A Gan Restaurant (Zhongshan Middle Road)

Guilin, China; 2F, Echarm Hotel, 5 Zhongshan Middle Road, Xiangshan District, Guilin, Guangxi, China

A Gan Restaurant gives a group plenty of ways to assemble a Guilin meal. The Zhongshan Middle Road branch is listed on the second floor of the Echarm Hotel, in a bright dining room arranged for shared dishes and family tables. Older travel coverage refers to the Guantai Hotel, so the street address is the more useful point of reference. Beer fish, duck and snails feature in the restaurant’s published coverage, while shredded taro with cured meat gives a particularly clear expression of the region’s fondness for the ingredient. Pork with Lipu taro offers a richer alternative. Monk-fruit tea provides another local reference, and a useful change from ordering only the most familiar drinks. Ask about portion sizes before combining several substantial dishes. The restaurant’s strength within this guide is its regional breadth and suitability for a sociable, reasonably priced meal. It allows travellers to compare several Guangxi preparations without committing to a formal tasting menu. A Gan is best approached with a small group and a selective order, allowing the dishes that most interest the table to take precedence over a long checklist of specialities.