Xi'an Food Guide
What to eat, where to find it, and how to order like a local
🥢 Must-Try Dishes
Mutton PaomoLamb Soup with Flatbread
Yangrou Paomo is Xi’an’s signature dish—a rich, white, and flavorful lamb broth served with hand-torn pieces of steamed bread. The most authentic way to eat it is to tear the bread into soybean-sized pieces yourself, then have the kitchen pour piping-hot lamb broth over them. Every bite is soaked in the broth, offering a rich and savory flavor.
Where to Eat
An old-school shop tucked away in a back alley of Hui Muslim Street—the locals’ top choice. About 38 yuan per bowl.
Biangbiang NoodlesBiangbiang Noodles
Xi’an’s most distinctive noodle dish—wide, long, hand-pulled noodles as wide as a belt. Topped with chili flakes, minced garlic, and chopped scallions, then doused with piping-hot oil, the aroma bursts forth with a sizzling “sizzle.”
Where to Eat
15–20 yuan per person.
🛒 Street Food
RoujiamoChinese Hamburger
Roujiamo is known as “China’s hamburger”—a Bai Ji bun, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, filled with braised pork that’s been simmered for hours. The meat, a perfect blend of lean and fatty, is braised until tender and flavorful, then chopped and stuffed into a freshly baked bun.
Where to Eat
Featured on *A Bite of China*. Only sold until noon.
LiangpiCold Noodles
Chewy, smooth noodles served with shredded cucumber, bean sprouts, and wheat gluten, topped with sesame paste, garlic water, chili oil, and vinegar. The refreshing, tangy, and spicy flavors will completely chase away the summer heat.
Where to Eat
Roadside stalls are everywhere.