The Hui community of Xi'an has traded in these lanes since the Tang dynasty, when the city was the eastern terminus of the Silk Road and Central Asian merchants settled inside the walls. They brought grilling, wheat breads and lamb, and the cooking here still reflects that inheritance more than any restaurant does.
The lanes
Beiyuanmen runs north from the Drum Tower and is the busiest, most commercial street. Sajinqiao to the northwest is where locals eat. The narrower lanes between them, including Dapiyuan and Huajue Lane, hold smaller vendors and the Great Mosque. If you only have time for one, walk Beiyuanmen for the spectacle and Sajinqiao for the food.
What to eat
Roujiamo is a slow-braised pork sandwich in a crisp flatbread, often called a Chinese hamburger; it costs very little and is the most reliable thing on the street. Yanrou chuan is grilled lamb on skewers, dusted with cumin and chili. Yangrou paomo is a soup where you tear the flatbread into your bowl yourself and the kitchen pours boiling lamb broth over it. Cold liangpi noodles dressed with vinegar, chili oil and sesame come in summer. Look also for sesame-sprinkled crumbly pastries and for persimmon cakes fried to order in autumn and winter.
How to do it well
Go hungry and eat small portions at many stalls. Watch for the busiest vendor on any given street, which is usually the right one. Carry small notes, though most stalls now accept phone payment. Hygiene varies: choose stalls with a visible flame and a fast turnover.
Practical notes
The district starts at the Drum Tower, a five-minute walk from the Bell Tower in the center of the old city. Best times are late morning and after 6 p.m. Most food is halal, so there is no pork beyond the roujiamo sellers, who are a separate trade. Vegetarians can eat well on sesame cakes, fried vegetable dumplings and cold noodles, but should confirm no meat broth is used.
