西安小吃

[yonglan]

I recently went to Xi'an for vacation and loved it. The food was a serious part of my stay. Before I went some Chinese colleagues gave me a list of must eat foods. Here it is with some modifications and my explanations.

Foods:

羊肉餃子

Absolutely delicious.

羊肉泡饃

Good, but nothing special. Sort of like packing your soup full of bread or crackers. If you're not good with heavy foods (the bread they use is really dense) eat it for lunch, not dinner. NB You're supposed to break the bread up into teeny-tiny pieces.

臊子面

Sour noodles. A bit spicy even if you ask for it without hot sauce.

Biang2biang2面

I'll explain this hilarious non-character below. I couldn't find any restaurant that served it despite asking MANY locals and my hotel. People sent me this way and that, but it was not to be found. One coworker insists there is a place near 西安事變紀念館, but no one I asked knew where (or what) that was (it's where Chiang Kaishek was held). I'm told it's normally served with hot sauce, but of course you can ask for it without.

Restaurants:

老孫家 . . .

Ok, I forget the rest of the name. It might be 羊肉泡饃. That's what I used when asking for it. PROBLEM: when I was there it had recently moved and every person I asked thought it was in the old location. From the old location, take bus 8 two stops up the road, walk through the gate, and go sort of straight (baring maybe a little left); it's on the right after you cross the street. Someone told me it's a Muslim restaurant, so no pork dumplings, I guess. I am told they also have lamb dumplings, but I didn't get around to it.

得發長餃子館

Great. First floor is cheaper. Even there they want 1 rmb for napkins. You can pick cold side dishes from a cart they bring around to your table. Great garlic cucumbers. Right near the Bell Tower.

解放路餃子館

I got there too late at night for lamb (sold out). The others were very good. You can pick cold side dishes from a cart they bring around to your table. I always love boiled peanuts.

I had 臊子面 at a place vaguely near the bell tower. It was off an alley of an alley. Just ask. (I think it was off of 南大街‧ Walk up from the Bell Tower on the right hand side of the road and take the first alley on the right. Off of that take the first sub-alley on the right. Maybe 30 meters up on the left is a little restaurant.)

biang2 is not a sound in Hanyu Pinyin, but that is the sound assigned to this make believe character. I have seen two versions of it; there may be more.

1)

a tall skinny 月 on the left and a tall 丁 on the right

in between them, the following:

a 穴 on the top

below that 糸言糸

below that 長馬長

below that 心

wrap EVERYTHING above in a 辶

2)

the same but replace the two 糸 with two 幺 and the 丁 with a 戈.

Any commercial use of this post is prohibited without express written approval of the author (I know how lazy those damn guidebook writers are).

[skylee]

[xuezhongwen]

see a picture of Biang2biang2 mian4 at http://www.xuezhongwen.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=254

[xiaocai]

臊子 might be minced meat according to my experience.

[wushijiao]

羊肉泡饃

Also a specialty of Luoyang, where I am now for Spring Festival.

[chenpv]

老孫家 . . .

WoW, the most authentic and the most famous for 羊肉泡饃 in Xi'an, also very expensive, but definitely worth it.

There are a lot more:

苦菜，凉粉儿，炒凉粉儿，凉皮，荞面饸饹(he2le), 肉加馍，煎饼，石头馍，糊辣汤，千层饼，水晶柿子，老铁家牛肉，油茶，甑糕，洋芋擦擦，时辰包子（Note：this stuff is only sold from 7am-9am everyday），贾三灌汤包子，钟楼小奶糕，醋粉儿........

Oh, Jesus, I have to stop, my saliva is rivering.....