Beiwudu Zhengzong Hu La Tang, Dongguan Old Shop (北舞渡正宗胡辣汤·东关老店)

Beiwudu Zhengzong Hu La Tang, Dongguan Old Shop, is an old-established hu la tang shop at No. 2 Zhangjiagang Road, Wuquan Town, in Wuyang County, which lies west of the urban area of Luohe in Henan province, China. The shop is in the Wuyang County seat and close to Beiwudu town, where the hu la tang tradition is said to have begun, so it is a more traditional setting than the city-centre branches. Hu la tang is a thick, peppery soup eaten mainly at breakfast; the Beiwudu style is known for its balance of black pepper, spices and a savoury, flour-thickened broth with meat, tofu skin, peanuts and vermicelli. The signature dish, and effectively the only menu item that matters, is the Beiwudu hu la tang, usually paired with fried dough sticks, flatbread or fried buns. The dining room is a small, plain local shop with simple tables and stools, a morning rush of regulars and little in the way of decoration; there is no dress code and the mood is neighbourly rather than touristy. No alcohol or beverage programme is featured, and tea or soy milk is the typical accompaniment. Reservations are not taken and the shop is walk-in only. A bowl is cheap, at roughly ¥8-15 (about $1-2) per person. Because the shop is in Wuyang County rather than in Luohe's urban core, visitors should allow travel time from the city and treat the visit as a short excursion. Mornings are the best time, as the soup is freshest and the shop is liveliest.