Guilin’s restaurants are famous for serving exotica, such as palm civets, ttu’- ties, snakes and rare birds. Fortunately, you can eat well here without devour- ing endangered species. Food is of good quality though prices can be steep - at least RMB50 per person in a proper restaurant - and it’s essential to check them before ordering. Far cheaper are the 
mass of nondescript, clean places for sand- pots, dumplings, stir-fides, roast and braised meats, located throughout the cen- tre, especially around the bus and train stations on Zhongshan Lu; some of’ these go as fir as offering pigeon and pheasant. Most larger establishments have English mencts and open around 1 l aln-2pm and 5.30pm-late.
Cheng’s Local Food Shazheng Yang Lu. Cantonese roast meats, sandpots and steamed greeno, with popular pavement tables for hot weather; not expensive.
Food Street Top floor of Niko-Niko Do Plaza, cor- ner ofJiefang Lu and Zhongshan Lu. Cheap and clean canteen offering Chinese noodles, dim sum and Western-style pizza, pasta, coffee and tea.
Jiulong Zhongshan Lu. Stick to straightforward Cantonese and regional fare - smoked duck, chicken with bamboo shoots, taro and pork - and this multistorey place is fair value, with great food. Gourmet dishes, however, will bankrupt you, though exotic treats like scorpion and sea snake are not too outrageously priced at around RMB30 a portion.
Natural Cafe Yiren Lu. Eclectic “foreign” menu including spaghetti, borscht, and Southeast Asian coconut curries from RMB18, and steaks for around RMB35.
Tong Lai Guan Entry is around the side of the building in an alley off Zhongshan Lu. Hot, noisy, smoky, and an excellent place for an inexpensive dim sum breakfast of Cantonese and local snacks, all wheeled around on trolleys.
Yi Yuan 106 Nanhuan Lu. Real Sichuanese food, comfortable surroundings and friendly, English- speaking staff make this a nice place to dine. It’s not that expensive, either; two or three can eat well for RMB80. Try the “strange-flavoured” chicken, green beans with garlic or first-rate sweet-and- sour fish.
