Best and Worst of Xi'an - My Opinionated Guide

Intricate Roofline above the Ming Dynasty City Wall

This article is primarily written to document my own memory of Xi'an. But if you're heading to Xi'an as an independent, budget-conscious, or culinary-focused traveler, I'm happy to share my experience with you. Keep in mind that your own experience with the locals may be different, one way or another, as I traveled through China as a Chinese-speaking foreigner.

In May 2011, we kicked off our overland trip of Northern China with several memorable days in Xi'an. The criteria of our trip included:
- Focus on authentic local culture and food
- Did I mention EXCELLENT LOCAL FOOD?
- Basic but reasonably comfortable accommodation at central location
- Public transportation (best way to familiarize with the city!)
- Budget of RMB 350 (CAD$53) per person per day, including:
- Hotel - RMB 100 (per person in double room with private bathroom)
- Food - RMB 75
- Admission Tickets - RMB 100 per person per day
- Local Transportation - RMB 25 per day
- Other Spending - RMB 50
We actually ended up spending less than RMB 350 per day, but it's always better to allow for a little excess.

An Elegant Siheyuan Courtyard at Bei Yuan Men 144

READY-TO-USE ITINERARY

We had the luxury of spending three full days in Xi'an, but most travelers seem to plan for less. My recommendation in terms of itinerary, for 1-Day, 2-Days or 3-Days in the city are as follows:

ONE DAY
Day 1: Bell Tower - Muslim Quarter (brunch)
- Bus You7/You8/609/610/611/201/251 - Train Station
- Bus You5 - Museum of Terracotta Warriors - Bus You5
- Train Station - Bus 14 - Stele Forest - Walk to Wenchangmen
- City Wall - Walk to Nanmen - Bus 302/600
- Muslim Quarter (dinner)

Making an Ink Rubbing at the Stele Forest

TWO DAYS
Day 1: Same as above
Day 2: Bell Tower - Muslim Quarter (brunch) - Great Mosque
- Bus You7 - Small Wild Goose Pagoda - Bus You8
- Shaanxi History Museum - Walk - Giant Wild Goose Pagoda
- Bus You8 - Bell Tower - Muslim Quarter (dinner)

Raising the Red Lanterns at Bei Yuan Men 144

THREE OR MORE DAYS
Same as above, with the addition of one or more of:
- Bei Yuan Men 144 (a.k.a. Gao Family Courtyard)
- Drum Tower and Bell Tower
- Huashan mountain (take Bus You1 from Train Station)
- Hanyangling Museum (take train to Xianyang Station; transfer to local bus #5)
- sidetrip to Luoyang (2 hours on high speed train)

Face-to-Face with the Terracotta Warriors

ARRIVAL

Forget taxi in general, especially if you're arriving by air or high speed train. A taxi ride from Xianyang Airport to central Xi'an should cost upwards of RMB 200 as of 2011, and won't get you there much faster than shuttle buses in Xi'an's constant traffic jams.

If you're flying into Xi'an's Xianyang Airport like we did, the easy and comfortable way to get to central Xi'an is via Airport Shuttle Bus Routes A (Bell Tower) or B (Train Station), located at the curbside just outside the departure level. Tickets are sold at the makeshift counter beside the bus. Route A cost us RMB 26 in 2011, and took roughly an hour to reach the Bell Tower. Route A operates roughly every 20 minutes or so and is said to run from the first plane arrival until the last.

If you're arriving by a high speed train, the new Metro Line 2 connects the North Railway Station to the Bell Tower. If you're arriving by a conventional train at the old Xi'an Train Station, you can take Bus You7/You8/609/610/611 etc to the Bell Tower outside of rush hour. Bringing large baggages onto rush hour buses is not recommended, and a taxi would likely cost no more than RMB 20.

Illumination of the Drum Tower After Nightfall

GETTING AROUND

Xi'an Metro Lines 1 and 2 were clearly designed with commuters in mind and don't seem to specifically stop at any major tourist sights aside from the Bell Tower. Though it is possible to walk to the Small Wild Goose Pagoda from Nanshaomen, and to the Shaanxi History Museum from Xiaozhai, at the time of writing the bus system is still a hassel-free way of connecting between various sights. I hate to say it, but Xi'an hasn't been China's most important city for the past 1,100 years, and the extent of its metro system coverage simply can't be compared to Beijing's.

A Corner of the Vanishing Old Xi'an, Near the Southern Gate

Some of our favorite bus lines connecting between:
- Bell Tower and Xi'an Train Station: You7/You8/609/610/611/201/251
- Bell Tower and Stele Forest: 221/222
- Bell Tower and Nanmen (Southern Gate): 302/600
- Bell Tower and Xianyang Airport: Airport Shuttle Route A
- Bell Tower and Small Wild Goose Pagoda: You7
- Bell Tower and Giant Wild Goose Pagoda/Shaanxi History Museum: You8
- Train Station and Stele Forest: 14
- Train Station and Xianyang Airport: Airport Shuttle Route B
- Small Wild Goose Pagoda and Giant Wild Goose Pagoda: You8

Modern Towers Dwarfing the Once-Imposing Ming Dynasty City Wall

HONEST OPINION ON MAJOR SIGHTS

Everyone goes to Xi'an for the ancient Terracotta Warriors, but not everyone knows about Xi'an's rich heritage of Tang, Ming and Qing Dynasty sights. Here's my opinionated list of what to see, but more importantly, what to skip.

Cascading Roof Tiles at Bei Yuan Men 144

Bei Yuan Men 144 - Informally known as Gao Family Courtyard or Gao Jia Da Yuan, this Ming Dynasty residence is one of the lesser-known sights of Xi'an and my personal favorite. Its well-preserved architectural details are so photogenic that I've chosen a few pics for this article. But that's not the best part ... for only RMB 30 (CAD$4.5) you'll get the chance to see one of China's dying folk art forms, the leather shadow puppetry.

The puppet theater was performed in a little hall by two artists in their 60's, with one person playing both percussion and an Erhu-like instrument and the other controlling several marionettes simultaneously. Both were involved in the voice acting, which could be performed in Chinese or English depending on the audience. Only three spectators -- the two of us plus one local -- were in attendance and we were presented with the Chinese version of San Da Bai Gu Jing, a somewhat humorous short play derived from the Journey to the West.

An oasis of tranquility amidst the raucous Muslim Quarter, Bei Yuan Men 144 is also one of the rare sights remaining open at night (the signage advertised an extremely late closing time of 23:00). Don't miss it after an authentic Xi'an dinner at the neighboring Jia San or Hong Hong -- the dimly lit lanterns only makes the place so much more romantic at night.


City Wall - So many things to do and love. Climb up and down the stairs to the watch towers. Watch the locals practice Taichi fist in the morning. Rent a bicycle and circumnavigate the wall. See old Xi'an's unrestored ghettos from above. This is the best place to be on a sunny afternoon.

The 1,300-Year-Old Landmark of Xi'an - Giant Wild Goose Pagoda

Muslim Quarter - More important than the Terracotta Warriors on my itinerary. In fact we picked our hotel based on its proximity to the Muslim Quarter in order to have brunch and dinner here everyday. See my other three articles and you'll agree that it was the right choice.


Museum of Terracotta Warriors - A UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of China's most popular attractions. Getting to the museum can be a minor adventure in itself, as the square in front of Xi'an Train Station is infiltrated with all kinds of fake buses waiting to lure the uninformed tourist into their specialized Terracotta Warriors tours, complete with grossly overpriced lunchstops and mandatory souvenir shopping. The real official bus, numbered "You5" or "306," was somewhat hidden at the eastern side of the square. After getting to the Museum ticket counter, spend a few extra RMB to have the golf cart whisk you across the ginormous compound to the actual museum. The golf cart goes only one way, as the intention is to have visitors leave the compound from the back exit, through a long street of souvenir shops selling anything from clay warriors to wolf skin. The excavation sites and the museum are worth the trip though, and my favorite was the incredibly detailed bronze horses and chariot. Bring your good camera -- you'll need high ISO settings for the indoor excavation pits.


Small Wild Goose Pagoda (Xiaoyanta) - An 8th Century skyscraper dating from Xi'an's golden era as the most advanced city in the world. Constructed in an archaic style that appears more Indian than Chinese, this 13-level pagoda is so well-preserved, despite numerous earthquakes, that visitors can still safely climb 45m up its wooden staircase for a panoramic view of southern Xi'an. If you're choosing between the two Goose Pagodas to climb like we were, the Small Wild Goose is less restored, cheaper to enter (free to enter compound; RMB 30 to climb as of 2011), and much quieter compared to the bustling tourist town surrounding the Great Wild Goose.

Great Wild Goose Pagoda (Dayanta) - Xi'an's most famous landmark has suffered the same fate that plagues many of China's historical monuments -- the development of its surroundings into an amusement park atmosphere. Not quite as enchanting as the Small Wild Goose Pagoda, though the water fountain at its north square is probably the best place in Xi'an to people-watch.

Shaanxi History Museum - This has become one of Xi'an's main tourists attractions for several reasons: its proximity to the Great Wild Goose Pagoda (just two blocks away), its free entrance policy, and the fact that it is an excellent museum focusing on Xi'an's glorious past as China's ancient capital. The hour-long lineup for the free tickets was definite the WORST lineup we encountered anywhere in China, and only upon getting close to the counter did we realized that it's possible to skip the lineup by purchasing a Special Exhibits entrance ticket at another counter window ...

An Anonymous Pavilion at the Stele Forest

Stele Forest - Officially known as the Beilin Museum, this is not only an excellent place to see some of the best Chinese calligraphy, but also a great place to buy some ink rubbings for the living room. Don't buy the overpriced items inside the museum though -- head to the little street to the east of the museum for a larger selection of paintings and calligraphy at better prices.

Great Mosque - Unfortunately closed during our stay in Xi'an and thus became one of my major regrets, Xi'an's Great Mosque is one of those rare monuments documenting the fusion of cultures at this ancient crossroad. How many other places can you name that has a Chinese pagoda serving as a Minaret?

Hanyangling - A friend of ours rated this mausoleum to be more interesting than the Terracotta Warriors, but we just couldn't fit it into our itinerary. A state-of-the-art museum built to protect and showcase the on-going excavation of Emperor Jingdi's tomb, this relatively new attraction is best known for its smaller Terracotta figurines. It is located in the vicinity of Xianyang, and requires more than a half-day for independent travelers based in Xi'an.

Huashan Mountain - One of the most famous mountains in Chinese folklore, Huashan is best known within China for two things -- its ancient title as the most precarious mountain under heaven, and its new-found popularity as the fictional site of a showdown in Jinyong's popular martial arts novels. We considered spending a night at one of the basic guesthouses at the top for the famed sunrise, but it would have been quite a detour off our eventual route towards Pingyao. We chose to pass through Dangjiacun instead with no regrets.

Famen Temple (Famensi) - Skipped with no reservations. No sense in traveling a couple hours from Xi'an just to see a recent reconstruction of the ancient temple, no matter how famous in history it used to be.

Tang Paradise (Da Tang Fu Rong Yuan) - What you expect us to waste our time at some cheezy theme park?



ACCOMMODATION

If you're a serious foodie like we are, do your taste buds a big favor and book your hotel as close as possible to the Muslim Quarter. If you still need further convincing, see my Gourmet Guide to Xi'an here, here and here.

Super 8 Xidajie Hotel Where We Stayed

We narrowed our list down to two -- 2 star Super 8 Xidajie, and 3 star Shanxi Wenyuan Hotel. Wenyuan was closest to the Muslim Quarter, but we crossed it off since its cheapest rooms (RMB 250) were located in the basement with no windows. Super 8 on the other hand was hidden in a quiet side street off the main throughfare of Xidajie, and still within 5 minutes of walking distance to the Muslim Quarter. Double rooms cost a very reasonable RMB 183 (CAD$28) in 2011 ... but only if you apply for a free membership at Super 8 China and book from the Chinese site. Booking thru the international site cost RMB 218, still cheaper than Wenyuan.

No-nonsense Double Room at Super 8 Xidajie

The room was reasonably clean and decent-sized, with a simple bathroom, cable TV (mostly Chinese channels, except CCTV English). No fridge though -- we kept our beer cool under cold running water in the wash basin.

Spending an Evening at Bei Yuan Men 144

FOOD

Xi'an occupies a unique position in the world of Chinese cuisine. As the endpoint of the ancient Silk Road, Xi'an imported the spices and cooking methods of the Middle East and originated its own remarkable fusion of flavors here. For more than a thousand years, a sizable Chinese-Muslim community has settled here and developed its own secret recipes and dishes, many of them passed down in unassuming, 100-plus-year-old hole-in-the-wall eateries.

A taste of authentic Xi'an fusion cuisine, and not the Terracotta Warriors, was the real focus of our trip. There was so much I wanted to share with fellow foodies that I made it into a series of articles in Part 3, Part 2 and Part 1.

Xi'an remains underrated as a tourist destination, and tour buses tend to spend no more than a day and see very little beyond the Terracotta Warriors. But if you're an independent traveler, slow down and climb its ancient pagodas, bicycle its medieval city walls, and wander down the Muslim Quarter's narrow alleys for some exotic treats ... before more of the world discovers its charm.

Gourmet Guide to Xi'an - Part 3

This is my third and last article on the fascinating food scene at Xi'an's Muslim Quarter, the birthplace of traditional Chinese-cross-Middle-Eastern fusion cuisine. For the past 1,500 years, delicate Chinese cooking methods have intermingled with the bold spices and ingredients from the Near East in this ancient capital of the Tang Dynasty. The result, for modern day foodies like myself at least, is an explosion of unique flavors hidden deep in the Muslim Quarter's 100-plus-year-old recipes and locally-famous little shops.

As usual, most restaurants reviewed are marked and numbered on the map below.

MAP LEGEND:
1.LAO MI JIA (stir-fried unleavened bread in mutton broth)
2.HONG HONG (Halal lamb skewers and fried rice)
3.BIANG BIANG MIAN (sheet noodles in specialty 3-in-1 sauce)
4.SUN JIA (meatballs and vegetables in spicy soup)
5.JIA SAN (soup dumplings and best plum juice ever)
6.SHENG ZHI WANG (cold noodles in sesame paste)
7.ZHAO JIA BAO (rose-honey flavored glutinous rice cakes)
8.QING ZHEN SHAO JI (Halal roasted free-range chicken)


5. JIA SAN -- EXCELLENT PLUM-HAWTHORN JUICE AND SOUP-FILLED DUMPLINGS

Food Review: JIA SAN (Muslim Quarter, Xi'an)
Address: Beiyuanmen 93, Beilinqu, Xi'an
Hours: 08:00-22:00
Website/Map: From Dianping.com (in Chinese)
Directions: See location #5 on my Xi'an Gourmet Map. Start from the Drum Tower and head north on Bei Yuan Men. It's on the right hand side.


Walking along the Muslim Quarter's main drag, chances are you'll come across a huge queue of locals and multi-national tourists alike winding in front of the colourful facade of a multi-level restaurant. This place has become so legendary among visitors, both Chinese and international, that it has probably become one of the famous landmarks of central Xi'an after the Drum Tower and Bell Tower. Call it touristy and overrated, but you can hardly get through the Muslim Quarter without making your way past the queue at the crowded Jia San.

Jia San has become incredibly famous for one simple dish -- its scaldingly hot, soup-filled dumplings in bamboo steamers, known as Guan Tang Bao Zi. The concept of a liquid soup filling inside a thin dumpling skin is of course not a Xi'an invention -- the Cantonese have their Kwun Tong Gau (the real traditional type that arrives in a steamer instead of a bowl!), and the Shanghainese in particular have successfully introduced Xiao Long Bao (known overseas as XLB Dumplings) to the rest of world. So what distinguishes Jia San's Guan Tang Bao Zi from the XLB Dumplings of Shanghai/Taiwan? That's what we're here to find out.



All of Jia San's floors were swarming with crowds when we arrived at 19:30 on a busy Saturday. We were promptly herded to second floor, to a rowdy, almost cafeteria-like dining hall with long stainless steel tables filled mostly by local families. The two of us shared a table with a 3-generation family on our right, and a young couple across from us. Everyone ordered at the counter and brought the receipt back to the table, hoping that meandering (and occasionally confused) servers would somehow spot the receipt and deliver the right items as they came off the stove. We almost had a receipt with two outstanding items snatched by a sloppy server -- do keep one eye on your receipt while you're staring down your mountains of dumplings.



We ordered three steamers of soup dumplings for the two of us, which seemed to be the norm judging by our neighboring tables. Everything arrived steaming hot as expected, and the only way to avoid scalding our tongues was to bite off the top of each dumpling to let the soup cool slightly. That simple task turned out to be a severe test of our chopstick skills as the dumplings skins were extremely thin and fragile (Note: both of us have been lifelong chopsticks users). One local middle-aged mom at our table watched in amusement as we perfected our method of employing a side-to-side rocking motion to peel the dumpling off the straw steamer mat and into a spoon -- she attempted to teach us her ways of air-lifting dumplings with her killer chopstick techniques, and failed miserably with juices leaking all over. At this point I noticed the first major difference between these Guan Tang Bao Zi dumplings compared to Shanghai's XLB Dumplings -- the dumpling skins are a little stickier and tougher to transfer to the mouth intact. Not sure if this is what we should expect, or if the chefs were just taking on a new apprentice.

Nitpicking aside, the essence of all soup dumplings is of course the soup stock, typically gelatinized with a pork-skin- or agar-based mixture and carefully wrapped inside the dough skin for steaming. Out of the three flavors we ordered, the unassuming San Xian (literally "Three Delicacies" -- pork, shrimp and leeks) turned out best with the leeks adding to the flavors of a decent soup stock. Considering the Chinese-Muslim roots of this restaurant, I actually had higher expectations for the lamb dumplings, which were frankly quite average. The ox tail dumplings, with the inclusion of some beef tendons, was a better choice.

The verdict? This may be somewhat unfair, but we can only compare Jia San's Guan Tang Bao Zi against the Shanghai-style XLB Dumplings that we've had in the past. Perhaps it was an off night for the chefs at Jia San, but I certainly expected more from one of Xi'an's most famous restaurant's most famous dish. Both the soup and the fillings were mostly above average, but I've had better XLB Dumplings, in and outside of China.

If this review ended with the dumplings I would have discouraged everyone from visiting. But as we discovered, Jia San's heralded dumplings, with all its accolades and fame, should really take a backseat to these two excellent items ...



Introducing our favorite dish at Jia San: Ba Bao Tian Xi Fan -- literally Sweet Rice Porridge with 8 Treasures. I can't figure out why this isn't more famous than the dumplings, as it is a wonderfully refreshing dessert in the fine traditon of Chinese sweet soups. I did not count the 8 treasures, but from memory there were all kinds of raisins, Goji berries, lotus seeds, lily roots, and of course traditionally flavored with the highly fragrant Osmanthus flower. For a mere RMB 4 (CAD$0.6) this was easily the best dish.



But that's still not our NUMBER ONE recommendation at Jia San, which belongs to a take-out drink known as Shan Zha Wu Mei Tang, or Hawthorn and Black Plum Juice. Virtually every single table ordered a few cup of these drinks, which seemed to be prepared and packaged in-house and sold to both restaurant patrons and pedestrians walking by for RMB 2 (CAD$0.3). This was by far the best plum juice both of us have ever had, with the hawthorn fruit adding a woody, unmistakably Chinese dimension to complement the sweet plum. In fact we made at least one more trip back to Jia San later that week, just to get another cup for take-out. It was that good.

To conclude, Jia San is worth the visit if you're coming to Xi'an, but not necessarily for its dumplings. My recommendations, in order of preference, are:
1. Hawthorn-Plum Juice
2. Sweet Rice Porridge with 8 Treasures
3. Soup Dumplings in San Xian flavor

Bill for Two Persons

Soup Dumplings (Lamb)	RMB 12
Soup Dumplings (San Xian)	RMB 12
Soup Dumplings (Ox Tail)	RMB 16
Sweet Porridge with 8 treasures	RMB 4
Plum-Hawthorn Juice	RMB 2
TOTAL	RMB 46 (CAD$7)

6. SHENG ZHI WANG -- COLD NOODLES IN SESAME PASTE

Food Review: SHENG ZHI WANG (Muslim Quarter, Xi'an)
Address: Dapiyuan 225, Linhuqu, Xi'an
Hours: 08:00 until sold out (~11am)
Website/Map: From Dianping.com (in Chinese)
Directions: See location #6 on my Xi'an Gourmet Map. Start from the Drum Tower and walk north to the Pailou (archway) at the end of Bei Yuan Men. Turn left on Dapiyuan. Sheng Zhi Wang is at the end of the block on the right side.


One of the favorite breakfast/lunch items of the Xi'an locals is a dish of udon-like noodles mixed with a addictively rich sesame paste, known as Ma Jiang Niang Pi.

The Niang Pi noodles (also called Liangpi or even Rangpi, depending on locality) is not exclusively a Xi'an invention -- multiple locales in Northwest China from Shaanxi to Gansu to Qinghai claim these ubiquitous noodles as their own. But what sets Xi'an's Niang Pi apart is the signature sesame paste Xi'an's Chinese-Muslims love. If you're fan of the deep aroma of ground sesame there's no better place than the Muslim Quarter, and within the Muslim Quarter there's no Ma Jiang Niang Pi shop more famous than the venerable, 100-plus-year-old Sheng Zhi Wang.



For a taste of Sheng Zhi Wang's sesame paste you have to arrive early, as the shop closes once its daily portion is all sold out. I once passed by the shop at 15:00 in the afternoon and found it closed, so it's probably safer to arrive before noon. The shop itself is quite simple: a handful of tables, a counter where the order is taken, and walls plastered with photos of various politicians and foreign TV crews visiting the place. There's no English menu, but you really don't need one since they sell only two items -- Ma Jiang Niang Pi (Cold Noodles with Sesame Paste, RMB 4), and Suan Mei Tang (plum juice, RMB 2).



This secret-recipe sesame paste was definitely the thickest and most flavorful I've ever tasted, complemented by more sesame oil and a heavy dose of chili paste. The noodles looked and tasted remarkably similar to, though wasn't quite as chewy as, the more familiar udon. While I ordered mine with everything on, my wife skipped the chili and it just didn't taste the same. For the full experience I recommend that you at least mix a small amount of chili into your sesame paste, whether you're a fan of spicy food or not.

Our authentically filling breakfast, drinks and all, cost a bargain-bottom RMB 10 (CAD$1.5) for two persons. As we were savoring the sesame paste, scores of sandal-clad locals emerged from neighborhood and lined up at the counter for take-outs. It's hard to go wrong with an authentic, tried and proven local favorite. It has been here for the past hundred years, and by its current popularity it is quite conceivable that it will still be standing for the next hundred.

Bill for Two Persons

Cold Noodles in Sesame Paste	RMB 4
Cold Noodles in Sesame Paste	RMB 4
Plum Juice	RMB 2
TOTAL	RMB 10 (CAD$1.5)

7. ZHAO JIA BAO -- ROSE-HONEY FLAVORED GLUTINOUS RICE DESSERTS

Food Review: ZHAO JIA BAO (Muslim Quarter, Xi'an)
Address: Mobile stall on Xiyangshi street, Xi'an
Hours: approx 08:00 until sold out
Website/Map: From Dianping.com (in Chinese)
Directions: See location #7 on my Xi'an Gourmet Map. Start from the Drum Tower and head north on Bei Yuan Men street. Turn left on Xi Yang Shi street. Look for a mobile stand with the lady in the photo below.


One of my wife's favorite memories of Xi'an was a luscious box of take-out dessert from this little stand in the Muslim Quarter.

Though it may look like just another anonymous vendor, this unassuming roadside stall is arguably one of the city's most influential eateries, and the object of constant visits from TV stations and magazines. In fact many visitors to Xi'an have tasted these desserts without knowing, as their workshop supplies many of the city's top restaurants, including the tourist favorites Lao Sun Jia and Tong Sheng Xiang. But to get it straight (and cheap!) from the one and only official outlet ... that's why we made sure to visit Ms. Zhao at her stall.

And Ms. Zhao here was well aware of her own fame, and asked whether we'd seen her on TV or on Internet. I assume she's also aware of the potential to hike prices, but her famous boxed desserts still remained at RMB 5 (CAD$0.8) per order as of 2011.



Zhao Jia Bao sells nothing but pounded glutinous rice desserts in two equally delicious forms -- the Zongzi with a sweet red bean paste filling and sesame crust, and the plain Liang Gao with red bean paste on top. Both are finished with a drizzle of the customer's favorite dressing -- we chose the traditional rose-honey.

The result was the most delectable, chewy glutinous rice cake topped with velvety creamed red bean AND swimming in rose-water-infused honey. It was easily one of the best desserts of our entire trip.

If you're as big a dessert fan as my wife, perhaps you too should visit Zhao Jia Bao's little stall on Xi Yang Shi street in the Muslim Quarter. Take note though that there's another dessert stall right next to it -- Zhao Jia Bao's stall is typically on the left (east) side.

Bill for Two Persons

Rose-Honey Liang Gao + Zongzi (half and half)	RMB 5
TOTAL	RMB 5 (CAD$0.8)

8. QING ZHEN SHAO JI -- HALAL ROASTED FREE-RANGE CHICKEN

Food Review: QING ZHEN SHAO JI (Muslim Quarter, Xi'an)
Address: On Bei Guang Ji street near Xiyangshi street, Xi'an
Hours: 08:00 until sold out (approx 16:00)
Website/Map: None
Directions: See location #8 on my Xi'an Gourmet Map. Walk north on Bei Guang Ji street past Xiyangshi street. It's a little stall on the left hand side.


One of our favorite discoveries in the Muslim Quarter was this little stall near the northwest corner of Bei Guang Ji street and Xi Yang Shi street. The shop seemed to have no formal name, and sold one and only one item. The most reliable way to recognize this stall, aside from comparing with the above photo, is to ask around (or to randomly look) for these super lean, yellow-skinned Qing Zhen Shao Ji, or Halal roasted chicken.



My wife has always been a huge fan of China's chicken for its tenderness of texture and its intense flavor, and came up with this great idea of wrapping a whole Halal chicken back to the hotel for dinner. Perhaps it's the bloodline, but there's something very special about the flavor of chicken bred in China. Compared to the meatier but relatively bland chicken I usually get in Canada and the U.S., China's chicken tend to be much leaner, with a softer, more delicate texture and a slightly gamey taste. It's always one of the must-order items whenever we visit China or Hong Kong.

If memory serves me right we picked the one on the left, a lean, golden roasted bird weighing slightly over 1kg. The price was RMB 18 per Jin, a Chinese unit of weight equivalent to 500g, which was not exactly cheap for an informal-looking roadside stand.



It was definitely worth it -- flavorful, very juicy, and definitely free-range judging from hardness of the bones. This was precisely why we booked our hotel as close as possible to the Muslim Quarter.



We also came across the perfect beer to wash down any oily food, a quaint local beer deriving its bitterness not from hops, but from Chinese bitter melon. This was widely available at local supermarkets for about 2 or 3 RMB.

Bill for Two Persons

Roasted Free-Range Chicken (RMB 18/500g)	RMB 37
TOTAL	RMB 37 (CAD$5.6)

9. ZI WU LU ZHANG JI -- XI'AN'S SPECIALTY PULLED PORK SANDWICH

Food Review: ZI WU LU ZHANG JI (Near Great Goose Pagoda, Xi'an)
Address: Cui Hua Lu 227, Yantaqu, Xi'an
Hours: 10:00 to 21:00
Website/Map: From Dianping.com (in Chinese)
Directions: Start from either Shaanxi History Museum or the Great Goose Pagoda's water fountain. Walk along Xiao Zhai Dong Lu to Cui Hua Lu (walk east from the Museum, or west from the Pagoda). Walk south on Cui Hua Lu for about 5 minutes. It's a little shop of the left hand side, just south of the primary school.


Even though I have only one photo of this place, I feel that I should give a brief review of Zi Wu Lu Zhang Ji, widely reputed to be one of the two or three best eateries for one of Xi'an's most famous dishes, a Chinese sandwich known as Rou Jia Mo. Besides, this is a great place for a cheap lunch for anyone visiting the Great Goose Pagoda or the Shaanxi History Museum, two of Xi'an's popular tourist attractions.

Considered THE quintessential fast food by Xi'an locals, Rou Jia Mo's popularity here probably eclipses all of McDonald's, KFC and Dairy Queen combined, judging from the number of Rou Jia Mo shops around every street corner. I chose this location for review due to its proximity from both the Great Goose Pagoda and the Shaanxi History Museum, and the fact that this location has two of Xi'an's best Rou Jia Mo shops competing side-by-side. If one burger isn't enough to satisfy your appetite, there's a Fan Ji Rou Jia Mo next door.

Photographed is a Youzhi (premium) Rou Jia Mo, a fresh-off-the-oven bun filled with a heaping portion of shredded pork meat and skin that had been slow-cooking in a decade-old soup stock for hours. So stuffed with meat that it's just impossible to avoid having juices dripping all over the plate, this version of Chinese burger was satisfyingly authentic, filling, but also very greasy. I followed the local practice of washing it down with a bottle of Ice Peak, an orange-flavored soft drink wildly popular in Xi'an.

I just realized that out of the 9 eateries reviewed in Xi'an, this is the only one of non-Muslim origin. If you come to Xi'an, remember to let your taste buds experience 1,500 years of cultural fusion between the Han Chinese and the Hui people (Chinese-Muslims).

Bill for One Person

Premium Rou Jia Mo	RMB 7
Ice Peak Soft Drink	RMB 1.5
TOTAL	RMB 8.5 (CAD$1.3)

Gourmet Guide to Xi'an - Part 2

When I told my coworkers that my backpacking trip would start in Xi'an, I received mostly blank stares. But when I mentioned the Terracotta Warriors, everyone had at least some idea where I was heading.

It's unfortunate that most foreigners equate Xi'an with only the Terracotta Warriors. To the Chinese, Xi'an is synonymous with the most incredible, cheap and authentic fusion food – not from the 21st century fusion food craze, but from 1,500 years of inter-cultural mingling along the Silk Road. From here the Chinese exported their silk to the Roman Empire, and partially in return acquired Middle Eastern culinary traditions that evolved in Xi'an into a diverse repertoire of Muslim-Chinese cuisines and peasant dishes. GREAT FOOD, and not the Terracotta Warriors, was why I chose Xi'an as the start of my trip.

Here I'll continue with Part 2 of my review:

MAP LEGEND:
1.LAO MI JIA (stir-fried unleavened bread in mutton broth)
2.HONG HONG (Halal lamb skewers and fried rice)
3.BIANG BIANG MIAN (sheet noodles in specialty 3-in-1 sauce)
4.SUN JIA (meatballs and vegetables in spicy soup)
5.JIA SAN (soup dumplings and best plum juice ever)
6.SHENG ZHI WANG (cold noodles in sesame paste)
7.ZHAO JIA BAO (rose-honey flavored glutinous rice cakes)
8.QING ZHEN SHAO JI (Halal roasted free-range chicken)


2. HONG HONG -- HALAL MEAT SKEWERS AND FRIED RICE

Food Review: HONG HONG (Muslim Quarter, Xi'an)
Address: Beiyuanmen 106, Linhuqu, Xi'an
Hours: 11:00-22:00
Website/Map: From Dianping.com (in Chinese)
Directions: See location #2 on my Xi'an Gourmet Map. Start from the Drum Tower and head north on Bei Yuan Men. It's on the left hand side.

My personal favorite among all of Xi'an's gourmet offerings is the bite-sized meat skewers of the Muslim Quarter. While skewered meat is quite the ubiquitous fare at every market in Northern China, the intense competition among eateries here in the Muslim Quarter always ensures excellent tastes at reasonable prices. I'm not suggesting that you should hit any random roadside stand of questionable hygiene though -- my safe recommendation here goes to one of the most crowded eateries on the crowded Bei Yuan Men street.



Introducing Hong Hong, best known among Xi'an locals for its trademark Suan Cai Chao Mi (fried rice with pickled vegetables) and its cheap, addictive skewers. You can just smell the alluring aroma of charbroiled meat emanating in the air, even before walking through the door. Even at 21:30 on a weeknight, both of its floors were still teeming with locals and Chinese tourists alike vying for half a table. Expect to be seated on one side of a table across from a couple of locals, if you arrive in a party of two or less. Second floor of the restaurant seemed to be full of larger groups. As usual you can tell it's the right place when there are no English-speaking tour groups in sight.



My favorite skewer was only the number two best selling item on this night, according to a quick glance of our neighboring tables. EVERY TABLE STARTED WITH A FEW PLATES OF FRIED RICE, followed by skewers of each person's choice, and accompanied by cups of iced Suan Mei Tang, or plum juice. Well if that's what the locals do, it's good enough for us.



No English menu here -- just like the rest of the Muslim Quarter -- which is no surprise. Small skewers including charbroiled beef and tendon, beef tripes, tofu skin etc all cost a miniscule RMB 0.5 (CAD$ 7.5 cents) each, with a minimum order of 10 skewers. Large skewers such as lamb chunks cost RMB 1 (CAD$0.15), with a minimum order of 5 skewers. Then there are other barbecued items ranging from chicken wings (RMB 5) to a whole pomfret fish (RMB 20). Their famous fried rice, available in several different variations, cost RMB 8 a plate.



My favorite meat skewer by far is a Xi'an specialty, the perfectly tenderized, perfectly boiled, and perfectly spiced Shuan Niu Du, or flash-boiled beef tripe. It was easy to be instantly seduced by the aroma of sesame paste and chili peppers, whether you've ever had tripe or not, even before the plate landed on the table. These thinly sliced morsels came drizzled in a sesame-based sauce, and were so soft and yet chewy that I personally could have easily finished 30 skewers. Both my wife and I agreed that this was one of our favorite dishes in Xi'an.



As expected the skewers of lamb, beef and tendon were all heavily spiced with cumin and chili powder, as would be expected anywhere in Northern China. Interestingly both the beef and the lamb smelled of lamb, possibly as a result of the preparation process, and we could hardly taste the difference. My wife also ordered two skewers of chicken gizzard. Not bad, but nowhere as spectacular as the flash-boiled beef tripe.



This is the one dish that every table have come to order, the Suan Cai Chao Mi that prominently features in the full name of the restaurant, Hong Hong Suan Cai Chao Mi. I must admit that I did not expect to see fried rice this far north in China, deep in the noodle country of Shaanxi Province. But the fried rice did turn out quite good, boldly seasoned with cumin and chili oil, mildly spicy green peppers, diced onions, beef and of course, Suan Cai (pickles). The rice was a little oily if I were to nitpick, but that was really not a problem since everyone washed down the fried rice with a cup of iced Suan Mei Tang (plum juice) to quench the spiciness and cleanse the palate in the process.



Greasy, spicy and mouthwatering, this place had everything that a night-market fried rice stand was supposed to taste like, delivered in a family-run eatery setting in the Muslim Quarter's busiest section. Though next time I would probably skip the charbroiled lamb and simply order 30 skewers of beef tripe to go with the fried rice. As for the plum juice? I would just walk a little further down the street and get the amazing hawthorn-and-plum juice from the century-old local favorite of Jia San.

Bill for Two Persons

Beef Tripe Skewers x 10	RMB 5
Lamb Skewers x 5	RMB 5
Beef and Tendon Skewers x 10	RMB 5
Chicken Gizzard Skewers x 2	RMB 4
Suan Cai Chao Mi (Fried Rice with Pickled Vegetables)	RMB 8
Plum Juice x 2	RMB 4
TOTAL	RMB 31 (CAD$4.7)

3. BIANG BIANG MIAN -- XI'AN'S OWN UNIQUE NOODLES

Food Review: BIANG BIANG MIAN (aka Noodle King) (Xi'an)
Address: Nanyuanmen 80, Beilinqu, Xi'an
Hours: Unknown, but approx 10:00-20:00 according to my observation
Website/Map: From Dianping.com (in Chinese)
Directions: See location #3 on my Xi'an Gourmet Map. It's a 15 minutes walking distance south of the Muslim Quarter.

While fried rice remains somewhat of a delicacy to the masses of Xi'an, handmade, homey noodles remain the main staple food of common folks. But if your idea of noodles consists of long threads (or ribbons) of flour common all over East Asia ... well you need to visit Xi'an.



Xi'an's contribution to the world of noodles/pasta is its signature, extremely wide and long ribbons known generically as Ku Dai Mian (belt noodles), or as the commercially trademarked Biang Biang Mian. Nobody seems to have a clear explanation what Biang Biang means, though some say it's the sound of your teeth bouncing off the "al dente" texture of the noodles. There are several Biang Biang Mian outlets in town, and the one I visited is marked #3 on my Xi'an Gourmet Map, on Nan Yuan Men street near the centre of the city.

It's a small shop with 8 or so tables and walls covered with pictures and signatures of various local celebrities. There were no English menus though, which on the other hand also meant very cheap prices. Noodles were generally in the range of RMB 8-10 depending on size, and side dishes of marinated vegetables were RMB 10 each. Only one type of noodles was served, not surprisingly, though there were several flavors to choose from: Saozi (spicy minced pork), Zhajiang (meat gravy), Tomato and Eggs, or San He Yi (3-in-1) which was the combination of the above three.

Everyone ordered at the front counter then found a table at the back. As the shop was still busy at 15:00 in the afternoon, some random local dude walked in and sat at my table, ordering a bowl of 3-in-1 and a bottle of local beer served in a bowl.



The spiciness of hot chili peppers filled the air as my own bowl of 3-in-1 arrived. One can actually pick out the three flavors in the picture -- meat gravy from the 4 o'clock position of the bowl to 9 o'clock, spicy minced pork from 9 o'clock to 12 o'clock, tomato and eggs from 12 o'clock to 4 o'clock, and topped with a wallop of green onions, dried hot peppers and chili oil. The noodles were, just as the legends say, extremely wide, smooth and chewy. Imagine cutting very long strips of al-dente-boiled lasagne lengthwise, serving in a rich gravy sauce with minced pork and tomatoes ... wait that almost sounds Italianesque!

Although I should have asked for Wei La, or mildly spicy, the combination of gravy and minced pork was quite delicious and the noodles were wonderfully chewy. A mere RMB 8 (CAD$1.2) for a tasty, authentically Xi'an meal in the city centre, this was quite a bargain even by Chinese standards. I spent more on a bottle of yogurt at the supermarket after the meal ... go figure.

Bill for One Person

San He Yi (3-in-1) Noodles (small)	RMB 8
TOTAL	RMB 8 (CAD$1.2)

4. SUN JIA -- 100-YEAR-OLD SPICY SOUP WITH HALAL MEATBALLS

Food Review: SUN JIA ROU WAN HU LA TANG (Muslim Quarter, Xi'an)
Address: North end of Beiyuanmen, Lianhuqu, Xi'an
Hours: 6am until Sold Out
Website/Map: From Dianping.com (in Chinese)
Directions: See location #4 on my Xi'an Gourmet Map. Start from the Drum Tower and head north on Bei Yuan Men. It's on the right hand side towards the end, across from the entrance to Xiyangshi street.


Beijingers love their deep-fried dough and roasted meat sandwiches for breakfast, and the people of Hong Kong crave their rice porridge and macaroni in soup. As for Xi'an, one of the most popular and cheap breakfast fares is a simple bowl of Halal beef meatballs in a thick, extremely spicy soup known as Rou Wan Hu La Tang.

Take an early morning walk in the Muslim Quarter and let your nose follow a certain distinctive pungent spiciness. Chances are you'll come across one of many little shops with a large metal pot out front, and a middle-aged guy yelling "Hu La Tang!" This particular morning we sat down at the 100-plus-year-old Sun Jia on Bei Yuan Men street.



We followed the stream of locals to the big pot/barrel outside the shop and ordered two bowls of soup and one slice of bread -- after all that's all they sold for the past hundred years. The ingredient here seemed to be quite a mishmash of grape-sized beef meatballs, Chinese cabbages, potato cubes, carrots and zucchini.



But warned that this Hu La Tang was the spiciest of all things we tasted in Xi'an, a city well-known for its love of chili peppers. The key here is not the spiciness of the chili oil, but the numbing effects of a serious dose of Sichuan peppers. In fact not only my tongue, but my whole mouth was in a state of tingly, pins-and-needles numbness the whole time, which should sound familiar to fans of Sichuan cuisine. If you're a lover of all things spicy and hot, this breakfast is for you.

Bill for Two Persons

Hu La Tang (Meatballs in Spicy Soup)	RMB 3.5
Hu La Tang (Meatballs in Spicy Soup)	RMB 3.5
Tuo Tuo Mo (Roasted Bread)	RMB 0.5
TOTAL	RMB 7.5 (CAD$1.1)

Gourmet Guide to Xi'an - Part 1

This series of articles is dedicated to the amazing varieties of mouthwatering cuisine of Xi'an, the home of China's Terracotta Warriors.

Xi'an's Muslim Quarter is widely known among Chinese travelers as a foodie mecca, where 1,500 years of cultural fusion with the Middle East has produced some of China's greatest peasant dishes and street snacks. The problem for Westerners though is that eateries in the Muslim Quarter typically have no English menus and signages. To help readers navigate the area, I've created the map below to indicate the location of the eateries in my review.



Navigating the Muslim Quarter should be easy -- go to the Drum Tower with this map and follow the crowds north on Bei Yuan Men, the main entrance into the Muslim Quarter. Many of Xi'an's best local dishes can be found within a 3-block radius.

MAP LEGEND:
1.LAO MI JIA (stir-fried unleavened bread in mutton broth)
2.HONG HONG (Halal lamb skewers and fried rice)
3.BIANG BIANG MIAN (sheet noodles in specialty 3-in-1 sauce)
4.SUN JIA (meatballs and vegetables in spicy soup)
5.JIA SAN (soup dumplings and best plum juice ever)
6.SHENG ZHI WANG (cold noodles in sesame paste)
7.ZHAO JIA BAO (rose-honey flavored glutinous rice cakes)
8.QING ZHEN SHAO JI (Halal roasted free-range chicken)



For the past 1,000 years the mecca of Xi'an's culinary tradition has always situated here in the Hui Min Jie, or Muslim Quarter. Here you'll find the authentic flavors that every Xi'an schoolboy has grown up loving. Nowadays fancy restaurants attempt, often unsuccessfully, to replicate these peasant dishes and over-charge tourists in the process. But in the Muslim Quarter you can still find Xi'an's best, filling meals at bargain bottom prices, mostly below RMB 20 (CAD$3) per person.


1. 100-YEAR-OLD MUTTON BROTH AT LAO MI JIA

Food Review: LAO MI JIA (Muslim Quarter, Xi'an)
Address: Xiyangshi 127, Beilinqu, Xi'an
Hours: 8am until Sold Out (~11am)
Website/Map: From Dianping.com (in Chinese)
Directions: #1 on my Xi'an Gourmet Map. There are two Lao Mi Jia side by side -- choose the one on the right hand side (east side).


The Yang Rou Pao Mo is an enormously filling meal in the form of a soup bowl, one (or two or three, if you insist) piece of hand-crumbled unleavened bread is happily bathed in a flavorful clear mutton broth. From its humble origins, this Xi'an specialty has been elevated to star status by two of the city's most venerable restaurants, Tong Sheng Xiang and Lao Sun Jia. But if you ask the locals (refer to www.dianping.com), nobody does it better than the 100-plus-year-old Lao Mi Jia, deep within the Muslim Quarter.



One problem for visitors ... there are two different Lao Mi Jia located right next to each other, and many unsuspecting tourists get it all wrong. Local gourmands opt for the one on the RIGHT side, named Lao Mi Jia Da Yu Pao Mo in Chinese. This is what the store front looks like -- take this picture with you if nobody in your group can read Chinese.

Before anyone gets turned off by the “gamey” taste of lamb/mutton, let me tell you that my wife does NOT even eat lamb, let alone mutton, in Canada. But there is something special about how the Chinese-Muslims prepare their goats that entirely softens the taste and still retains the full flavor and the tenderness. This dish is a MUST try, for anyone who visits Xi'an for the first time.



First you need to order, but there is no English menu in sight. No worries. Just walk up to the cashier and ask for a Yang Rou Pao Mo. They'll probably give you a You Zhi (premium) Yang Rou Pao Mo, with better meat and more ingredients in the soup. As of 2011, the premium cost us RMB 21 per bowl.



Next, take a free dish of Tang Suan (sweet pickled garlic) from below the cashier -- that's what the local lady sitting across from us at our table showed us. Peel the tough garlic skin off before you use it to cleanse your oily palate between scoops of Pao Mo.



After paying for your bowl of Pao Mo, you'll be given a bowl with a piece of flat, white unleavened bread (Mo). Sit down and crumble it, into pieces as small as you can manage, just like the locals do. The smaller the crumbs, the better they soak up the flavor of the clear broth. So get crumbly.



Bread all crumbled and fingers all hurting? Now take your bowl of crumbled bread into the kitchen, along with the little plastic tag with your order number on it.



Your crumbled bread will go into the old iron wok along with the shop's trademark slow-cooked bone-based soup stock for a quick stir fry. The mutton, which has been simmering in a separate pot for hours, should be eagerly waiting on the sideline. Your Yang Rou Pao Mo should be delivered to your table in about 10 minutes.



The end result is a steamy, mouth-watering concoction. The stir fried mixture of bread and bone soup stock goes into the bowl first, followed by glass noodles, Muer mushrooms, green onions and Jinzhen (golden needle) flowers. Then the slow simmered slices of tender, flavorful mutton go on top. Finally more soup stock is added to fully submerge all these magical ingredients.

The act of eating the Yang Rou Pao Mo is an interesting culinary experience in itself -- just watch how the locals do it. NOBODY stirs and mixes the soup, as that would turn the bowl of crumbled bread into a slimy porridge. The typical approach seems to involve chopsticks in one hand, a soup ladle in the other, chili paste in the ladle if desired, and the process of slowly working on the little mountain of crumbled bread and soup into the ladle with as little stirring as possible. When the tastebuds start to become saturated with the full flavor of mutton, the sweet pickled garlic from the earlier step would serve as a surprisingly refreshing palate cleanser.

Lao Mi Jia is one of those remarkable eateries that deliciously define Xi'an -- don't miss it if you're the type of traveler who enjoys good, authentic local food (which I expect you are if you're reading this far into this article). A wonderfully satisfying meal and a cultural experience at the heart of Xi'an's Muslim Quarters, all for a measly RMB 21 (CAD$3.2), may just be more interesting than the Terracotta Warriors. And while you're chowing down on the mutton, don't forget your free plate of Tang Suan.

Bill for Two Persons

Premium Yang Rou Pao Mo	RMB 21
Premium Yang Rou Pao Mo	RMB 21
TOTAL	RMB 42 (CAD$6.4)