than lots SF places too and the portion is rather small. The flavor was good, and they also offer free pickled vegetables. Will I come back? Probably not, unless I really crave rice noddles. The owner here works very hard and she was very efficient. The place is simple and not much to comment. It's a place for a quick bite in between shifts and that's about it. But again. Rather expensive to me.

Alice H.

Yelp
I had their Ultimate Spicy Beef Rice Noodle Soup--it's packed with round noodles, tender beef, egg, spicy bamboo shoots, fermented soybean, chili, tomato, green veggies, and snail soup. It's really spicy, flavorful, and satisfying. The noodles have a perfect chew, the beef is tender, and the fresh tomato adds a nice touch. The broth is tasty too, making the whole meal enjoyable. This time, they also offer a side dish tray with extra spicy bamboo shoots, fermented soybean, and more, so you can add even more flavor to your soup!

Amy M.

Yelp
I have been by this place many times over the years but my most recent visit they relocated down a block from their original location. They do not offer public restrooms unfortunately. The new location is a lot smaller than their old one but still a nice place to stop by for a meal. Their menu items have mostly stayed the same with few items being removed such as the sampler noodles and some of the combos. My most recent visit I had the laoyou snail noodles and the five blessings guilin noodles. Both were very good! Since they don't have many people coming in for dine in, they serve the dishes in compostable bowls and use sustainable utensils. I didn't have much problem besides some noodles getting stuck to the bottom of the bowls but nothing you can't pry off with a spoon or fork :). The service was great, the staff were attentive and worked fast to get food out. Overall a great visit, and not once have I experienced any problems during my visits over the years. A great place to stop by in Oakland Chinatown :)

Derek L.

Yelp
I like Guilin Rice Noodle and I gave this place a try. The noodle was disgusting and dangerous. We found a metal in my son's bowl. Don't know if he ate some of metal strips already? So scary!

Jie L.

Yelp
Came here on a random weekend for lunch, this is a small noodle shop on the edge of Oakland Chinatown. We ordered the 5 blessing Guilin noodle soup and a spicy snail noodle soup. The 5 blessing is just a mix of meat with noodle with a side of broth. While the spicy snail is a soup noodle with your choice of meat and a variety of vegetables. The service was fast, and you get your food even faster. I think this is a quick stop for lunch if other places are closed, we were not impressed with the food, and I think for 20/pp you can grab other quick eats in the neighborhood for better value.

Mark F.

Yelp
What a great spot! Found it randomly while searching for a good lunch spot. Basically it's dry or soup noodles and it seems most like the dry noodles so I went with that. I got the beef brisket/crispy pork noodles and added the pickled cabbage. I also got a side of yuba which is thin sheets of soybean. You can order online which is convenient and it was ready in 10 minutes. It's cash only so make sure to have that money in hand. First the yuba. I'm a fan of yuba, and if it's homemade, it's one of the best forms of soybean/tofu you can eat. This wasn't that but the flavor it was cooked in had a nice, subtly spicy flavor to it. Thoroughly enjoyed having it given you don't see it often on menus. The noodles were fantastic. The crispy pork and peanuts provide a great crunchy contrast to the soft and slippery rice noodles. Make sure you mix it well before eating it since a lot of the sauce stays in the bottom. The green cabbage was also an additional nice crunch plus sour flavor to contrast all the other flavors going on. Given this is basically a meat/noodle dish, i welcomed having some greens in there. You can't see it in the photo but there was an egg in there that was also a nice add of something different. It's a familiar flavor and nothing that will blow your socks off but as a casual lunch spot, would love to have this on a regular basis. Definitely check it out.

Qiong L.

Yelp
My go to place with my boyfriend! We always order same noodle every time and we go there every other weeks every on time haha! Service is ok... but the food is the best container with other Guilin noodle.

Steve D.

Yelp
It's Sunday morning in Jan 2022, and I got a nice bowl of Beef Tripe Rice Noodle Soup from this restaurant. I ordered flat noodles in a clear broth. My takeout order came in 2 containers, and were easy to mix, stir and enjoy. Very nice, hot bowl of noodle soup. But why takeout? Because this restaurant at "188 10th St" has no dining room. It's mainly takeout and delivery, with a very limited counter area for 4-5 diners. I thought it was takeout and delivery because of Covid-19. But I spoke to the lady who took my order, and she said there's no dining room beyond the front entry. So all those photos of a large dining room, are from the old location down the street. The current restaurant is more like a "hole in the wall." Same great food and kind service. But don't expect to bring a group of people and have noodle soup.

MT Y.

Yelp
The portion size has gotten smaller - definitely shrinkflation in play. Taste is still good, but less garlicky than before. They serve their noodles in disposable plastic bowls with disposable plastic spoons now. In an effort to reduce our global carbon footprint, I will not be eating here anymore.

Cindy C.

Yelp
I was really craving Guilin rice noodles so on a visit to the area, I sought this place out. I'm so happy with my experience there! I ordered a bowl of guilin rice noodles with golden crispy pork and beef tendon. The meal was incredibly delicious. The noodles were the right texture, not too mushy or brittle, and the golden crispy pork provided great texture and flavor too. Overall, the flavor of all the ingredients complemented each other very well. In addition, the interior is very nice and the staff were very friendly with recommending what to order. Would definitely visit again!

Len R.

Yelp
Been there twice now in one month. Best to order ahead using their QR code but I haven't figured out how to specify dri-mix, Guilin noodles, extra spicy, large, with pickled cabbage online :) Park out front easy.

Michele L.

Yelp
Placed an order through Dashdoor on a Friday at around 11:15 AM. We had expected to wait about 30 mins for our order to be fulfilled, but turned out it took only around 10-15 mins for the food to be ready for pickup! I would assume this was the case probably because we placed our order early before the lunch hour. My family had ordered Beef Brisket & Tripe Guilin Rice Noodle x 2 (one for myself), Crispy Pork as appetizer/side dish, BBQ Pork & Crispy Pork Guilin Rice Noodle, and Beef Brisket & Crispy Pork Guilin Rice Noodle. I believe they're only allowing pick up and delivery currently. They got tables blocking the seating area out so no one is allowed in. There's two tables for pickup orders - one specifically for Doordash pickup and the other is probably for all other orders. By the time I went to pick up the food, it was all ready to go. Crispy Pork was done nicely! Thinly sliced and skin was crispy. As for my Beef Brisket & Beef Tripe Guilin Rice Noodles, it was well worth the price. My bowl of noodles was enough for me to split into two meals if I wanted to. They provide the noodle and soup in separate containers. There was moderate amount of tripe and brisket. The noodles though! They were firm with a slight bouncy texture to it. Doesn't get soggy. My sister had her noodles sitting out for a while because of a work meeting and the noodles stayed firm. Every meal came with a small container of what I think is their house spice. Their house spice is pretty spicy (more than I can handle) so I opted to not add that into my noodles. Overall, a pretty good meal! I'd come back for some noodles if I'm in Oakland. You probably have to drive around to look for parking though since this is in Chinatown.

Judy S.

Yelp
Dry A11 is the order. Service, food, and portions are good. It doesn't really have quite the same flavor as the rice noodles in Guilin, but the ingredients are correct and the flavor profile is very similar. Very good place to go to get your fix. I do wish they allowed you to scoop your own pickled green beans and toppings, like they do in Guilin!

Iona C.

Yelp
I always feel a little bad giving places with good service 3 stars, but I'm just not a huge fan of the food. The rice noodles are good consistency-wise, but they don't really taste like much, even with the various toppings (I've tried the five portion sampler and the regular-sized beef brisket). Some other reviewers seem to be able to taste something in the side bowl of soup, but I taste... absolutely nothing, not even salt. That said, I would come back if I was looking for a more simple meal that wasn't fried, oily, etc. Otherwise, I tend to prefer food from other regions or China (e.g., Xi'an, Hunan, etc.).

Kristin Q.

Yelp
Service: 8/10 Food: 10/10 Portion: medium Wait time: no wait time on a saturday night Love this place. Typical chinatown service but they aren't mean just not super talkative because they are at work! I have never had noodles like this. They have a recommendation of how you should eat their noodles. You are suppose to smell, mix, eat and add some soup! I like the 5 bowl sampler because I get to try all the meats and in eat but I get all the yummy garlic toppings. My favorite meats though are the marinated beef and crispy pork. The tea is also amazing. It's complimentary and has the Luohan fruit in it.

Yan K.

Yelp
The Food I am not sure how noodles differ in different regions of China. But when I walked by Classic Guilin Rice Noodles, it seem like an interesting place to try. My friend and I ordered their Beef Brisket and Crispy Pork Guilin Rice Noodle (牛腩,脆皮桂林米粉) along with Special Small Bowl Rice Noodle (合味特色一口粉). The Special Small Bowl Rice Noodle came with a sampler of different noodles. These "Bite Rice Noodle" gives a chance to try different noodle dish. I enjoy both the Beef Brisket and Crispy Pork as well as Special Small Bowl noodle. I like these style of noodles, and the flavors, though similar, it is pretty good. They of course have a variety of other dishes besides noodle, so will need to return and try them. The Miscellaneous The restaurant itself is decent sized with good amount of seating. The interior is clean with interesting decor, gives the typical Chinese restaurant vibe. The service and staff were nice and sincere. They took our order when ready, and the wait time for the food was pretty quick. Their menu have other selections besides noodles such as stew, hot pot and rice plate. The prices are not unreasonable so it is worth a try if you are in the area.

Vivian C.

Yelp
I usually order delivery and today is the first time I eat in store. The place is clean, the food is great and authentic as always, and the services is excellent! The lady gave us extra soup along with the to-go box. The home-made chilies sauces are delicious!

Peggy W.

Yelp
They need to put their Oakland address on their website so people can find them! I was lost for awhile when they moved out of their old location. I thought they were gone for good! Luckily I found that they had reopened down the street from the former location. I almost always order their #10 on the menu which is pork belly with beef stew tendons over rice noodles. REAL Comfort food! And the woman who has waited on me has always been pleasant! I try to go by at least once a month to get a take out order to satisfy my fix!

Jeff H.

Yelp
My friends wanted to get the Guilin Rice noodle for lunch one day and we ordered some to go. I have the beef brisket and the crispy pork rice noodle. The crispy pork was not crispy and was more on the soggy side. The pork does not have any flavor... As for the beef brisket, it was flavorful but it was fatty which I don't really like about it. But the noodle itself with oil, soy sauce, and other spice made up good flavor. Overall, the rice noodle was really chewy but then the beef and the pork need some work.

James K.

Yelp
I ordered delivery from Guilin and got the pork feet, five blessing noodles (dry), and soy milk. It was pretty comforting food and the noodles were a great texture. I enjoyed the salty nuttiness that the roasted peanuts added as well as the sour crunch from pickles. The meat pieces were OK - few bites were slightly dry but overall tasted good. The soy milk is home-y in a good way.

Kari C.

Yelp
It's all right. Disclaimer: I'm not familiar with food from this region & I prefer Cantonese or Southern cuisine. A co-worker invited me to lunch at this local spot. Why not? It's a good change of pace from standard greasy/salty Chinese food. The restaurant is very clean and nice on the inside. It's not very crowded. Comfortable place to have a meal. Service was also pretty good. I went with the popular choice of noodles with pork bits. You can choose with or without soup. I chose to have it dry, with the soup on the side. The "soup" looks like murky water and doesn't have a whole lot of flavor. There is a poster on the wall explaining that the soup goes in the bowl with the noodles near the end of the meal. I'm figuring the liquid mixes with whatever's left to give it some flavor. The rice noodles are okay. Fresh, but not extraordinary. Portion size is good for the price. We asked for more sauce. It does seem a bit dry. Maybe I should have put some of the "soup" in? Flavor was pretty good from the fatty pork. It also had some pickled veggies, shallots, half a hard boiled egg. I didn't notice any herbal soup flavors as others have noted. Overall, a good lunch spot, comfortable setting, decent value. It may be a tad healthier than usual Chinese food. Worth at least a try for flavors from a different province.

Chef J.

Yelp
Fascinating and delicious authentic Chinese noodle dishes! Recently I have been on a mission to find newer restaurants that should be on my rotation and I will return here to try more noodles. I had the classic guilin noodles, served dry with broth on the side. Many flavorful tastes in the bowl and the noodles were great. Thx Fen Guilin!

Lainey C.

Yelp
I came here with two other friends and although we ordered 3 bowls, all of food came out within a few minutes! This is now my new favorite place to get noodles and I'm glad they have delivery options as well. The portions are good for their price. Everything in the bowl was cooked perfectly and even had peanuts in it! we really enjoyed our meal. The lady that serviced us was nice and friendly. I really liked their soy milk and I would come back to try more items on their menu!

Daniel C.

Yelp
You can find tons of noodle places in Oakland Chinatown, but Classic Guilin Rice Noodles has several unique things to offer. They have a nice backstory of how their rice noodles originated, and there are posters describing how they make their broth. I would best describe the cuisine here as light, flavorful, hearty, and borderline herby/medicinal. 4 stars overall. Beverage: The free tea is made from Luohan fruit, and has a unique flavor. A Yelp check-in gives you a free drink (soy milk or milk tea). Veggie Plate: Highly recommend this for sharing for 2-4 people. Great diversify of color, textures, and flavors. We got fried peanuts, lily buds, soft tofu, cabbage, bean curd, this super spicy radish-like dish, minced pickles, and wood ear mushrooms. (5 stars). Noodle Sampler Plate: This is great for first-timers or the truly indecisive! Five portions of rice noodles with different meat toppings and similar broth and noodles. My favorites were the beef brisket and the crispy pork - both were full flavored and had a bit more garlicky sauce in the noodles which elevated the flavors. My least favorite was the tripes. The BBQ pork and sliced beef were OK. The white, milky soup base was divine - not sure what's in it, but it was light and flavorful. (4 stars). BBQ Pork and Brisket Noodles: My wife's favorite dish, mainly because of the soft, firm and chewy noodles with a good dose of garlic. Like the sampler, the broth was clean and light, and devoid of oiliness. (5 stars)

Linda N.

Yelp
The homies and I were trying to kill time before departing to separate parties so we decided to grab a bite. My friend really enjoyed the noodles here and I've never heard or seen a noodle sampler so I was pretty intrigued Noodle Sampler - 5 bowls, same noodles, different meat toppings. After the first bite, I felt a glaring look from my friend sitting across from me as I foodgasmed. These noodles were super tasty. I asked the server what kind of dressing they used at which he responded, its just vegetable oil. Oh. My favorite would have to be the tripe, crispy pork, and beef brisket. The five small bowls are equivalent to a large noodle bowl. I was pretty satisfied with this dish. It was delicious and inexpensive.

Eri S.

Yelp
This is a review of just the vegetable Guilin noodles. I was craving noodle soup for brunch and found this place with vegan option. The nice woman who took my order for "vegetarian noodle soup" first offered the mushroom soup (with chicken broth), then the spicy snail noodle soup (with pork broth). Then pointed out the vegetable Guilin noodles that's served with soup on the side. It's in the middle of the page. She explained the original sauce was cooked with pork but they can leave the pork out, or serve it with soy sauce. The bowl of noodles came out very quickly. It comes with stewed tofu skin, stewed fried tofu cubes, lily buds, black tree mushroom, spiced peanuts, pickled green beans, and a little bit of tender greens on top of a bowl of springy round rice noodles. The sauce is on the bottom of the bowl so I stirred it all up, then used the two condiments on the table: chili oil and black bean chili sauce, to spice it up. The "soup" that comes on the side reminded me of the water used to boil noodles, slightly floury but no other discernible flavor nor fragrance. I was peeking at other tables and did not see any of the 4 people I could see without turning my head drink theirs. I tried adding very small amount to my soup spoon, but I didn't see an improvement so I skipped it. I wished it had a little more green veggies, both for being the only pop of color in the bowl and because I love dark green leafy veggies. I couldn't finish the regular bowl so took the rest home. I'm curious if the noodles will retain their springiness when eaten as leftovers?

Jenny W.

Yelp
This is a small, hole-in-the-wall spot in Chinatown. There is not much seating, but you can also order takeout and the service is fast. The food here is very comforting and flavorful. Guilin rice noodle dry-mix: We got this with crispy pork and beef brisket. I highly recommend the golden crispy pork. The skin was very crisp, while the meat was tender. This noodle was packed with flavor, and the waiter recommended that getting this dry-mix instead of with soup was better, which turned out to be a great recommendation. Clear broth beef noodle soup: This was such a warm, comforting bowl of soup and noodles. The broth was clarifying and had just the right amount of seasoning. Deep fried dough stick: This is a great appetizer. Super fluffy on the inside, but crisp on the outside. Enjoy this with a hot cup of soy milk.

Agnes Y.

Yelp
I've come here quite often for over three years now and it's become a statement place that my mom and I will come to together for lunches or days when we have to do grocery in Oakland Chinatown. This is probably one of the last times we'll be coming because they no longer have a stamp card system. It was a very great rewards system they had, where you'd get a stamp for every bowl of noodles you ordered. It came with lots of free goodies as you kept going: free coke, soy milk, a stew soup, a regular size noodle and a noodle sampler. Those were the perks! it seems they are getting rid of that, which makes this place lose a really big incentive for me coming as a customer :/ 3.5 stars for the food. The food itself is great (I love the taste!!), but they definitely use a lot of MSG so you'll be thirsty for hours after this meal. Also, the portions have changed. It really seems like their large size is practically the same amount as their regular size, which is extremely disappointing. I usually order their Crispy Pork Guilin Rice Noodle. It comes with a light soup, which you can either choose to pour it into the noodle bowl or drink it after/during your meal. I usually pour about half the bowl into my noodles, and I'll drink the rest afterwards to cleanse my palate. Sad to say I'm not as big of a fan of this place as I used to be :(

Mike L.

Yelp
I've been there twice recently, I enjoyed their Crispy Pork over Tomato Sauce Rice Noodle Bowl, which is soupless and comes with a side of soup. There's a decent amount of seating and they turned it around pretty quick. I would be interested to try some of their other noodle bowls in the future. The noodle bowls are a little pricier than your average won ton noodle soup, but it's a pretty good amount of food for what you order. They offer credit card payments but their minimum is $20.

Chris A.

Yelp
My wife, sister-in-law and I came here for lunch as we were looking to explore more of Oakland Chinatown. We found this place and were curious since we don't see that many Guilin noodle shops. This restaurant is along the strip of Chinatown and there didn't seem to be a wait when we arrived. The restaurant is medium sized and the staff were fairly friendly. There were a lot of options to choose from and they even have some instructions on the wall to best enjoy their dishes. I had the beef rice noodle and my sister in law had the pork. My wife got the sampler combo where you can try several bowls at once which I feel was the better option if you want to taste more of the menu. The price wasn't too expensive and they also take card which is great since a lot of noodle shops tend to be cash only. I would suggest parking in the nearby garage and walking here as street parking can be a hassle. Overall, we may come back here again - but we'll probably explore other options before returning.

Heliana M.

Yelp
Hmmm...Not sure if i'm more disappointed about the let down of this place that I had chosen or because I made my husband have his first terrible meal for the past 3 months. The answer will haunt me for life!!! First things first, this place didn't have the best rating, BUT, as a good person I thought to myself - what's the point of trying only highly rated places? What about the other guys who are trying to get out there and make their restaurants known? Yea, that theory just died today! Not only this place didn't have the highest ratings but also didn't have a big amount of reviews - yea, I know, I should have known better. I learned my lesson though. The ambience was too modern for my Asian taste. The service was quick and friendly. They served complimentary tea which we both took one sip and didn't touch it (yuck). Surprisingly there were only locals eating here which made me feel - hey this place doesn't look like it will deliver but everything else says it will so let's keep our fingers crossed. That ship sailed and drowned immediately as our food arrived - hubby ordered nr 4 the beef and crunchy pork noodles with the broth on the side and I ordered nr 21 the spicy beef noodle soup. The flavors in nr 4 were pretty good, the noodles weren't bad but the meat quality was the worst we have had in a very long time. My dish was pretty bland and on the contrary to nr 4, nr.21 didn't even have flavor, the noodles were pretty sad and the meat was blah. Sadly, won't return to this place. It was a good budget meal but it just wasn't tasty.

Joshua D.

Yelp
I lived in Guilin China for several years, and had Guilin rice noodles almost everyday. This place is 100% authentic! In fact It may be in my top 10 Guilin Noodle places ever (including places in Guilin and Guangxi!) my wife is from this area of China and also gives It her seal of approval for authentic and delicious! Also, we have found the service fast and the servers and staff very nice. This is not your typical "American-ized" or white-washed chinese food. This is local and authentic. So if you are not familiar with this regions of China's food, be prepared for your culinary world to be expanded. Although this is authentic Guilinese food, i will say for a "western" palette, the golden crispy pork is sure to please! And for those wanting a bit of adventure, the hot sauce (with fermented soy beans) on the table is a must for super local flavor, just like my wife's grandma makes. I highly recommend this place!

Xuan L.

Yelp
Always good food. Dining in is still open, as long as you do not mind a "hole in the wall" experience and only care about the food. Oh the food

Joyce S.

Yelp
Many choices to choose from but the guilin rice noodle lacks a bit of taste. Nice ambience though, quiet and clean. The spicy snail rice noodle is slightly better in taste but quite spicy, should have ask for mild instead. The noodles are thin for this one which makes them soak up the soup better and taste better too.

Adam B.

Yelp
For my first visit I had the Veggie Guilin Rice Noodles. Yum, it was a generous portion for the price with good flavor and really nice people. I will definitely go back and try more.

Sandy T.

Yelp
The BBQ pork rice noodle with tomatoes sauce was flavorful! Included a clear broth, so you can eat it dry mix with the tomato sauce or with soup. The tomato sauce was on the sweeter side, which I thought would be tangy/sour.

Tiffany Y.

Yelp
I don't usually eat this type of cuisine -- i've only ever had it in pre-made packages. Having it made for real was such an upgrade...haha!!! I thought it was pretty good, the noodles were cooked well, the flavor was all there, and there was just enough moisture for the noodles to mix well. I got the A12 with the salty beef and the crispy pork dry noodle, and the crispy pork just tied it all together. Having a little amount of crunch in the midst of all the noodles and spices just topped it off!! The soup that came with the noodles was a different story though...it looked like rice water with a few pieces of green onions in it. If the green onions weren't there I probably would've thought that it was something to wash your spoon with, haha! The soup was really bland. I came in at around 9 on a sunday, didn't really expect that many people to be on this side of oakland chinatown; there were around a few tables seated when we walked in. Would come here again to try the other dishes; I'm sure they're all just as good!!

Elizabeth L.

Yelp
Not sure why I came here, one of the worst noodle spot I've been to. I'm not even sure what I ate to be honest. Tried to ask the waitress about the differences of a few noodle choices but she didn't really know so I ended up randomly deciding on a noodle.

Porsche C.

Yelp
I recently had a conversation with one of the members in my Chinatown Meetup Group who decided to disagree with me that noodles don't fill you up. What the HECK! Are you kidding me? A huge bowl of noodles for me would put me straight to sleep. Whom was he kidding?! Well, I decided to prove them wrong and we recently had a Chinatown dinner at Classic Guilin Rice Noodles. This was a different experience for many of us in the group as we had never tried Guilin noodles. Since we decided to split our table to a group of four, I recommended that my group shared the vegetarian dishes for an appetizer. The dishes included an assortment of dried and picked items and were a great way to start the evening. Honestly, it was truly hard for me to choose a noodle bowl because all the options looked delicious. I opted for the large bowl of classic Guilin noodles topped with Beef Brisket and Crispy Pork. The order arrived shortly after and it wasn't nearly what I thought it would look like. It was very similar to dry noodles with a small bowl of cloudy broth on the side. The server delivered my dish and informed me that I can pour into the bowl or sip on the side. The noodles were tasty and definitely filling. I didn't even feel the need to pour my broth in as it was delicious without it. Once your noodles arrive, there is a certain way to eat the noodles. You must mix all the ingredients together, and when I did I noticed that I was a great balance of noodles, veggies, and meat all in one. My favorite part of the noodles was the crispy pork skin, it was truly "crispy" indeed. The prices are reasonable and the food was tasty. Although I wish that customer service was just slightly faster. We waited a while to be seen once we arrived. All tables come with a tableside tray of chili and other condiments inside like salt and pepper. Do yourself the favor and try some of that delicious Chilli as it seems to be very popular! I would definitely come back here. I also hear they have a location in San Jose that I would be open to checking it out! Until next time!

Leslie Y.

Yelp
Brought my sis and cous that were visiting, they liked it, we went twice in 3 days....This time we added soup to our dry bowl, I always did this.... Flavors are nice and easy, not dreaded with msg.....Their portions seem a tad more compared to before....

Melinda Y.

Yelp
If you know me, you'll know that I love noodles of all kinds. These rice noodles are unlike pho in that they're thicker. Come with an open mind. You'll love all the toppings. #16 with the crispy pork was better than the tripe bowl (#15). You can request to have both. We didn't pour the broth in because that would dilute the flavors. The broth is light in consistency and flavor. I did had to heap on the chili oil. As I'm writing this, I am craving another bowl. They serve longan tea which is made from dried fruit similar to lychee, imparting a sweet flavor. The tea is supposed to be full of nutrients. If you see the dining room filled and start to calculate the wait time in your head, don't fret...there's a secret room in the back, which is more spacious and less raucous.

Kent L.

Yelp
Excellent. I had G10 pickled cabbage beef tripe noodle soup and was impressed by the fresh ingredients and good taste. I saw the chefs walking in and out of the kitchen with fresh vegetables, so I know the ingredients were fresh. It tasted very good except perhaps for the condensed bork (beef?) sausage, whose texture and taste I was not used to. But there was only I think 1 piece in my dish. It was an excellent all around soup. I will be back, despite the slightly longer walk from my office to get there.

Chris H.

Yelp
The food itself was pretty good, the pork was really crispy, tender and also had a very nice flavor. The noodles had a nice texture to them and seemed perfectly cooked. I'm leaving four stars because of the size option: you can order either a Regular size or Large size which is about $1 more. My girlfriend ordered the regular size and I ordered the large size and there was no difference between the two in terms of portion size. The only difference was the larger bowl. Other than the size, everything else was pretty good and I'll definitely be coming back to try their other tasty items!

George F.

Yelp
Yesterday, we took a drive to Oakland to try Classic Guilin Rice Noodles. Its located on the southern part of Oakland Chinatown. Minimal decor the interior looks like a cross between a Pho joint and a boba place. I had only tried Guilin noodles a couple times before and I wanted to see what the standard should be. The menu is a nicely printed picture book. However, it comes with three other laminated print outs of lunch specials and a hot pot option. I saw pics of the Guilin noodle sampler on Yelp which includes 5 slightly different noodles and the soup $13. The 5 Guilin noodles are just the different toppings the noodles on the bottom are the same. 1) sliced beef 2) beef tendon 3) crispy thinly sliced pork belly with the skin cracklings 4) beef tripe 5) sliced pork. The sliced crispy pork was the best, it had a better flavor with the cracklings in the soup. We also ordered the spicy beef and tripe noodle soup which I thought was good because it just had more beef broth flavor. Side dishes range from $1.50 to $5 very inexpensive. The entire lunch was $29 before tip, very inexpensive considering you'll need to pay $10 for parking if you can't snag one on the street. Service was minimal. They do take credit cards. Parking us always hard in Oakland Chinatown.

Linde H.

Yelp
FOR THOSE WITH NOODLE SOUP COMMITMENT ISSUES LOOK NO FURTHER. CLASSIC GUILIN RICE NOODLES HAS SOLVED YOUR NOODLE WOES. I'm not sure why i haven't discovered this place earlier given my love of noodles. I walked by and saw some photos, then did some research on Yelp but what really caught my eye was the sampler. Not a lot of places offer samplers and seeing how I love noodle soup and can never decide what I'm craving since I want all of them- so having this option is definitely a plus. My favorite from the 5 samplers was the Cha Siu, the beef stew, and the intestine or tripe thing. The broth they give you makes such a big difference!! Definitely pour it over your soup bowl because it will enhance your noodles. There is a bit of seasoning in the small bowls- so the broth will bring that out. When you first look at the sampler bowls, you're like what?? This won't fill me up... WRONG WRONG! I couldn't finish mine so I ate the toppings and forced my friend to finish it for me! Will definitely be back for more sampler noodles.

Johnny M.

Yelp
I cannot find reasons to say great things about this place, but neither can I say they are terrible. Me and a friend tried the marinated beef and crispy pork rice noodle with a side of vegetables. The noodles contained preserved vegetables, a few peanuts, braised beef sauce, and a broth on the side. Overall it was an acceptable meal, but one must use the chili sauce that they provide in order to bring the taste out of the noodles.

Claire K.

Yelp
Soup tastes so good and fresh! I ordered the dish came in with 5 small bowls of noodles with different toppings, so you gotta try everything. Stewed beef is the best! If I ever come back I will get the stewed beef rice noodle for sure. Service was kinda slow; but the waiters and waitresses were nice. Asked for an extra bowl of soup but they forgot to bring me until I ask for it again. A valid rice noodles place. Plenty of customers were there 2:30 pm on a Saturday afternoon.

Katy Q.

Yelp
Guilin noodles! Often associated with rice (perfect for my gluten free dad), mixed in with simple gravy or broth, and topped with lots of finely chopped condiments. The menu has tons of variety, alot of which you don't find in a typical noodle shop. Nice pics too, how very chinese. My mom ordered a chicken mushroom noodle soup (+0.50 for wheat), my dad a beef noodle soup, and myself the 5-noodle dish special (same noodle base with 5 different meat toppings.. menu is not obvious what they are). Yelp check-in got us a free tofu appetizer also! They also offered a mountain ginger-like tea, but it tastes too much like eastern-medicine to me =/ Everything was huge and cheap, each broth having a unique taste of their own. (I think sometimes a little too unique, as it didn't taste as comforting as you'd expect). We were all stuffed silly, and between rests, we would still sip a little more of the soups. I'll be back again in chinatown to try some of other options for sure, but its hard to compete with so many other cheap eats.

Lempi M.

Yelp
Bad service, especially for me. The waiter told me it was cash only. Then I noticed the sign next to the cash register that said " credit cards require purchases of $20 or more." The waiter gave the other table ice water, but not us. We ordered the beef brisket and crispy pork rice noodles and Laoyou dumplings. The noodles were barely hot, and the dumplings had a freezer burnt texture and were served in a broth that was sooooooooo strong tasting. The waiter did not bring the bill to us, only the other table. At this point, I guess I'll have to admit that the dude was just rude. The whole experience left a literal and figurative bad taste in my mouth. I had to get up in the middle of the night and brush my teeth again. Yuck.