XIANG BA LI NONG GU LE

Hidden away in Group 3 of Yuanshan Village, Lizhou District, is the "Xiangbali Farmhouse." Following the smoke from the bamboo forest, the aroma of the earthen stoves is enough to make your foot tremble even as you step on the accelerator! At noon on a weekend, the courtyard is filled with private cars with signs reading "Guangyuan → Yuanshan." Before a bright red firewood chicken is even settled on the long table under a bamboo shed, the lady at the next table leans over and says, "Hey, this chicken was just caught from the pen. Its legs are thicker than my grandson's arms!" The chef stir-fries the ingredients with a large iron spatula, clang-clanging. The crisp crackle of dried chilies popping in the hot oil is enough to make your temples throb! 💥【Triple Attack of Earthen Stove Smoke! Every bite is a blast of childhood memories! ❶ Freshly Stir-fried Wood-fired Chicken (so tender you can squeeze out the juice!) ✔️ A pheasant is caught in the courtyard, its wings flapping as the chef chops it into large chunks. The chicken is then poured into a red-hot iron pot on the earthen stove. Rapeseed oil sizzles, coating the chicken. Fermented broad beans, pickled ginger, and green Sichuan peppercorns are stir-fried over high heat. When the garlic is golden brown around the edges, half a bottle of beer is poured in—you absolutely have to be at the stove at this point! Watch the chicken bubbling in the red broth, its skin trembling with oil. Even the oil splatters on your apron are so fragrant you'll want to lick them! ✔️ Secret way to enjoy it: Place a tortilla around the edge of the pot, soak the bottom half in the broth, and grill the top half until crispy. Dip it in the konjac and green peppers at the bottom of the pot. As the spicy heat builds, bite into the edge of the tortilla, and the joy of carbohydrates and fat will wash over you! ✔️ Must-try: Every table will ask for an extra pancake! A diner once made an on-the-spot reservation with the owner, hoping to snag the last pheasant to escape, saying, "We'll kill a five-pound one tomorrow and keep it for later." Even the hens in the chicken coop were so frightened they hid deep in the bamboo forest! ❷ Cold-mixed Houttuynia cordata (so wild it's perfect for a night out!) ✔️ Freshly dug from the backyard, Houttuynia cordata has a fresh earthy aroma, and the roots crackle when pinched. Mixed with a secret recipe of cooked chili oil, garlic juice, soy sauce, and sugar, the bright red chili oil envelops the tender leaves. The spicy kick is first intense, then the distinctive wild flavor of Houttuynia cordata explodes on your tongue, and the sweet aftertaste of the soy sauce makes you want to keep eating! The waitress always reminds you when serving this dish: "Pair it with a cold beer, or it'll make you want to jump in the river!" ✔️ Advanced: Mix it with half a portion of cold-mixed broad beans! The tender, crispy broad beans absorb the spicy flavor of the Houttuynia cordata root. The crunchy texture of the broad beans meets the crisp, tender roots, creating a layered texture more distinct than the joints of a bamboo forest. Even city kids who don't eat Houttuynia cordata sneakily grab three bites! ✔️ Must-order: It's known as a "double-edged sword" that goes really well with rice! A customer once packed up ten servings, saying, "This spiciness will cure the office's appetite." The next day, the entire office was asking, "Where did you buy the Houttuynia cordata?" ❸ Cold Broad Bean Salad (So Crispy It Melts!) ✔️ Boil a local variety of broad beans until the skin and flesh are crispy, then toss with chopped green pepper, chili peppers, and Sichuan peppercorn oil, sprinkled with chopped green onions. Pick one up and pop it in your mouth, and the bean flesh instantly melts into sand on your tongue. The spicy, numbing Sichuan peppercorns surge into your nose, and you can't help but squint and sigh, "This is exactly how my grandma used to make it when I was a kid!" The uncle at the next table came over with a bowl and asked, "Auntie, did you soak these broad beans overnight before cooking?" 🏡 Popular Easter Eggs Under the bamboo forest, there are swings and sandpits. Children chase giant white geese in a group, while parents sit on bamboo chairs, cracking melon seeds and watching the smoke drift into the bamboo forest. A mahjong table is set up in a stilt house by the stream. While waiting for your food, listen to the gurgling stream flowing over the rocks. It's cooler than an air-conditioned room! If you have to wait for over an hour on weekends, the owner will give you freshly picked cucumbers and boiled peanuts. A bite of the cucumber is so sweet it feels like drinking mountain spring water! 📍 Location: Group 3, Yuanshan Village, Lizhou District (use "Xiangbali Farmhouse" on the navigation, turn right after the old locust tree at the village entrance, and you'll see the courtyard where corn is drying! If you're driving, you can park in the Zhulin parking lot or take the Yuanshan bus to the Zhulinwan stop.) ⏰ Hot Spot Warning: We recommend arriving at 10:30 AM on weekdays to avoid peak hours. On weekends, please bring your own playing cards and patience! The pheasant is limited to 20 per day, so call ahead to reserve your spot. Don't waste the soup base from the firewood chicken; make some handmade noodles and throw them in. The noodles, soaked up the broth, are even more popular than the meat! 🔥 A Guangyuan local's summary: First, have three bowls of firewood chicken with rice, then a spicy cold-mixed zheergen (Chinese croaker) until you're sweating, and finally, drink half a bottle of iced soda to soothe your nerves. The table next to you sees you doing this and tells the owner, "Give me the biggest chicken, and double the spiciness with the zheergen!" #Try an authentic, time-honored restaurant #Want to queue for firewood chicken #Local delicacies #Food for the season #A collection of delicious snacks