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If you've never been to Gui Lin, this is your chance. The beef brisket was tender and flavorful. I tried both dry and soup noodles. It's pretty basic until you add the condiments, which consists of a variety of pickled vegetables. If you do it right, you'll get to experience spicy, salty, sour, sweet, and crunchy notes all in one bite. It's also communal seating. Be ready to sit with strangers. 8/10.
TL;DR: Order at the counter. Get a pager. Food comes out on the other side of the counter. TOPPINGS BAR! communal seating, if busy a worker might help you find a place to sit. First time trying Guilin rice noodles and it won't be the last because I need to try everything else on the menu. We ordered a cucumber salad and the original Old Guilin noodles. It's so warm and soothing. The cucumber salad was refreshing and just the right amount of spicy. Definitely coming back when the weather is colder!
My friend and I came here for lunch around 11:30am on a Sunday, and it was pretty busy. You order at the front and take a buzzer to any open seat you can find. It's a pretty typical asian food hall type set-up with multiple long, large tables that you might have to share with other parties. Our food was ready in about 5 minutes, and once you grab your noodles you can take the bowl to the self-serve topping and condiments bar to add different pickled veggies, cilantro, green onion, chili and other sauces. Both of us got a A1 guilin rice noodle, plus a preserved duck egg over tofu to share. The bowl of noodles is quite large, and I couldn't finish mine in one sitting, so it's definitely worth it! The rice noodles are thick and chewy so they can be quite filling, and it came with a generous portion of protein - the meat wasn't as tender as some other similar restaurants Ive been to, but the pork skin was super crispy. The noodles do come with a small bowl of broth as well. I really enjoyed being able to pick our own toppings and add more as needed :) The tofu and preserved egg was also a pretty generous portion and super refreshing! You bus your own tables at the end. Overall, definitely a great noodle spot, and I'd highly recommend checking it out! It's quite busy but service is super quick.
Great place for guilin noodles. I've already flown from San Jose for this 2ce, and will keep coming back. The noodles are tender and the meats are flavorful. The best part is you can add whatever sides you want to make it to your taste. I love the pickled beans and bamboo shoots with spicy oil. Also, no tipping, which is great.
Prices are as listed. You'll get a good amount of yummy food for $15. They have a self-serve toppings station with bamboo, pickles, sauces. Their cucumber salad for sub $8 is really good with enough cilantro, fresh smashed cucumber, good garlicky chili oil. Dry dishes come with a bowl of soup. Dont recommend noodles (maybe rice noodles good?) as they are just instant ramen noodles. Nice ambiance not dirty.
Yummy! Large braised pork over rice 9/10 - very flavorful, juicy, soft - melts in your mouth! - wish there was more of the braised pork sauce in the rice - definitely a LARGE portion - get the condiments in the side (pickled veggies, cilantro, green onion) - comes with side of bone broth Guilin rice noodles 9/10 - unique flavor - reminds me of my parents home cooking - toppings make this meal so yummy - crunchy pork skin add such a great texture and flavor - comes with side of bone broth Pork ear 10/10 - flavored very well - not heavy on the vinegar - crunchy and refreshing Beef rolls 10/10 - very crispy - the pancake definitely tastes like it is made in house - beef was very good and braised until soft! Guilin milk tea with pearls 9/10 - boba was chewy and delicious - milk tea was creamy and tea flavor is still strong - definitely compares to China - normal sugar/ice is perfect for those with a sweet tooth - it's perfect for me but I can see people wanting 50-75% sweet. Service was 10/10 even though we order at the front, pick up our food, and buss our own tables. The owner (I think?) was the one who took our order. She was very friendly and explained all the popular orders and recommended great options. Overall, I'd come back if I lived in this area. I could see myself becoming a regular with these prices! Many of the customers who came in seemed to be regulars and the owner remembers them. A very nice community feeling. *Mandarin, Cantonese, and some English is okay for ordering.
Soup was very flavorful and the meat was not tough or dry. The Beef Roll was also tasty, but I would have liked it a little crispier. It's a very casual joint. You order at the counter (get a buzzer) and choose your seat at one of the communal tables. There is a self serve toppings area and you bust your table when you are done. Our food came out super quick!
What a unique food experience! My wife and I wanted something quick and I had been wanting to try this local spot. I ordered takeout which was super easy since menu options are on yelp. I ordered 2 of their most popular items including the guilan rice noodles and beef rolled pancakes. I wanted to get a thinner noodle with a different meat so I also ordered the braised pork dry tossed noodles. The food was ready when I got to the restaurant and I was greeted kindly by their front restaurant staff. Since this was my first time, I asked if there was anything else that I needed to add such as sauces or toppings. However, the staff told me that all of the toppings and sauces were already included in the takeout bag. One thing that is unique about this restaurant is that they give you a heavy duty tote bag for takeout orders. The packaging of the food is high quality and keeps the food safe and hot. Although I did take out, they do have plenty of seating inside the restaurant. If you want to get what they are known for, I would order the guilin rice noodles. It has rice noodles that are shaped like spaghetti and an assortment of different types of meat cuts. The meat was flavorful + thinly sliced. Each entree comes with a white cup which had peanuts, cilantro, sprouts, and pickled vegetables. The entrees also came with a cup of brown sauce (idk what it is but it's really good) + a chili oil. The braised pork dry tossed noodles had tender and fatty pork that had a soy sauce base. It also included a soy sauce egg. We didn't know how much of the toppings and sauce to add so we ended up just throwing all of it in and I think that allowed for the greatest eating experience. Another pleasant surprise is that they throw in these Capri Sun looking pouches that hold a hot white broth, which I think is a bone broth. It is a really nice addition to sip on the side. The beef rolled pancake (beef rolls) were so good! The green onion and cilantro inside add freshness to the fried pancake, and there is sauce inside that adds some sweetness. The beef was super tender and doesn't all get pulled out when you take a bite. These go really well with their chili oil. I really appreciate this restaurant because it offers a unique eating experience for a pretty competitive price. Although the bowls looked a little bit small, the amount of food that we had was a lot. The toppings allow you to get creative + super flavorful with the dishes. We will be back again!
Tried here for the first time located in freeport blvd. The service is fast and self service which we like so we dont need to give a tip. Anyways, the rive bowl I ordered is beef spareribs and braised pork is good. I like that they have a selections of some toppings you can get on the side. My partner ordered a dry noodle bowl which she didn't like. The noodles are still hard to chew, we did not expect that the noodles are like the one in the instant noodles. We are expecting more. Very dry and not much savory on the noodles. Their pancakes is the one my partner really like. It is really good and has a sweetness on it. Their fruit teas are good we ordered the fruit tea and lemonade which we like. Still happy that we tried it but i dont think we will come back again.
4.5/5 I love coming to Old Gui Lin when I want some refreshing noodle. There's a lot of different options of dishes that can be selected from rice noodle, ramen noodles to rice. It all comes with your selection of different types of proteins, so there's a lot of different combination your can choose from your liking. Also, the business also offers lots of side dishes and drinks that could be add-on to your meal. My go to will be the dry style pork rib rice noodles. (Just thinking about it..makes me hungry.) One bowl can keep me full all night or it can be split into two meals for me. The staff here are nice and friendly. They might have limited english but there's no difficult in communication. This place is order and be seated after you get your order, which is great. It's basically a self serve restaurant with a lot of seating available. However, if you come during busy time like lunch or dinner, it will be a full house, so you might have to wait or just order togo. I personally encounter that a few times where I came during lunch and it was a full house, barely any seats available, unless I wanted to seat with strangers, I would have to wait for a table to be clear which will depends on when people finish and clear out. So during those situation, I usually will just order to go, which is very convenient also. They pack everything for you in a container where you can add all the toppings you want onto your dish and depending on your order, it will have a warm soup in a drinkable pouch which was very unique that comes with the meal. The thing that keeps me coming back to this business will be the topping station where you get to put whatever you like into your noodle dish. The station is clean and always filled to the top when I visit, so you won't have to worry about it running out. The one thing I don't like will be there's no cover on the container of the toppings, so the questionable cleanness is in the back up my mind. However, I haven't got sick from eating here, so you don't have to worry haha. I just load up my noodle bowl with all the different types items that they have to offer. Overall, Old Gui Lin is one of my go to place for lunch. Good food and friendly services for a fast food restaurant.
I did a fair amount of research on this restaurant before walking in because I've been searching for jianbing for a while now and hadn't been able to find it. I saw some good things online about the beef rolled pancake, which seemed comparable to jianbing, so I decided to check it out with my family. We walked in right after opening and ordered the marinated cucumber salad, couple's delight, beef rolled pancake, Old Guilin special rolled pancake, seasonal vegetables with minced garlic, and two orders of Guilin rice noodles. Maybe our eyes were bigger than our stomachs, but since it was our first time trying this type of Chinese cuisine, we wanted to experience as much as possible. After ordering with a welcoming worker up front, we sat down, and all the food came out in less than 10 minutes. I was especially excited to try everything at the toppings bar, even though I didn't know what most of it was. Everything at the bar incredibly fresh, and I noticed the entire restaurant was spotless--the worker from the front even wiped down the toppings bar between customers. The flavors of all the dishes were bold and complimented one another perfectly. I was most excited to try the couple's delight since I had learned about the dish's history and am a huge fan of tripe, whether it's dim sum-style or menudo. This cold dish was packed with chili and umami flavors. The marinated cucumber salad and seasonal vegetables with minced garlic were also surprisingly delicious--usually, I gravitate toward meat dishes, but I kept going back for bites of the veggies because they were so fresh and full of flavor. The two rolled pancakes were exceptional--after all, they were what brought me here in the first place. The texture was perfectly flaky, like a scallion pancake, but with new flavors inside that had a slight sweetness to them. The mix of flakiness with sweet and savory was exactly what I had hoped for. Lastly, the star of the show: the Guilin rice noodles. I could tell they were freshly made, and I loved that this dish is what you make of it. The broth is served on the side, and from my understanding, you can add it as needed or even dip the noodles in. I opted to load my bowl with every topping from the bar (as shown in the menu photo) and then added broth. The light broth starts as a base but takes on the flavors of all the wonderful (pickled or fermented?) toppings, becoming rich, salty, umami, and slightly sour. It was honestly an incredible experience--slightly reminiscent of pho in construction but much bolder and more savory in flavor. Again, the flavors are what you make them, depending on what you add. By the time we finished, the restaurant was packed--not even an hour after opening. We took some leftovers to go, and they still tasted amazing reheated. This was one of the best dining experiences I've had in Sacramento. This is real, authentic, fresh food, made by people who clearly cook from the heart. You won't find any quirky menus or postmodern gimmicks here, like you do at so many "local" corporate restaurants in the area. The prices are beyond fair for this day and age, and it seemed like tipping wasn't even accepted. I challenge anyone reading this to step out of their comfort zone and try something new. Look at this not just as food, but as an experience--a glimpse into a unique culture. The orange chicken and crab rangoon can wait for another night, I promise.
This place was packed at 1pm on a Sunday. It took my party of 7 at least 20 minutes to get a spot and even then, we had to sit at different tables. It had a cafeteria vibe to it. You order and pay then get a buzzer and wait until your number is called. They put your order on a tray and there's a self serve topping bar. The amount of noodles and meats you get are fixed but you can get as many vegetables and sauces as you'd like. I really liked the bamboo and pickled string beans! The noodles were soft and easy to eat. The beef was tender. The crispy pork was crispy but very oily. They only give you a small bowl of soup so it wasn't exactly a noodle soup, more like wet noodles. It would've been nice if the soup was more flavorful but it was pretty bland.
This was trending on IG and I thought I'd give it a shot. China is so big with so many provinces, food def taste different from place to place and this is one of those places. I went with my mom and sister and the food was very fresh but not up to my taste buds, unfortunately. My sister enjoyed it a lot! I liked that there's a toppings bar you can head over and it is unlimited. Place was clean as well and soy milk was good! Only reason why I made it a 4 star instead of 5 was bc of the ordering, the cashier didn't know any English and it was hard to communicate. I understand though, because majority of their customers are mandarin speaking Chinese. I would recommend this place to anyone looking for new Chinese food to try. Def not Cantonese or American Chinese food! I orders the house special which came with a side of daikon soup. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to eat this dry with sauces on top and then sip the soup or put the soup in the bowl which would make the dish semi wet? Lol. Instructions would be nice too! read more
This is a cafeteria style order and sit down kinda place. They have the toppings bar, which is my fav. I love the pickled veggies and spices they provide. It gets really busy and the ladies working there are always bussing tables and cleaning. One time our order was mixed with another costumer and we were given a free chinese burrito (rarely happens in a Chinese restaurant). I will definitely go here again for the beef noodles soup. read more
Old Gui Lin has comforting noodle dishes. I got the dry braised pork noodles and it was flavorful and tasty. The noodles are a good portion size at a reasonable price. The noodles came out literally two minutes after ordering. The cashier was nice and the restaurant is clean and cozy. I also liked the unlimited toppings. read more
10 months ago
Old Gui Lin - Solid Spot for Authentic Chinese Dishes I've been to Old Gui Lin three times now, and each visit has been consistently good. when I'm in the mood for something more traditional and regional, this place definitely hits the spot. Their Guilin rice noodles are flavorful and comforting -- the broth is savory, and the noodles have that great chewy texture. I've also tried the braised beef with pickled vegetables, and it was tender, well-seasoned, and really satisfying. The restaurant itself is low-key and clean, nothing fancy, but the staff is friendly and the service is efficient. Prices are reasonable, and the portions are generous. Overall, if you're looking for authentic southern Chinese cuisine, Old Gui Lin is a solid choice read more
I've come here twice and both times it did not disappoint! Something to note here, is that you would pay first for your meal, receive a device that notifies you when your order is ready, and then take a seat wherever you'd like. Since this is the case, I recommend coming earlier if you have a larger party. This does seem to be a popular place with larger groups. There are no wait staff to clean up your dishes or to check in with you. If you need anything, you either go back to the cashier or go to the pickup counter. They do ask (based on signs) that you put away your dishes in the designated areas and keep your dining area clean. During my first visit here, we ordered Guilin Rice Noodles and Beef Roll Pancake. Both dishes were delicious. They came out relatively quickly and the food was very fresh. For the noodle dishes, I recommend adding plenty of toppings. There is a topping station near the pickup counter. Usually I had my partner load up our noodles and he seems to add everything, and it seems to be the best way to enjoy your noodles! The Guilin Rice Noodles have great texture, flavor, and freshness to them. I highly recommend the Guilin Rice Noodles. I also remember the Beef Roll Pancake being great and comparable to other local restaurants. During my second visit, we ordered Beef Brisket Dry Tossed Rice Noodles, Cold Marinated Seaweed, Pumpkin Pancake and Fresh Soymilk. The Beef Brisket Dry Tossed Rice Noodle was somewhat similar to the Guilin Rice Noodles. There are chewy pieces of beef brisket, which I enjoyed but some people may not. They were seasoned well though. It does come with a side of plain broth as a palate cleanser. I do recommend adding plenty of toppings to this dish. The noodle bowl may seem small, but when you add the toppings, it is very filling and you may be able to share it! The rice noodles that they use has a great chew and texture. If you are a bun bo hue (Vietnamese spicy beef noodles) enthusiast, these rice noodles are very similar. Cold Marinated Seaweed - Pretty generous serving, slightly spicy, and garlicky. I enjoyed this side dish! Pumpkin Pancake - this is supposed to be more of a sweet kind of dish. It wasn't very sweet though. It might taste better with some sugar or condensed milk. It was fried and very hot when it came out. It seems like they use kabocha as the pumpkin part, and there are sesame seeds. It has a chewy texture like nian gao. Not sure if I would get this again. Fresh Soymilk - We decided to order it since I saw another person order it and the staff prepared the drink by scooping it out of a large pot, which made me believe this was definitely fresh, and it was! If you love fresh soymilk from the tofu store/Asian grocery store, this is for you. It was warm when it came out and I think it was not too sweet. They did put it in a boba cup which was interesting lol. The cashier who was helping us seemed very pleased we were ordering it and gave us a thumbs up. It was adorable. Something to note is that the staff does not speak much English, so I would take the time to make sure your order is correct. We didn't have any issues, but I imagine that they have had issues, such that the cashier used a long stick to point to things on the menu when we ordered in English to confirm that each item was what we actually wanted. They do take card by the way. Parking can be challenging in this plaza. Overall, I highly recommend Old Gui Lin and it is definitely authentic! read more
Old Gui Lin is a gem! Nestled in Freeport along the many other businesses, you'll find Old Gui Lin. It's a small spot that can seat about 30 people all together. The seating is an open style and you share the table with others. It gives off the vibes as if I'm in an Asian country where the seating arrangement is common (it's a good thing!). Feels comforting and home-y at the same time. It's a self-service style, almost like a food court vibe for the most part. You order first, then find seating and when your food is ready, you'll pick it up and add whatever toppings you'd like. You also help yourself to water. The employees are friendly and keep the place clean. The food is good. I got the A1 Noodle Soup for myself, which I recommend to anyone who's a first timer. The portion and pricing is amazing. I appreciate how clean the soup is and tastes. The beef roll was okay to me, and the fries are fries. I was randomly craving it, and surprisingly they had it. I love the concept of being able to add toppings of your choice to your dish. Some items that the topping bar includes: - green onions - pickled vegetables - roasted peanuts - roasted pine nuts - roasted red peppers - chili oil - vinegar - soy sauce - a few others I can't remember The only downside to this place is there isn't much parking, which is out of control of the business, so I recommend carpooling if you can. read more
A good friend of mine is from Guilin, China and she told me about how the noodles from that region are delicious - and different from the noodles found in most of the Sacramento area's restaurants. Upon hearing that there was a couple of restaurants in Sacramento featuring Guilan food, we had to give Old Guilan on Freeport Blvd a try. Upon walking inside, you can see huge menus (with pictures and descriptions) on the wall and community-style tables. After placing our order at the counter and paying, we were provided a buzzer and found a couple of seats. Within a few minutes, our buzzer went off and we picked up our orders: A2 Beef Brisket with Dry Tossed Rice Noodles and A4 Braised Diced Pork with Dry Tossed Rice Noodles. Both orders came with a small bowl of broth that could be added to our noodle bowls (it had a very mild flavor). The Beef Brisket was so tender and flavorful. And the Braised Pork was really tasty too; that bowl came with a boiled egg (soy-based? which really didn't do anything for me). The rice noodles were unlike any noodles I've tried before: silky smooth and went really well with the meats. Oh, there was a self-service toppings/condiment bar that contained green onions, cilantro, bamboo shoots, pickled veggies, diced green beans, roasted mung beans, roasted peanuts, and a couple of spicy chili oils. I tried a tiny bit of most of the items but I'm not sure how my noodle bowl was supposed to be topped. I also tried a milk tea with boba but it was ok. Their drink menu did look interesting and I would definitely give other drinks a try. Overall, we really liked our food and will be back to try other dishes. There is no service and customers are expected to bus their own tables. There's even a sign on the table saying this. Lol. Parking can be challenging in this popular strip mall. Street parking is available though and preferred over having to find a spot in the lot. Warning: there are customers will park illegally perpendicular to parking lot spots - which will make it annoyingly difficult or impossible to reverse out of your parking lot spot. read more
Decided to come on a Friday afternoon to try this place to see if it is as authentic as it is in Taiwan. The parking situation isn't the best, took a while to find parking. It was relatively clean inside. ordering is quite simple. Order at the register and secure a beeper, then pick up your food and add your own toppings on the side. food was ready within minutes! impressive. one thing we wished was that there was less tendon and more of the brisket meat part (as one of the bowls were filled with tendon). The fresh mung bean drink is refreshing and house made! not too sweet either. noodles and flavor were good! ended up accidentally ordering the brown sugar rice cake and it was surprisingly delicious and the texture was good! overall, would come back and recommend to others. read more
2 years ago
My favorite Chinese gem in Sacramento on Freeport. I can't begin to tell you how this bowl of soup warms your soul after a long work day. Can get dry tossed or soup based noodles, but personally dry tossed is the way to go. Self serve pickled vegetables is what makes this dish and it's fun experimenting with what works. Each bowl comes with soup and can be used to mellow out your bowl if you went overboard on the toppings. I don't know Chinese but have always had luck reading the number of the dish (A1, A17, etc) to the cashier and they are always super nice and friendly to me. The place can get very crazy at peak lunch and dinner time so it can be a little chaotic so be mindful of what time you come in cause there may not be seats at times. read more
I have had take-out from here and finally got to dine in on a Friday night. It was around 6:30 pm and not busy at all. I heard lunch time is packed. This is a counter/self service restaurant on Freeport Blvd. The older grandpa like gentleman (assuming he is the owner or family) took our orders right away, gave us a buzzer to alert us when the food is ready. It was less than 10 minutes. ok, the BEST part is the self-service toppings. I love pickled cabbage, roasted peanuts, cilantro, and green onions. I was loading it up and went back for seconds. It just added so many flavors and texture to the already delicious noodles or rice dish. I had the Pork Ribs Fried Tossed Rice Noodles and it came with a small broth soup on the side. The meat was tender and savory. My husband had the large bowl of Double Combo Rice with beef and pork ribs. He managed to eat it all and it was huge. We also added an egg each. I usually don't get a sweet drink for dinner but the Fruit Tea here is exceptional! It actually taste like fresh brewed tea with fresh fruit. Well Done! Keep in mind that this is not a fancy sit down place with table cloth and you're spending two hours dining. It's quick, inexpensive and delicious. The left over tasted even better the next day! High recommended and will be back to try other dishes. read more
Wife was craving Guangxi Noodles. The restaurant is popular among Sacramento WeChat groups and Little Red Book (China's version of Instagram). Restaurant serve the base (noodles and meat), and the customer can scoop their own vegetable toppings. "Meat" is used loosely as it is mainly skin and fat, but that is expected for $14 in 2024. The skin is crispy and serve as a contrast to the soft noodles. Flavors are decent as you can customize to your liking with pickled vegetables and hot sauce. I thought it was delicious, but my wife felt it wasn't "authentic" enough. However, my wife and I unanimously agree the beef pancake rolls were the best. Beef pancake was filled with meat, pancake had a nice savory flavor and wasn't too oily. If we were to come back, it would be mainly for this dish only. The milk tea boba was decent. It isn't as good as a dedicated boba shops, but boba was soft and milk tea tasted fresh. Customers order upfront, pick up their food when pager vibrates, and bus their own tables afterwards. However, tips aren't expected. A rarity in modern times. I would recommend this if you are craving Guangxi noodles or want a unique tasting experience if you are unfamilar with the cuisine. I feel it hits a nice sweet spot for mainstream appeal and authenticity. However, my wife insists I dock a star due to flavor profiles not being authentic. read more
6 months ago
3 years ago
For a noodleholic like me, Old Gui Lin was heaven sent! I did a little research on Yelp but still wasn't quite sure how things would go there. Fear not, i have figured it out, and will help fellow noodle-maniacs as best I can. So this is purely a fast food place. You walk up and place your order, get a vibrating pager, and take your seat. When you order the Gui Lin style noodles, you will get a bowl of awesome rice noodles in a bowl topped with meats, and the side bowl of broth. You can proceed to the toppings bar, and start loading up all the condiment goodies on top of your noodles and meat. Most of the toppings are preserved veggies, and will be on the sour side, so proceed as you like. The hot chili oil and peanuts are must haves. You get back to your table and then you can pour the broth into your noodles at this point, and then mix everything up into a savory sour delight. I tasted the broth straight and it is a very light beef flavor, so I wouldn't really consider it a side drinking soup. It is much better poured into your noodles to give it some moisture and create a soup/sauce base. My favorite meat was the crispy pork in bowl A1. The skin is oh so crunchy crispy just the way I like it. I love how the payment kiosk didn't beg for tips like 99.9% of all payment machines!! They have a tip jar so you may want to bring a few dollars for the workers. They don't speak much english but that just adds to the authenticity. Can't wait to go back and try the other bowls and the appetizers as well. I'm sad to see Boba Cafe go, but glad Old Gui Lin is the one to replace them. read more
3 years ago
I'm in the Freeport area pretty frequently and noticed this place. The businesses in this part of Freeport have changed significantly over time (my parents owned the fish store - Crystal Aquarium on this block). I noticed that this restaurant popped up so I wanted to try it. We ordered the A1, A5, B3, and B18. The staff were very friendly and quick. Overall, I would definitely come back to try some of their other dishes. Pros: the food comes out quickly after you order. I ordered the A5 which had broth and the braised pork was on point. The pork was crispy and flavorful. Even though A1 is the popular dish, I don't think I would order it again. There's a bar of dry condiments where you can add to your bowl to give the noodles flavor. They also have a broth dispenser. I loved the mini steamed buns, the right size and sweetness to end my meal. Cons: the seating is cafeteria style so we waited a bit til seating opened up. It's easier to find a spot for smaller groups since this place gets busy. Parking is not the best either. Some of the other businesses have parking blocked off for their customers only. read more
I have very fond memories of eating Guilin noodles at a cafeteria in Beijing when I studied abroad. The ones I had at the cafeteria was a soup based version and was delicious, so when I heard this place opened replacing Boba Cafe, which I also liked, I was like I have to go. Parking on Saturday at noon was pretty awful, there were very few spaces so I had to park behind the strip. Ordering is at the front and then they call your number when your order is ready, you go to a little table to the side to add condiments to your bowl (lots of pickled veggies, chilis, cilantro,green onions, vinegar, peanuts, etc). The tables are communal so you just find an open spot, eat up, and at the end you bus your own table. It kind of reminded me of eating in a Chinese cafeteria. I think I liked the noodles I had in China better, and if there were other places like this I would probably not rate it as highly, but I am really glad that a different noodle place has opened in Sacramento. I probably wouldn't rush back right away, but I'd definitely come back. You also know you are somewhere pretty authentic when everyone there is Chinese and the default language is Chinese, from ordering, number calling, random people asking me if seats were open, even a random guy I bumped into said it was ok in Chinese. read more
Wow so exited for this new find! We ordered the guilin noodle A1 and the braised pork rib rice A16. Both were soooooo goood !! Served hot and fresh with a small both of broth . You get to take your bowl to the little condiments station and add a bunch of delicious toppings of your choice . Casual spot . You order at the counter and then listen for your order number to pick up . While eating in ... all I heard spoken was Mandarin .. so listen and" look "for your order ! :)) I don't when they opened ... but I can tell this place will be very popular and will probably always be busy most of the time . Enjoy your visit :)) read more
4 months ago
6 months ago
The food was just so-so. The soup had a strong fishy smell. The roast duck was dry and black. It was really bad. I won't come back next time. read more
Fast casual style, order and pay up front. All soups are served on the side but you can add it to your noodles to make it a noodle soup! They have a little topping bar with various toppings like pickled veggies, spices and bamboo so don't be surprised when your # is called and you see just a bowl of noodles and meat. I was surprised and wondering why my order didn't look like the picture haha I love all the toppings you can add yourself. The noodles and meat were quite delicious. My only complaint is after adding all the toppings, the soup becomes warm. I love having a steamy hot bowl of noodle soup so I might get this to go next time and heat up everything at home. Other than that, everything was tasty! Service - well you don't really need much service since you just pay upfront as in most fast casual restaurants but if you have questions, the server up front was nice about answering them. read more
This is a new rice noodle place on Freeport! Definitely get the rice noodle dishes over the regular noodles cause they just use ramen noodles. When they give you the noodles, there is just meat on top, but there is a topping bar where you can add pickled vegetables and other stuff. The appetizers are where it's at! The beef roll was sooo good! They wrap the beef in a green onion pancake. The pumpkin pancake was also nice and chewy with a little crisp. I definitely prefer their appetizers over the main dishes. read more
1 year ago
9 months ago
I used to come in this exact location when it used to be boba cafe but since i was already in the area waiting for my husband, might as well try this old gui lin and the reviews were right it did not disappoint! My order came out hot & newly cooked and about $20 for large lemonade and pork ribs rice bowl, ambiance is quite nice, i noticed they had it renovated since the last restaurant closed down and service is quick! Will come back to try more of the variety. More power! read more
9 months ago
Noodles have a nice texture, service is decent; space is not great for large parties (10+?) during busy hours but it's possible to put combine/share tables. Self-service water is available, and self-service toppings station is located in the back. Remember to use the dish return station! read more
5 months ago
10 months ago
1 year ago
This is my to go place for authentic Chinese rice noodles. Food is great and they can get really busy. read more
I love finding hidden gems of Sacramento. Hidden away in the Freeport area, I was really glad to have been recommended this place. This was definitely worth how pack the restaurant was. We went around 6pm and were able to get seats right away. The food came out fast and steaming and there's a self serve topping area to add to your dishes. I ordered the A3 and my friend had gotten A1, but I wasn't able to capture a picture of her dish. For our total it was around $30 which I thought is reasonable considering the portion sizes. Highly recommend if you're ever craving something like this or want to try something new. read more
1 year ago
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
2 years ago
Old Gui Lin has really grown on us. We been here a handful of times now and food is consistent. The general concept is you order at the counter and once your noodle dish comes out you add your own topping from the self serve toppings station. The toppings station consist of preserved veggies, green onions, chili, and peanuts. You can add as much or as little as you like. They also offer a variety of appetizers or side dishes. My go to is A1. Come check them out if you like dry style noodles that is a little different from other Chinese restaurants in town. Just a side note: Like a lot of authentic spots, the staff here mainly speaks Chinese. read more
1 year ago
2 years ago
My 700th review will go out the Old Gui Lin - a new restaurant in town. Upon arriving you will need to order and pay first. The cashier asked if it was our first time there and she had let us know what was popular. They ran out of braised pork at the time. My bf ordered A1 gui lin rice noodle which was supposedly a popular choice and I got A3 beef brisket rice noodle soup. The best part was the toppings bar where you can add your own selection of toppings such as pickled veggies, peanuts, cilantro, green onions, bamboo shoots, hot chili oil, etc. It definitely made it better. The only thing I didn't like about the beef brisket was that majority of the pieces had so much tendon on them. I'm not a big fan of it so I gave them to my bf. I took some pieces of meat off his bowl and I really liked the addition of the chicharron on it which gave it a nice crunch. Not sure why there isn't a soup option for A1 but I do hope they can add that to the menu. We also ordered B6 brown sugar glutinous rice cake. That was actually pretty good and had a tea flavor to it. We also got B19 cold marinated seaweed which I wasn't a fan of. It didn't have any flavor. Next time I would like to try the Pork ribs or braised pork noodle soup. read more
3 years ago
A new favorite restaurant in town! My friend took me to Old Gui Lin for lunch and I had such a good time. We came on a Friday and didn't struggle too much to find parking. The tables inside were a bit packed, but we were a party of two so it was easy to get seating. We ordered 2 Guilin Rice Noodles & a Beef Rolled Pancake to share. The items came out pretty fast & the rice noodles also came with small bowls of broth on the side. I really liked the cafeteria vibe of it all. The water was self-serve, and the toppings bar was amazing!!!!! I got so much of everything, and I enjoyed the way the various toppings added flavor & texture to the dish. Everything was just so yummy. With toppings added, it's honestly enough for 2 meals. The Beef Rolled Pancake was also super good! It wasn't too greasy & also had a really delicious marinade for the beef. My whole meal & experience was so good here; I will definitely be back to try more items c: read more
11 months ago
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
3 years ago
The Guilin Rice Noodles is one of my favorites. So when I found out Old Gui Lin opened in Freeport Blvd. I want to try it out. I'm here today! I walked into the restaurant a little after noon on Saturday. The restaurant is so crowded, with at least three or four parties in front of us waiting for a table! Fortunately, the line is moving quickly. We ordered A1-Guilin Rice Noodles, A12-Pork Ribs Dry Rice Noodles, and the B1-Steamed Chicken in Hot Chili Sauce. I like both of the noodles. The noodles are cooked perfectly with the best flavor I like. They have a sauce bar to add green onion, peanuts, cilantro, and much more! However, the Chicken in Hot Chili Sauce has room to improve! The dining room is not the most comfortable. It does the basic functionality. You get the food, eat, and leave. Don't expect too much! The water is self-service. The chopsticks and spoons are on the tables. Overall, I know I'll come again! But I might come back in non-rush hours or order food to go next time. read more
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Old Gui Lin - chinese - Updated May 2026
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