Xi'an: Must-eat Foods

All the most amazing foods you just must try in Xi'an!

Xi’an has one of the longest culinary histories in the world, with a range of religions and cultures shaping the diverse food of the region. There is a strong Islamic influence, with the Muslim Quarter housing some (but definitely not all) of the delicious dishes.

I highly recommend going on a do-it-yourself-food-tour of the Muslim Market! I’ve marked the places I suggest including in your Muslim-Market-Do-It-Yourself-Food-Tour. Head to each of the places, order one or two dishes from each spot, and eat your way through everything!

Flatbread in mutton stew (yangrou paomo)

Little bits of flatbread soaked in an aromatic stew - it’s delicious!

I love this dish because it's super tasty and it's a cool experience to eat -

When you order the dish, you’ll be given a piece of unleavened flatbread and a large bowl. You need to break the bread into little pieces, of whatever size you like (the locals break it as small as possible, although I prefer it a bit larger). Once you've broken all of the bread up, hand your bowl back to the kitchen, and they will fill it with soupy-meaty-aromatic goodness.

My favorite place is 老乌家特色小炒泡馍 (91 Huimin Street, Lianhu) because their paomo is delicious and the kitchen has a big window onto the street, so you can see everything that’s going on inside.

Tip:

Place your order by showing them the photo here. It's not exactly yangrou paomo, its actually even more delicious than the traditional type!

Curry bun (baozi)

This is a must-try! It's a super fresh baozi (a type of bun) stuffed with delicious, flavorful, spiced mince curry.

We only found one place that sells these and it's their specialty - they often have queues around the block!

清真石家包子(大皮院总店)

217 Dapiyuan Road, Lianhu

Biangbiang noodles (biangbiang mian)

Xi’an is famous for its noodles (thick, thin, hot, cold, green – they have them all). And all of them are hand-pulled.

The Chinese character for ‘biang’ is the most complex Chinese character, made up of 58 strokes… and it's onomatopoeic – Biangbiang sounds like the noise that the noodles make when they hit the counter while being stretched.

Biangbiang noodles are chewy, thick, long noodles (your bowl of noodles is sometimes made up of just one extra-long noodle). They are typically topped with bok choi, chopped garlic, vinegar, and chilies. Boiling-hot chili oil is added just before serving. The fancier version also has egg, tomato, bok choi, cubes of potato and carrot, and some tender braised meat.

Spinach noodles

I love almost all noodles, but spinach noodles are some of my favorites. The noodles are made from spinach and are bright green. You can choose from a range of toppings, but I usually go for tomato, egg, and braised meat.

My favorite place for spinach noodles is:

清真坤坤菠菜面·臻坤坤,

84 Dachejia Alley,

Beilin

Sour and Spicy Dumplings

The dumplings themselves are delicious, but I could probably drink the broth by the cupful.

The dumplings are stuffed full of beef and garlic chives, and they sit in a bowl of chili oil, vinegar, sesame seeds, coriander, and garlic.

My favorite place is:

清真饺子王

28 Dapiyuan,

Lianhu

Beef and lamb skewers

Xi’an is covered in skewer places – both stalls and restaurants. You will be able to tell which places have the best skewers because they will have long queues, with some people waiting up to three hours for a table.

There are generally two types of skewers -

• The normal type which is pretty small and is cooked on a thin metal skewer. Usually, 10+ are ordered per person (depending on hunger levels).

• Ones with thicker chunks of meat cooked on rosewood skewers. Usually, 2+ are ordered per person (depending on hunger levels).

My favorite place is:

新亮烤肉

104 Damaishi Street,

Lianhu

Pork sandwich (Xi'an burger)

Although it doesn’t look like it’s going to taste good, it's delicious! These sandwiches are made of flavorful slow-cooked pork meat (both lean and fatty), which is packed between a fluffy-on-the-inside and crispy-on-the-outside hot pita.

My favorite place for this is:

秦豫肉夹馍(东木头市总店)

19 East Mutoushi,

Beilin

Spiced roast potatoes (gao shan xiao tu dou)

I absolutely love roasted potatoes - they are salty, spicy, and Szechuan-ey. You’ll see them all over Xi’an, so grab some when you see them!

Flatbread with meat (laomajia)

Two crispy pieces of flatbread, sprinkled with minced meat and drizzled with Szechuan oil. It's a delicious way to really experience the numbing-ness of Szechuan peppercorns.

Sesame paste noodles

If you like peanut butter or sesame paste, you'll love these noodles! It's thick noodles, topped with cucumber, sesame paste, and chili oil.

Flatbread (naan)

You'll see flatbread all over the Muslim Market - it comes in all shapes and sizes. Typically plain, sesame, sunflower seed, and toasted onion are the ones you'll see the most of. I find it a bit too dry and hard for my liking, but it's worth a try!