Zhenjiang Guogai Mian Pinjianguan

I went to this restaurant for lunch at 11:30 am. It might be early, no one was eating. I ordered braised pork intestines noodles. The pork intestines were cleaned, with a little bit of fat, and tasted very fragrant. The noodles were also OK.

The Pot Cover Noodles Tasting Hall located below Xijindu is not only a tourist attraction, but also a restaurant where you can taste delicious food. Here you can learn about the history of Zhenjiang Pot Cover Noodles. But after looking at many pictures, I still don’t understand why Zhenjiang noodles have such an origin? Although the legend is very beautiful, will it be delicious just by putting a pot cover on the pot?

Located on the street near Changjiang Road in Xijindu, the location is easy to find. Although it is a time-honored restaurant in a tourist attraction, the service and environment are inevitably a bit behind, but the taste is still good, and the restaurant is good value for money. The pot cover noodles taste good overall, but the long fish noodles are a bit light and lacking. The steamed buns taste very good.

This two-story noodle shop looked nice, and busy, so I decided to try it. They only had red broth pot noodles, no white broth, and they all tasted the same, lacking in freshness. The noodles were also lackluster, a little wider and springier than usual, and the texture was average. I chose three different toppings: beef, kidney, and pork intestines, but none of them I'd want to try again. The crab roe soup dumplings were too greasy, and the crab roe flavor wasn't strong enough, making them unappetizing. The braised pork was equally ordinary and unremarkable. The service was even more average. If this place weren't in a scenic area, I doubt it would have been so popular.

Located right on the old street, the decor is quaint and charming. If you're in Zhenjiang, you absolutely must try the pot-covered noodles. The kitchen is open, so you can watch the chefs at work. I ordered noodles, fried dough sticks, soy milk, and more. A more affordable price would be even better.

The recipe for pot-covered noodles originated in the Qing Dynasty. Legend has it that when Emperor Qianlong visited Jiangnan, he visited Zhang Saozi's noodle shop in Zhenjiang. In a moment of haste, Zhang Saozi mistakenly placed the small lid of a soup pot on the noodle pot instead of a large one. The resulting noodles were surprisingly delicious, earning praise from Emperor Qianlong.