Haikou Food Guide: Avoid These Popular, Trendy Spots | Local Testimonials' List of Places to Avoid: Don't Be Fooled by These 3 Guides, These 8 Are the Really Worth Visiting

Having lived in Haikou for seven years, I dread seeing friends send me screenshots of must-eat reviews: "Is this place a must-go for Qingbuliang?" — Don't go. Last time I accompanied a relative to queue for forty minutes, and the coconut milk served was so thin you could see the bottom of the bowl.

Locals are becoming increasingly indifferent to the term "must-eat list." It's not that Haikou lacks good food, but rather that the truly delicious flavors are mostly hidden on the second floor of the market, in the back alleys of arcades, and next to late-night food carts. They don't have marketing budgets, and the environment isn't attractive, but the taste is rooted in tradition. When eating in Haikou, remember three things: don't trust the "old brand" signs, don't be swayed by the length of the queue, and don't order large portions.

Avoid these places first: These three restaurants are on the online must-eat list, but locals rarely go there.

A certain stall selling Qingbuliang (a type of sweet dessert soup) in the arcade area is featured in every travel guide, with tourists queuing up to the roadside, while locals just shake their heads in disapproval. The coconut milk is diluted to an increasingly diluted consistency, and the toppings are chopped into increasingly smaller pieces, making it taste like a bowl of sweetened iced water. If you absolutely must go, just order the traditional coconut milk Qingbuliang, without ice cream or mango popping boba; those are for tourists to take pictures with.

A Hainan rice noodle shop with a sign that reads "100 Years Old" has now changed its gravy to a sweet flavor that tourists prefer, which locals find insufficiently salty and savory, and the portion size has also shrunk. Most authentic Haikou rice noodle shops are located in alleys, only serving breakfast and lunch, and closing after 11 a.m. They certainly won't stay open until the evening to cater to you.

There's also that fried food stall at the entrance of a certain night market; the sauce is cloyingly sweet, the batter is thick, but the price is significantly higher than the neighborhood stalls. For late-night fried food, look for Ah Vo's cart at the back gate of a school or the exit of a wet market; the old lady standing next to the fryer is much more reliable than the signboard.

First bowl of rice noodles: Bo'ai Nan Agong Rice Noodle Soup and Fucheng Lin Shu Beef Brisket Rice

Grandpa's Rice Noodle Soup, located at the corner of the arcade on Bo'ai South Road, has no signboard and only serves breakfast and lunch. The broth is made by simmering pork bones and clams together, resulting in a clear and flavorful soup. The rice noodles are soft yet chewy. How to order: Order "pickled Hainan rice noodles + a bowl of clams soup." Eat the noodles first, then drink the soup. Don't order a large bowl; a small bowl is just enough to save room for the next stall.

Uncle Lin's Beef Brisket Rice, located in an alley on Zhongjie Road in Fucheng, is so crowded at lunchtime that you have to share a table, mostly with local office workers. The beef brisket is stewed until tender but not falling apart, and the sauce is incredibly fragrant when mixed with rice. How to order: Order "Beef Brisket with Pig's Trotters + Pickled Cabbage + Chinese Sausage". Be sure to pour a spoonful of beef brisket sauce over the rice, but don't add chili sauce, as it will mask the meat's flavor.

Sweet soups and refreshing desserts: 2nd floor of the vegetable market outside the West Gate – a better place to go than the trendy shops.

Grandma's sweet soup stall on the second floor of the vegetable market outside the West Gate opens every afternoon around 3 or 4 pm. She sells taro sweet soup noodles, chicken manure vine (a type of sweet potato), and sweet potato milk. The taro is cooked until soft and smooth, and the sweet soup is refreshingly sweet without being cloying. How to order: Order "taro sweet soup noodles with an egg," but don't add condensed milk, as the handmade egg drop soup she provides is already fragrant enough.

"A-vo Chicken Shit Vine" in the back alley of Dongmen Market is a must-try. Their hot ginger-infused chicken shit vine with barley cake is exceptional. The chicken shit vine strips are handmade, giving them a refreshing herbal aroma when chewed. How to order: Order "Hot Chicken Shit Vine + Ginger Juice" and a barley cake. Don't order it iced, as it becomes hard and loses much of its flavor.

Hearty late-night snacks: Auntie's fermented rice wine at the dock and vegetarian stew behind the arcade.

Auntie Dock's fermented vinegar at Xiuying Street Market has a broth that's tangy yet flavorful, not the overpowering industrial acidity you'd expect. How to order: Order a small bowl of seafood fermented vinegar with seaweed and beef offal. Drink three sips of the broth before adding the noodles. Don't add chili peppers right away, as it will ruin the fermented aroma of the vinegar.

Chen Bozhai's vegetarian hot pot, located in the Dongmen Market behind the Qilou Old Street, only opens for dinner and is often frequented by locals with their elderly relatives. The vegetarian hot pot contains tofu skin, wood ear mushrooms, and glass noodles, and the clear broth becomes increasingly fragrant as it simmers. Recommended order: Order a small vegetarian hot pot with an extra portion of beef offal, served with chicken rice. Avoid the large pot; the small pot is just right for two people.

Old-fashioned tea and market stalls: 3 PM is the right time to experience them.

On the second floor of a certain old-fashioned tea shop on Wenming Middle Road, the fried chicken wings and bread, freshly made at 3 PM, are the soul of the place. Don't believe the set meals on the menu; those are just for tourists to make do. How to order: Order "Fried Chicken Wings + Iced Black Tea (Less Sugar)". The chicken wings are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and a sip of iced black tea is just the right amount to cut through the richness.

At the Banqiao Road Seafood Market, you can pick out your seafood and have it cooked at the nearby shops. The cooking shops will enthusiastically promote their large portions and spicy cooking methods. How to order: Choose small shrimp, small squid, and local snails. When cooking, just say "steamed/blanched," and don't ask them to make it spicy. This way, the seafood is fresh and won't be wasted, and you can better taste its original flavor.

In closing: Don't ask the locals if I didn't tell you these 5 things.

First, don't ask if it's spicy. Haikou's local chili sauce often has a garlicky and sour flavor, so asking if it's spicy will usually get you an inaccurate answer. It's better to just say "less spicy" or "no spicy".

Secondly, avoid going during peak meal times. The really delicious noodle soup, local tea, and sweet soup stalls often have long queues during mealtimes. It's recommended to go half an hour earlier or later than usual; the location and experience will be much better.

Thirdly, don't wear white clothes. Fried foods, vinegared dishes, and beef brisket rice are prone to splattering with oil or sauce, and white clothes often end up looking like "ink splattered" in them.

Fourthly, don't use reviews to find restaurants. Many stalls on the second floor of the market and at the alley entrances aren't listed on reviews at all; those with high ratings are probably the ones with the most customers. Just eat wherever you happen to be; it's more reliable to go to the place that's most popular with locals.

Fifthly, don't order large portions. Haikou snacks are best enjoyed in small portions from multiple stalls. Ordering large portions at once can easily make you feel overwhelmed. It's better to save room and visit a couple more stalls.