Sichuan · noodle
Chongqing Small Noodles (Xiaomian)
重庆小面 · Chóngqìng Xiǎomiàn
Chongqing's signature breakfast noodle — wheat noodles in a fierce chilli-oil-and-pepper soup.
Chongqing xiaomian is the city's defining breakfast noodle. A bowl of fresh alkaline wheat noodles in a soy-and-chilli-oil broth, with ground Sichuan peppercorn, sesame paste, soybean sprouts, scallion, garlic, and pickled mustard greens (zha cai). Traditional bowls run ¥10–¥15 from neighbourhood shops. The heat level is genuinely fierce; ask for *xiao la* (less spicy) for a first try.
Where to try
Chongqing breakfast shops everywhere. Outside Chongqing, dedicated xiaomian chains have spread to most major cities.
Dietary notes
Wheat (gluten); pork-stock typically. Vegetarian versions exist.
Cities to try Chongqing Small Noodles (Xiaomian)
Other southwest dishes
- Baba Flatbread粑粑
Yunnan's daily flatbread — a thick wheat or rice-flour round cooked on a griddle and eaten plain or stuffed.
- Bang Bang Chicken棒棒鸡
Cold poached chicken shredded by hand, dressed in chilli oil, sesame paste and Sichuan peppercorn.
- Boiled Fish in Chilli Oil水煮鱼
Fish slices submerged in a deep pool of chilli oil and Sichuan peppercorns. Served bubbling.
- Chongqing Hotpot重庆火锅
The original mala hotpot — a simmering cauldron of beef tallow, Pixian doubanjiang and Sichuan peppercorn for communal dipping.