Noodles

On the noodle front, Chongqing's signature fare is the Xiaomian (小面 - small noodles). Bouncing up and down (more recently: out of) China's Top 10 noodle rankings, Xiaomian is the go-to lunch for the on-the-go local. It consists of noodles in a simple, spicy broth topped with vegetables. 

But just because it's famous, doesn't mean you have to eat it every day. Chongqing also hosts noodle dishes from the four corners of China. Try Yibin Ranmian, Shaanxi Noodles, Lanzhou pulled noodles and for another kind of an on-the-go experience, try the cool noodles (liangmian).