Zizhulin
In the hearts of Hengyang people, only Hengyang rice noodles are NO.1. In Hunan, almost every city has a bowl of 'must-eat noodles when you go home,' and for Hengyang people, this bowl of noodles is the braised noodles from Zizhulin. Zizhulin used to sell two taels of noodles for 5 yuan, but now the price has increased to 7 yuan for two taels. Although there are only a few slices of beef on top of the noodles, the beef is all from yellow cattle, braised by the owner himself with a unique flavor that other places don't have. The owner also specially adds herbs to clear the heat, so that after eating a bowl of braised noodles, your throat won't feel dry.
West Lake Fish Noodles
Zizhulin and West Lake Fish Noodles each hold half of the Hengyang Rice Noodles' fame. Hengyang Fish Noodles have even been featured on CCTV's 'China Breakfast,' gaining significant recognition. The first notable feature of West Lake Fish Noodles is their freshness; the broth is milky white, and adding a bit of vinegar makes it even more flavorful. The second feature is the generous portion; even after finishing the noodles, you'll still have about half of the fish slices left. West Lake Rice Noodles are made from handmade thin round noodles that remain firm even after soaking for a long time, becoming more flavorful as you eat. The specific location is opposite the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanhua University on Lianhu Road, Qingshan Street.
Unnamed Pork Noodle Shop
Located diagonally opposite Aimin Road. This unnamed pork noodle shop on Pioneer Road has been open for decades. The owner’s family is from Chenzhou, with a very strong accent and a particularly honest demeanor. Every morning, people flock here to eat noodles, and the small kitchen is bustling with the owner’s family quickly preparing noodles, collecting payments, and adding soup, all in an orderly manner. The speed of serving noodles is particularly fast. The pork noodles and fish noodles here are stir-fried with high heat, making the outer skin slightly crispy. Therefore, compared to Xihu fish noodles, the broth here is richer and has a hint of spiciness, which spicy food lovers will particularly enjoy.
Yan Chu Wu Wei Noodle Shop
This noodle shop on Shifu Road started with just a simple shed, hidden in an alley, easy to miss if you're not paying attention. Gradually, the shop gained fame, and many people living in Huaxin would drive over early to have a bowl of noodles. Yan Chu Wu Wei is best known for its pork bone noodles and fish noodles. The rice noodles used are Zha Jiang rice noodles, which are thin but not soft, and remain firm even after prolonged cooking, offering a chewy texture. Unlike the stir-fried toppings in Changsha, the toppings at Yan Chu Wu Wei are made of minced meat and loofah cooked in bone broth, paired with a mild bone broth, making it very light and refreshing. It's located in the alley opposite the south gate of Guangbai Department Store.
Lao Xiang Shi
Lao Xiang Shi is famous for its pig tail dish. It started as a small food stall and has grown into a chain restaurant, holding a significant place in the hearts of Hengyang people. To truly enjoy this dish, you must abandon all concerns about your image and fully engage your lips and tongue in battling the intense spiciness. Only when your mouth is glistening with oil and your lips are bright red from the heat can you say you've truly finished this dish. Located opposite the Central Hospital.
Tianwaitian Hunan Cuisine Restaurant
People from Hengyang are hospitable and love to take friends and family out to eat. Among these old Hunan cuisine restaurants, Tianwaitian stands out, originally known for its tea oil chicken and braised rabbit skewers. The tea oil chicken is cooked with dark tea oil, and the chicken itself is firm and tender. The fried chicken has a slightly crispy exterior and a juicy interior, making it a favorite even among children.
City Farmer's Country Cuisine
It is often heard from Hengyang people that the truly delicious Hengyang cuisine is found in the countryside, especially on the dining tables during the New Year. City Farmer's Country Cuisine is a newly opened Hunan restaurant in Hengyang that brings countryside dishes to the urban area, opening a restaurant in a vegetable garden. The most famous dish is the Ecological Fish Head King, where the entire male fish head is steamed with homemade chopped chili peppers. It is limited to a few servings per day, and many people drive over to eat it, but if they come late, they miss out. Popular dishes at City Farmer's include Green Stem Beef, Deep Mountain Wild Bamboo Shoots, Wild Chicken, and Old Hengyang Fried Sesame Balls. Especially the Wild Chicken, which is the most tender and flavorful chicken the editor has had in Hengyang in recent years, even better than homemade.
Li's Stinky Tofu
The most famous stinky tofu in Hengyang City, truly unparalleled. Li's Stinky Tofu has moved locations two or three times, originally located in Jinbu Alley. During peak times, the line could stretch from the beginning to the end of the alley, even boosting the business of the nearby ice drink stalls. As a decades-old establishment, Li's Stinky Tofu consistently delivers the same great taste. Each serving of stinky tofu is crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and the spiciness hits you right in the forehead, making diners break out in a sweat!
Chu Wei Xuan Shuaibing
Chu Wei Xuan Shuaibing is the first must-visit place on Aimin Alley. It opens every day after 1 PM, and within half an hour, people start lining up for their turn. The shuaibing is generously filled with ingredients, and the baking is done to perfection. The shuaibing is crispy and fragrant, with every bite full of flavor, making it extremely satisfying!
Tian Ci Wonton
Tian Ci Wonton is located next to Chu Wei Xuan Shuaibing, and is also an old and popular snack shop in Aimin Alley. This shop offers soup wontons, mixed wontons, and dumplings, all with only one type of pork filling. Every day, you can see the aunties in the shop constantly wrapping wontons, their fingers flipping and pinching, creating beautifully folded wontons in no time. The mixed wontons are served with homemade sesame paste, which is rich, fragrant, and sweet, leaving a lasting impression. The shop also sells raw wontons and dumplings. During the New Year and other festivals, families who are too lazy to make dumplings themselves often come to Tian Ci Wonton to buy a few pounds. It's a craft beloved by the elders.
Sister Wang's Flavorful Shrimp
Sister Wang's Flavorful Shrimp on Shifu Road has been open for over ten years. It has been featured in newspapers and on the news, and it holds a special place in the hearts of those who miss home. The shrimp here tastes just like it was made by your own mother. Each shrimp is cleaned thoroughly, and the oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar used are all trusted brands. The shrimp tails are clean, hygienic, and deliciously spicy. Many people love to pack a portion of Sister Wang's snails and shrimp tails to enjoy with friends over drinks. There's nothing better than a bottle of cold beer and a serving of Sister Wang's snails and shrimp tails. Sister Wang's snails, shrimp tails, and toothpick beef are all incredibly popular, with unique flavors you won't find elsewhere. They sell out quickly, so if you go late, you might miss out.
Ajiao Night Market
Next to the big tree in the Miao Pu area of Zhuhui District, Hengyang people love to eat frog legs (frogs) the most, and snails the second most. When summer arrives, the frog legs and snails in Hengyang can pile up like mountains. The nickname of Ajiao Night Market, 'Next to the Big Tree in Miao Pu,' is more famous than its real name, but the most famous thing is the snails. The way they prepare the snails here is very special, somewhat like stir-frying home-cooked dishes. The snails are soaked for a day to remove the mud and sand, then the tails are cut off and they are fried in hot oil. A mountain of snails is stir-fried in an iron wok, requiring a lot of effort from the chef to keep stirring them to ensure even heating. When a customer places an order, the chef switches to a smaller wok, adds green onions, ginger, and garlic to the wok, and then adds the half-cooked snails to stir-fry them again, ensuring each snail is flavorful. At Ajiao, the snails are always free of mud and sand, and each one is big, spicy, and flavorful!
