Food and restaurants, what and where to eat

Xi’an, both the starting point of the ancient Silk Road and the place where China’s rich culinary culture began its journey across regions. Every dish tells a story of cultural exchange and prosperity in this historic city.

Beyond the unforgettable historical sites like the Terracotta Warriors, Xi’an’s vibrant gourmet food and snacks will make you fall in love with this ancient city. From imperial dishes like Gourd Chicken to street food favorites such as Roujiamo (Chinese burger) and Yangrou Paomo (mutton soup with flatbread), Xi’an offers a delicious journey through its vibrant cultural heritage. When choosing between the gourmet food in Xi'an, we highly recommend "two feasts" and "two paomos."

The "two feasts" refer to the Shaanxi-style Snack Banquet at Xi’an Restaurant and the Dumpling Banquet at Defachang Dumpling House or Jiefang Road Dumpling House.

The "two Paomo" are Pita bread soaked in lamb soup and Hulutou Paomo.

What Famous Local Food to Eat

• Famous Food: Yangrou Paomo, Jiaozi/Dumpling, Bangbang Noodle, Liangpi
• Where to eat: Muslim Street, in the old city area

Top 10 Foods You Simply Can't Miss While Traveling in Xi’an

Top 1: Gourd Chicken（Hulu Chicken）/葫芦鸡

Hulu Chicken is often served as the grand finale at important banquets in Xi’an, symbolizing both the host’s deep respect for guests and the city’s dedication to preserving its culinary heritage. Once hailed as the “Number One Dish of Chang’an” in ancient times.

This dish is made from a carefully selected hen weighing about 750 grams. The chicken is marinated in a secret blend of spices, trussed into a gourd shape, and prepared through a meticulous three-step process: simmering to remove impurities, steaming to infuse flavor, and deep-frying to enhance aroma. The final result resembles a gourd and crispy on the outside, tender and flavorful inside, with a rich aroma that lingers on the palate.

Recommended restaurant: Xi’an Restaurant.

Top 2: Pita Bread Pork Sandwich /肉夹馍

Rougamo-Chinese hamburger

Roujiamo, featured as a representative Xi’an delicacy in the documentary “A Bite of China”, is hailed as the crown jewel of Xi’an cuisine and often called the “Chinese hamburger.” The crispy yet tender white flatbread is sliced open to be filled with tender braised pork belly, stewed for over three hours. The meat is finely chopped with cilantro and chili, steaming hot as it’s stuffed into the bun. A generous ladle of rich, aromatic braising sauce is poured over, seeping slowly into the bread’s layers.

With the first bite, the savory meat and fragrant wheat blend explode in your mouth. Roujiamo is a favorite breakfast for locals. If you want to taste authentic roujiamo, the time-honored restaurants Lao Sun Jia and Tong Sheng Xiang are must-visit spots.

Top 3:Yangroupomo /羊肉泡馍

Yangrou Paomo

Yangrou Paomo (Pita bread soaked in lamb soup) is a traditional Xi’an delicacy. The soup base is simmered for over 10 hours, while the flatbread is hand-torn into small, pea-sized pieces. Combined with tender lamb and the rich broth, this dish is both comforting and warming to the heart and stomach.

Pita bread soaked in lamb soup is renowned in Lao Sunjia restaurant and Tong Shengxiang restaurant. Lao Sunjia and Tong Shengxiang are both famous China brands that have had a history of about a century. The Muslim main dishes and snacks, mutton in hot pot and beef in hot pot cooked by the two restaurants are delicious and tasty while full of local tastes.

Top 4: Hulutou Paomo/葫芦头泡馍

Hulutou Paomo is a traditional specialty unique to Xi’an. Made with stewed pig intestines as the main ingredient, it features a rich, flavorful broth. The crumbled flatbread soaks up the soup, turning soft, tender, and full of savory goodness.

Hulutou Paomo is best made at Chunfa restaurant. Chun Fasheng restaurant was built in 1920 and has a history of over 80 years. The name "Chun Fasheng" was selected by a celebrated person from Du Fu's poem "A good rain knows its season and comes when spring is here" which was written in 1920. It is said that the technique of Chun Fasheng Hulutou Paomo was taught by the King of Medicine Sun Simiao from the Tang Dynasty.

Top 5: Dumplings in Sour Soup /酸汤水饺

Sour Soup Dumplings are a beloved Shaanxi specialty where the key lies in the broth. Local aromatic vinegar is combined with a spoonful of chili oil, then topped with dried shrimp, seaweed, cilantro, and scallions. Hot dumpling broth is poured over the mix, creating a tangy and spicy soup that pairs perfectly with the dumplings' fresh, savory flavor.

Top 6: Biang Biang Mian /Biangbiang面

Biangbiang Noodles are a signature dish of Shaanxi cuisine, known for their wide, thick shape and unique name. The dough is hand-pulled into ribbons about a meter long and slapped against the counter with a loud “biang biang” sound, which gives the noodles their name. Just three strands make up a full bowl. After being cooked, the noodles are topped with a splash of chili oil, vinegar, and soy sauce, served with potatoes and carrots, then finished with a savory meat sauce.

In Xi’an, it’s common to see people squatting at their doorsteps, enjoying noodles while chatting with neighbors.

Top 7: Liangpi/凉皮

Liangpi

Liangpi, or cold skin noodles, is a beloved delicacy that was once presented to the emperor in Qin Town.

The process of making liangpi involves soaking rice, grinding it into a slurry, and then steaming it into thin sheets. The noodles are then tossed in a special blend of chili oil, vinegar, and salt, and topped with diced celery, bean sprouts, shredded cucumber, and other crisp vegetables. The result is a bowl of vibrant red noodles that are chewy, thin, delicate, and refreshingly smooth.

Since it's usually served cold, it's known as liangpi, which literally means “cold skin.”

Top 8: Saozi Noodles/臊子面

For Xi’an locals, making Saozi Noodles is an art; every slice of the knife seems to carry the rhythm of a Qin opera. A beloved local dish, it is often regarded as the “king of home-style cooking” in Xi'an.

Xi’an-style saozi noodles, the meat sauce is typically made from pork with a ratio of 40% fat to 60% lean—front leg meat is considered ideal. The fat is rendered to release its rich aroma, while the lean meat provides texture and depth. The broth is based on chicken stock. The soup appears golden and glistening, topped with garlic sprouts and Chinese chives for extra fragrance. Diners can add chili oil to taste.

Top 9: Spicy Beef Ball Soup /肉丸胡辣汤

Spicy Beef Ball Soup is a quintessential local specialty of Xi’an, beloved by generations of locals. The soup features tender beef meatballs simmered with hearty ingredients such as potatoes, carrots, cabbage, and green beans, creating a rich and flavorful broth. It's traditionally enjoyed with a side of flatbread, a combination favored by longtime Xi’an residents.

According to historical accounts, this dish originated when black pepper was introduced to Chang’an via the Silk Road. Over the centuries, the recipe was refined and passed down through generations. Today, it remains one of Xi’an’s most popular and enduring traditional dishes.

Top 10: Milky Soup Sliced Fish /奶汤锅子鱼

Milky Soup Sliced Fish is an ancient delicacy from Chang’an (present-day Xi’an) with a history of over 1,300 years. Fresh carp is thinly sliced and gently cooked in a rich, milky-white broth made by simmering pork bones and chicken frames. Scallions, ginger slices, and cooking wine are added to enhance the flavor. The resulting soup is creamy and white like milk, offering a savory-sweet taste with a subtle hint of white pepper. The fish slices are tender and silky, melting in the mouth. When dipped in a ginger-vinegar sauce, the freshness of the fish is further elevated.

In addition, Xi'an dieting culture is full of intense northwestern amorous feelings. Chinese hamburgers, pita bread soaked in lamb soup, cold noodles, buckwheat noodles, Hulutou, zenggao, roast meat, and rice noodle with sheep blood are local famous snacks. It is a unique experience to taste the local gourmet food when you travel to Xi'an. Having an unforgettable bowl of pita bread soaked in lamb soup, tasting a piece of Chinese hamburger, and eating a plate of cold noodles with hot pepper will leave you with a great impression of the ancient city-Xi'an.

Where to Try Typical Food

Xi'an's local cuisine is dominated by noodles, beef and lamb; a large part of it is made up of Muslims from the northwest, who brought with them halal cooking methods that were widely accepted and enjoyed.

Top 1: Lao Sun Jia

Lao Sun Jia Restaurant

• Name: Lao Sun Jia/老孙家
• Address: No.40 Beiyuanmen, Lianhu District/西安市莲湖区北院门40号
• Features: Pita Bread Soaked in Lamb Soup/羊肉泡馍, Pita Bread Soaked in Beef Soup/牛肉泡馍, Halal Cuisine

The original restaurant, opened in 1898, is still the best place to sample Xi'an's most celebrated dish, yangrou paomo. There are now three branches, two of them located on Dong Dajie. The branch with the best reputation at the moment is located inside a large hotel. On the first floor, you can dine with the masses, which is not recommended since tourists will stand out and ultimately become the main attraction. The second floor is where you choose a snack at the xiaochi restaurant. Recommended dishes at Lao sun Jia include the lamb dumplings (suan tang shuijiao) and a local favorite, fenzheng yangrou, which are two steamed buns perched delicately on the side of a pile of mince and flour Yang Rou Pao Mo.

Top 2: Xi'an Restaurant /西安饭庄

• Name:Xi'an Restaurant /西安饭庄
• Address: Middle section of East Street, Xi'an
• Features: Hulu Chicken, Braised Pork Roujiamo, Soy-braised Beef, and the impressive King’s Elbow (Braised Pork Knuckle).

Xi’an Restaurant, established in 1929, is renowned for its authentic Shaanxi cuisine and is often regarded as a showcase of the region’s culinary heritage. As a time-honored establishment, the restaurant offers a comfortable and elegant dining environment with a wide variety of dishes. Over the decades, it has welcomed numerous national leaders and cultural icons, including Zhou Enlai, Soong Ching-ling, and Guo Moruo.

Top 3: De Fa Chang

• Name: De Fa Chang/德发长饺子店
• Address: No.3 West Street, Lianhu District/莲湖区西大街3号
• Features: various dumplings

Defachang Restaurant

Defachang has many specialty dishes, but the most famous is jiaozi made of Shark fin. Another kind of jiaozi as big as a small fingertip filled with chicken meat. It is called a pearl jiaozi and is boiled in a hotpot of chrysanthemum soup. There is a vivid story that when Empress Dowager Ci Xi came to the city she asked her cook to give her something new, and the cook prepared this kind of jiaozi to please her. It was well received. She ate either three, six or nine, which is regarded as good luck in China. Today, the words are different, for having one jiaozi, means to go off smoothly, and two jiaozi for double happiness at the same time. When having a jiaozi, you can listen to the story and receive a blessing

Top 4:Xi'an Tong Sheng Xiang Restaurant

Tong Sheng Xiang Restaurant

• Name: Tong Sheng Xiang/同盛祥饭庄
• Address: No.5 West Street, Lianhu District/莲湖区西大街5号
• Features: Pita Bread Soaked in Lamb Soup/羊肉泡馍, Pita Bread Soaked in Beef Soup/牛肉泡馍, Halal Cuisine

Tong Sheng Xiang (Prosperity and Fortune) Beef and Lamb Paomo Restaurant done in Tang Dynasty style, is a time-honored cuisine in the Xian Bell and Drum Tower Square. Yang Rou Pao Mo is a soup dish that involves breaking wheat flour flatbread into a bowl and adding mutton stock.

Tongshengxiang is known for its Niuyangroupaomo, which is a steamed bun soaked in beef or mutton soup. It is a delicious Xi'an specialty that consists of beef or mutton soup served with wheat flour flatbread. The hard bread is broken and added to the soup. The mixture is then eaten with pickled garlic cloves.

Customize Your Unique Xi'an Tour

If you are interested in one of the Xi'an itineraries mentioned above, please contact us, and we will be happy to customize it and provide a quote tailored to your preferences.

Alternatively, if you would like to customize your Xi'an Tour, please visit our Xi'an Tour Customized Center. We assure you that you will receive a reply within 24 working hours.

Informative Articles for Xi'an 

Xi'an

• Interesting Experiences and activities in Xian that can be put into your trip!
• Selected travel itineraries in Xian for your reference
• Customizable Xi'an Tours
• Top attractions in Xi'an
• Xi'an historical weather, the best time to visit Xi'an
• Brief introduction to the Xi'an local culture
• Unique perspective: best interesting things to do
• Top destinations: best places to visit in Xi'an
• Local food: what to eat while traveling in Xi'an
• Luxury hotels: where to stay in Xi'an
• Quick and time-saving to Customize a Xi'an Trip