Kaili rice noodles are a simpler application of the same sour broth that defines suantang yu fish soup. The noodles are thin, smooth, made from rice flour, and served in a bowl of the fermented tomato broth with dried chillies, pickled vegetables, and a spoonful of fragrant oil. It is breakfast food, though it appears at all hours in the small noodle shops around the city's bus station and market areas.
A bowl costs ¥5–8 and is ready in two minutes. The shops that have been operating at the same street corner for twenty years are usually the ones worth stopping at — they have their broth ratio down and their dried chillies sourced. The dish requires customisation: more broth, less chilli, extra pickles, all managed by pointing and nodding at the condiment array on the counter. It is an ideal introduction to Guizhou flavours before heading out to the villages, where the food will be more intense but in the same direction.