Ruijie & Sascha
Trail of China · May 2025
Rice Noodle Rolls
Cheung fun — silky rice noodle rolls with sweet soy sauce, the Guangzhou breakfast that costs almost nothing.
Why You'll Love It
Rice noodle rolls (肠粉, cheung fun) are the reason Guangzhou mornings are worth waking up for. A thin layer of rice batter is steamed on a cloth tray, filled with shrimp or beef or char siu, rolled up, and doused in sweet soy sauce. The whole thing takes 30 seconds to make and costs ¥8.
The texture is what makes it — silky, slightly chewy, slippery. The soy sauce is Guangzhou's secret: slightly sweet, slightly savory, poured on generously. You eat it standing at a counter or sitting on a plastic stool, and it's the best ¥8 you'll spend in China.
About Rice Noodle Rolls
Rice noodle rolls (肠粉) are a Cantonese breakfast staple consisting of steamed rice batter rolled around fillings like shrimp, beef, or char siu pork, served with sweet soy sauce. The dish originated in Guangzhou's Pearl River Delta and remains the city's most popular cheap breakfast.
Practical Details
Getting There
The best cheung fun shops are in Liwan and Yuexiu. Take Line 1 to Changshoulu or Huangsha.
What to Skip
Skip the pre-made cheung fun in shopping mall food courts — it sits under heat lamps. You want it made fresh on the steam tray.
Essential Information
Location
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