Finally good Guilin mifen, better than what I've had in the south bay, and closest to what I had in Guilin. - Guilin mifen is a rice noodle dish where, for me, the broth and roasted peanut quality are critical. I was worried because the broth looked almost like water, but it was so flavorful, especially with the little cup of meat broth. I don't remember it being soupy, and this broth mostly gets absorbed by the noodles (a good thing in this case) but you can add more broth if you want. They have a little broth station next to the pickup area inside. I'm not sure if you can add an egg or not, but I would do that if possible next time. There are 3 types of meat slices in it. One is pork belly, which had an amazing crispy crunchy fried skin texture and chewy/tender meat texture. I think one of the other meats was beef, and I'm not sure if the other one was just more beef or chicken or something. I'll pay more attention next time, for now I devoured nostalgia. You can grab toppings next to where the broth is. The portions are good for two or one with leftovers. Overall, not too salty unless you add the pickled stuff, mild and flavorful, though I can't describe the flavor well (savory, meaty). The peanuts are so good - I haven't been able to find good roasted peanuts outside of China for some reason, I feel like even the same brands taste different for some reason. These were great and I wish I knew where to get them. - Really bummed that they don't sell jianbing anymore!!! But the closest next best thing is the beef roll, which was also very tasty. It didn't look like much and I thought it would need sauce, but it was actually perfectly flavorful on its own. Has just the right amount of hoisin (a salty and sweet sauce), meat was a little overcooked in parts but still super flavorful somehow, like a beef jerky. Held its form with chopsticks, and was basically meat wrapped in scallion pancakes, which were perfectly chewy but not flimsy. - I've never had a thousand year old egg and tofu dish like this before. Their chili sauce is just salty, not spicy, and it's so tasty. As always, I wish there was more duck egg. Note: this type of egg is a very... acquired taste, definitely not for everyone, but the price is affordable if you want to try it. I would recommend eating this with rice or put it on your mifen. Service was good. You order at the desk, pick up your order around the corner, and then you can put extra toppings and broth in your dine-in or takeout order to the side of that. I wish there was more space because it can get crowded and awkward, but the taste and textures here are worth it. I loved boba cafe but this quality of food is way better, so I'm really happy Old Guilin stepped into its shoes. read more

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The service was fast and the food tasted good. It was slightly more on the saltier side. read more

Old Gui Lin - Menu - Chinese Near Me - Sacramento, California

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Came here on Thanksgiving Day, only restaurant that was open. Parking- pretty crowded in the lot, so parked on street. Accessibility- place is kinda small, but if you get a seat in the front tables, it can fit a wheelchair or stroller. Ambiance- busy and small. You order first then you try to find a seat. Service- they are friendly and efficient but they tend to break out into Mandarin. You'll just have to ask for things clearly. Food- -Braised brisket rice noodle soup- it was a tasty spicy -Braised pork ribs rice noodle soup- noodles fresh -Beef rolled pancake- crispy meat inside; you'll need to make your own sauce, not much flavor. - Pumpkin pancakes- nice and hot and not too sweet They excel on the rice noodles. There is a sauce bar that you can top off in your bowl. I liked the roasted soy beans. Restroom- way in the back and you have to go through a narrow hallway, so not so wheelchair accessible. Return Factor- yes, just to try more of the appetizers and drinks. read more

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Small restaurant. You have to order at the counter and then find a spot to sit at yourself. I wasn't disappointed with my food, but it can use a little bit more flavor. Portions are huge...my husband and I could've shared a main dish. read more

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I ordered A8 (Braised Beef Brisket Dry Tossed Noodles / 牛腩干捞面), which came with its own bowl of clear broth on the side. The beef was tender and very flavorful! I thoroughly enjoyed my noodles with their little ayce 小菜 / pickled veggies bar, especially the pickled greens (酸菜) and the bamboo shoots as a palate cleanser. I was, however, very disappointed that the noodles were essentially instant ramen noodles... Parking in this plaza is a bit of a pain. On the bright side, they had plenty of seating as well as quick service. The dine-in pickup location is also conveniently located right next to the pickled items bar, where you can add items into your bowl before sitting down. 4 stars because of aforementioned points + great price for a good meal. read more

Old Gui Lin - A8: Braised Beef Brisket Dry Tossed Noodles / 牛腩干捞面 - Chinese Near Me - Sacramento, California

I came here for a drink (C9...Coconut milk slushie) as my dessert for the evening. I always like to try new places and give new businesses an opportunity. The place looked moderately busy, clean, and familiar ( they're new). We ordered my drink, paid for it, and was handed a buzzer contraption to let us know when the order was ready. It's kind of weird since I was the only one ordering a drink. We were handed the beverage, but without a straw. We asked for one and was handed an unwrapped straw by the top (where one's mouth would go), with UNCLEAN hands. I waited till I we got home to wash the straw before I had a sip. Well, I did, and it was sickening sweet. Every flavor from the coconut milk to the pink bubbles (I think they're strawberry) tasted so artificial. There was NOTHING REDEEMING about this drink, and it went down the drain. What a waste. They need a lesson in hygiene and proper food service. After that, they need to stick with hot tea as the beverage of choice. read more

Old Gui Lin - C9...Coconut milk slushie with strawberry bubbles and a pound of sugar. It's GROSS and got dumped after 1 sip - Chinese Near Me - Sacramento, California

Intention of Yelp reviews either help the restaurant get more business and/or help yelpers navigate through language barrier and a chance to experience something special. This place is something special, and it's so packed all day long you better pick the right time to come in or be prepare to wait a bit. At least the food is quick and the cafeteria style seating keeps customers moving. There are some great reviews on background and how to enjoy so I will approach it for the vegetarian perspective. Vegetarians listen up! If you want to try some unique Chinese rice noodles this is how you do it. Order A1 and ask for noodle only/no soup. When you get your rice noodle in a bowl, go to the condiment section next to the pick up window and go to town on all the pickled veggie sides! There's the typical cilantro and green onion, roasted peanuts and chili oil. Then there's thinly sliced bamboo shoots, pickled vegetables, chopped mini string beans? That's just the half of it! Add it all up and you will experience a flavor explosion in your mouth AND texture overload from crunchy to chewy to the slippery rice noodles. It is like nothing else I have ever had from any restaurant in sacramento and perhaps the Bay Area. The closest thing to this would be the Vietnamese Bo bun hu from pho king II or pho ABC in folsom but neither are vegetarian. Taiwanese version that's I have only had from family would be mi Tai mu. Hope you enjoy this vegetarian version! If your party is half vegetarian and half not like us, you can order A1 and have them split the noodle from the rest of the dish and they would give you 2 bowls and a side soup for the non vegetarian to enjoy. Just add some noodle back and it's 2 bowls worthy of the price! Apart from the main rice noodle dish they also have some great appetizers that are vegetarian! B19 cold marinated seaweed, B20 cold marinated cucumbers for flavor and texture. B22 spicy stringed bean curd while flavorful, it may be too tough to chew for some. My favorites though are the B7 pumpkin pancake and B18 golden steam buns! Pumpkin pancake is chewy like mochi and covered in sesame seeds for the seedy explosion! The golden buns are handmade rolled and twisted multiple times for ever changing texture inside while maintaining a slight crunchy outside layer. Both texture overload for me!! Beware of the condensed milk dip for the lactose intolerant when ordering B18; it's sweet and tasty but you will pay the price! We also had B10 green onion pancake but we took it home and air fried It to a crisp so can't review it here. My wife and kids loved all the appetizers and the silky QQ rice noodle textures and my wife also enjoyed the flavor texture double feature of the rice noodles with the side condiments. Hope this review helps the vegetarian community navigate. read more

Old Gui Lin - Appetizers. Some not available yet as it's still their first month! - Chinese Near Me - Sacramento, California

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The spicy pig ear for $13.95 was a total rip off and a huge disappointment. I barely got any meat, it was mostly cilantro which completely overpowered any pig ear taste. Tiny portion, bad flavor, and overpriced. Definitely not ordering again. read more

Old Gui Lin - Chinese Near Me - Sacramento, California

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I have been coming here since this place was open and had good experiences. But today the service was absolutely horrible. First they wouldn't let me cancel a wrong order, then when I asked for some containers for the leftover food, the server doubted why I needed so many containers and wanted to check if we really needed them. I explained that because I couldn't cancel my order so we didn't even touch the food! Will never come to this place again! read more

To the reviewers who say soup is bland clearly missed the point of this style of noodles. 桂林米粉, or Guilin rice noodle, is all about the dry condiments and the things you add to the dry mix. It's the fried chili pepper oils, pickled vegetables and different types of braised meats that you combine together to make it a bowl. You don't come here for the soup. Think of it as Chipotle, where you build your own bowl, or something along the lines of Vietnamese vermicelli rice noodle plates with the grilled meats instead of the pho. If you want a strong broth, go to a pho or ramen place. They only add the broth option for some who prefer adding a little moisture to the bowl. Other than that, the portions are good, and the condiment bar is awesome. Much prefer this new establishment over the previous boba cafe. Guilin style noodles are all about the noodles, the chili oils that make the slick noodles even more slick, and adding an assortment of pickled vegetables to make your bowl of noodles a bowl of multifaceted texture and flavor explosion. The rice noodles are suppose to be supple and slick, while the spicy chili oils adds to their smooth texture. The wok fried lentils and peanuts are so suppose to give the slurping an intermission with a fun crunchy break. The various pickled vegetables have different flavor profiles that are suppose to round out the uniqueness of your bowl. While it's not as traditional as the noodle bowls I've had in actual Guilin, China, it's close enough to hit the spot. read more

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Came here for lunch earlier this week. I was impressed with the service (although there was a slight language barrier with the person the order), food, and restaurant layout. It has a more cafeteria dynamic when it came to seating. You can sit anywhere you like that is available. The food came out very quick, you can load up your noodles with the toppings they had available which were bamboo, pickled mustard, green onion, cilantro, or chili oil. The rice noodles were excellent and the beef brisket was tender. Definitely worth a stop for noodle lovers. read more

Old Gui Lin - Chinese Near Me - Sacramento, California

Came back to Old Gui Lin to try it in person. I got the A1and it was just as delicious. It came with a tiny bowl of soup but you can always ask for them to refill. I love the unlimited toppings! We also ordered the beef rolled pancakes to try as well and that was so tasty as well. It wasn't too greasy, and the sauce inside was sweet. It's definitely very busy in there cause the place is so small but I kind of like the hustle bustle. I wished it came with a stewed egg but the unlimited toppings make up for it! read more

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Food was great, had the A1 noodles. Self serve condiments and water. Self clean up well. read more

Old Gui Lin - A1 noodles - Chinese Near Me - Sacramento, California

I stop by every few weeks while I visit the nail shop close by. It's so yummy. I order the beef rolled pancake and the tai tea. The staff were really nice and helpful. read more

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Went for the first time last week but had been eyeing this place for a long time now. I'm glad i went. Food was delicious, staff was friendly, and it was very clean. I can't stop thinking about the soup i had, I'll definitely be coming back. read more

Had food delivered and I can't even express how amazing it was! I would give more stars if I could- the way it was packaged was so clever and it was hot when it arrived, and absolutely delicious! I will definitely be back in person. It was also very affordable and such a good amount of food for the price. Can't say enough about the braised pork and braised eggs, absolutely perfect! read more

Visited this place twice in a row during my month stay in Sacramento! So hard to find this style of Chinese cuisine. Everything was delicious--rice noodles, side soup, condiment bar, beef rolls, and boba drinks. Food came out so fast. Customer service was lovely. Restaurant was clean. read more

Kinda blown away with this place, I wanted to visit a place like The Flame Cafe and discovered Old Gui Lin next to Tealicious. The place is super clean and nice inside, the service was extremely quick, there is a condiment bar, and the food was tasty & delicious. For to-go orders, they gave a cute complimentary bag. Parking sucks but along this old school strip mall on Freeport is some of the best Chinese food I've ever had! Will be returning to dine in and try other dishes, but to start or if you're a newbie - the Braised Pork Rice is very good with generous portions :) read more

Tried this place with a friend and we ordered bunch of stuff to try. The beef roll in scallion pancake was my favorite and we loved the cucumber salad (sooooo flavorful and not as spicy as we thought). Also loved the toppings bar (even though we didn't know what some stuff was we tried it all out) the noodles with beef were good, but the meat was tasty but fatty and gristly. Egg rolls were basic but classic and good. The desserts were nice but we didn't have room to eat them there and took them home to snack on later. Service was friendly and helpful. We loved all the photos of the food to help make our decisions on trying new things. read more

Old Gui Lin - We tried a few different things to share. Noodles, beef pancake, cucumbers, egg rolls and more. - Chinese Near Me - Sacramento, California

First time here. Everything was good and nice having a different type of noodle place close. Will be returning to try other items on their menu! read more

Old Gui Lin - B8: Beef Pancake A1 and A9 Fruit Tea (Excellent) - Chinese Near Me - Sacramento, California

This place took over the Boba Cafe in the plaza. You order 1st & wait for them to call the # on your receipt. Go to the add-on stations next to pick up area to add in the stuff yourself. Clean up yourself when done, so no tips is necessary. Add-on station Include: Onion, cilantro, peanuts, soy bean, bamboo shoots, pickled long beans, pickled. Veggies & hot sauce. What I dislike: - noodle presentation is horrible (see pic). My friends thought that came out of my kitchen - 3 types of meat in noodles: paper thin beef shank, pork & roasted pork - the woman (prob owner) stand at the pickup window & call # out in mandarin. Not only I can't hear her from far, but I have no idea what she said since it's not in English - add-on station table is small & the owner is so thrifty by using the long skinny drink spoons as ladle. You can barely pick up foods & prob end up standing there over 5 mins & hold up traffic - noodles is ok, no flavor without the add-ons. Comes w/ a bowl of clear broth - appetizer plates are small. Beef roll, beef shank & tofu w/ black eggs are ok. Nothing exciting that you will order a 2nd I think the food is ok, I tried it. Not too impressed. Parking is horrible during lunch hours & hard to find seating. So go around 11 if you want to give it a try. read more

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Old Gui Lin is another great hole in the wall lining Freeport. It offers very authentic noodles and appetizers at reasonable prices. It is clean and welcoming. Every beef and pork noodle dish is amazing and the open topping bar is a wonderful touch. Having been to Guilin and eating the food there I have to say this is very up to par. Some of the best regional Chinese food in Sac! read more

The food was delicious. Just the noodles by it self without the broth was absolutely delicious. I didn't know what half of the topping was that I was putting in my dish, but it just enhanced the flavor so much more. A lot of fermented greens. The service was really good. The lady in the front was aware that we were not of the same descent and she kept an eye on us so we knew when our number was being called. They were faster than I expected cause it was pretty packed. But they were so friendly and patient. The ambiance is nice. Definitely can get crowded. But it was comfortable and nice. read more

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When I saw this place opened, I immediately wanted to try this place. I've visited Gui Lin it self in China and when i tried this restaurant's noodles, it brought me back a lot of memories. I like their combo noodle, all the ingredients were fresh and the noodles were cooked to perfection where it's not too hard or soft and is the right temperature. All of the unlimited sides such as pickled veggies, nuts, and peppers you get to add onto the noodles makes this place fun to go to. This is the only restaurant I know of in Sacramento that has this type of noodle. I would come back. read more

True hidden gem of Sacramento. I love this place. Even their to-go is exceptional with everything nicely packed with branded bag and boxes (though not very green friendly) including all the sides compliments. Have been here multiple times since I've moved here and tried multiple options. All the food is solid. The restaurant is always neat and the order easy and with super fast service. read more

Very authentic rice noodles and great self service side dish bars with peanuts, all kinds of pickles and sauces. We also love the soy milk and mung bean smoothie. The owner is very helpful and friendly. Definitely recommended! read more

Was here on Monday around 3pm ish and it wasn't packed! This place is usually very busy and very packed for dinners. They have many tables joint together and can accommodate large groups even a stroller. The food here is amazing. I order the A5 beef brisket soup noodles and the noodles are so glutinous and good! The broth is very flavorful. They have a toppings bar you can add spices, fresh cut herbs, or pickled veggies to your bowl. The flavors of milk tea is on point and their boba is very yummy. Will definitely be back again. If you can't dine in, you can order to-go and they give you cute to go bag too. read more

Old Gui Lin - A5 with taro milk tea :) - Chinese Near Me - Sacramento, California

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This is my first time trying this sort of cuisine. Super impressed with the.Gui Lin noodles. It's a bit of a drive from my house, but totally worth it. read more

Great noodle soup experience. Chinese food. You order your food and wait for food to arrive. You can add toppings to your food (noodle soup). Self serve. Small space but noisy sometimes. read more

My new favorite noodle spot. Service also friendly. Clean and cozy inside. Local vibes. So happy to have this place close to me. read more

Old Gui Lin - Chinese Near Me - Sacramento, California

Oh man, I miss Taiwan!! The service was great, it's such a cozy restaurant. I couldn't choose between the rice with braised pork or noodle so I got the rice. It's unique how their side of soup came in a pouch! Flavor was yummy. If the rice was softer and pork more tender, if would be perfect. Can't wait to go back and try other dishes! read more

Absolutely delicious. Loved the noodles and also the garlic vegetables. The condiments in the condiment bar were fresh and delicious.

I got a bunch of items for takeout and it did not disappoint. Items were so large that I managed to eat mine over several meals. The standout thing here is the bounce of their noodles. It's incredible, even 2 days later. The condiment bar is unlimited (they gave me containers to use) and I loved the variety they provided. The area is shady, but the noodles are worth the visit. I can't wait to go again! read more

We happened upon this place in a strip mall close to our favorite chinese food restaurant. It was so busy and we wanted to try it. It's pretty much self serve order at counter, they give you a number and you pick up the order when its ready. We got dry rice noodle (A1) and beef soup rice noodle (A3). They have a self serve bar with some condiments like hot sauce, pickled veggies, peanuts, baked beans. I tried every topping. While eating this delicious dish, i watched video of the history of Gui Lin and their special rice noodles. I feel so special that this restaurant is in sacramento. Definitely a unique treat. When we were done, we got an order to go for a family member. The packaging was so special. This is going to be a repeat favorite for sure!! read more

Old Gui Lin - To go package and boba drink - Chinese Near Me - Sacramento, California

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The food is ok. Nothing that blew my mind away. I would've given it more stars is the parking wasn't such a nightmare and with the nightmare of a parking it was to even get there the inside is as bad as the parking. Super tight. Super crowded with the addition of baby strollers and pure chaos inside. The guy that took my order was super nice tho and under all the circumstances going on around the little busy restaurant he did a pretty good job of taking care of me. The sauce bar is there but at such a terrible area as well. Nobody inside knows how to say excuse me. They all just stand and slowly shuffle their way through staring at you awkwardly. The food is really not worth all that read more

This place is a hidden gem! (probably not for long) Our party tried brisket dry noodle, brisket rice, pork soup, and few other dishes and everything was excellent. The flavor and tenderness of the meat is just perfect. The staff is very friendly and we will definitely be coming back soon! read more

I came here another day at 10AM but turns out they actually open at 11AM instead so I went back the next day at at 11:15AM and it was already packed with locals so I had to wait for the first wave of customers to finish their food before I could find a table. The prices are extremely affordable in the inflationary era. Ordering was simple where you order at the counter and everything is pretty much self service which I enjoy. There's a condiment bar for fresh green onions, cilantro, pepper pastes and preserved veggies. The beef green onion roll was good a solid 7.5/10 and the texture of the noodles was nice and QQ but I feel as if something was missing from the dish. The soup on the side tasted like water mixed with some beef bouillon powder. Since they just opened a couple weeks ago, they are trying to get through orders fast and I'm disappointed that they already sold out of the egg noodles. read more

Old Gui Lin - Chinese Near Me - Sacramento, California

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Nice clean atmosphere. Service were pretty fast for a walk in and order sit in restaurant. Self sever bar perfect for topping of your bowl. I had the pork dry noodles and my brother had the dry beef noodles. Plenty of sauce at a bottom of the bowl so no broth needed. Plus dry bowl comes with a small bowl of broth on the side that you can add in if you really want the broth. read more

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Self serve side. One of a kind here. More like vegetarian. Not alot of meat in the noodle read more

Old Gui Lin - Self serve side. Unlimited. One of a kind here More like vegetarian - Chinese Near Me - Sacramento, California

I am so happy we have Old Gui Lin near us and we have access to gooood Gui Lin Mi Fen (Gui Lin rice noodles). I've been 3 times and always get the A1. The flavors are amazing and the crispy pork belly, clear soup and rice noodles make it a pretty perfect bowl. The beef pancake roll, fried buns/man tou, and beef brisket noodles are delicious too. There might be some language barrier as some employees only speak mandarin but they've all been very kind so far. The highlights of this place besides the food: - toppings bar where you can help yourself to whatever toppings you want like pickled long beans, bamboo shoots, pickled greens, peanuts, fried soy beans, cilantro, etc. - they don't charge tip!! The pos system completely doesn't even pressure you with a tipping prompt. Doesn't matter if it's dine-in or to go. They do expect you to clean up after yourself and bus your dishes, though employees do come by and wipe down tables too. Looking forward to coming back often and also trying their drinks and desserts. read more