明水397食堂

明水397食堂 is in an alley off Bei'an Road in Zhongshan, its signature braised pork-belly rice with a good fat-lean balance, braised glossy and flavorful; the rice-noodle soup is cooked fresh in a big pot and topped with especially fragrant fried shallots, with sesame-paste cold noodles, blanched greens, and hei-bai-qie sides like pig tongue and ear. One diner said “the food's really tasty — I ordered a ton worried I couldn't finish, but every plate went empty, and the service is super warm,” another praising “clean, bright setting, fast service.”

The interior is wooden and minimal, with private-room seating for groups; some note that after moving to the new address “the taste differs a bit from the old shop,” and the value of the shared plates is a matter of opinion.

Closed Mondays; otherwise open daily lunch 11:30–13:30 and dinner 17:30 to 20:00.