Xi'an, a city where you have to eat noodles | 72-hour noodle-eating plan in the "Noodle Kingdom"
Preface
If you compare the map of China to a chicken, then Shaanxi Province is located right in the chicken's stomach.
Xi'an's people appreciate and enjoy eating, a habit that is deeply connected to the bountiful produce of this fertile land and the city's history and culture. As one of China's wheat-producing regions, and adorned with the legend of "Eight Rivers Circling Chang'an," Xi'an's love for noodles has instilled in them a deep appreciation for the city's diverse cuisine. Noodles, a prime example of Xi'an's diverse snacks, are as incomparable and unique as the heritage of this ancient capital of 13 dynasties.
No Xi'an person can refuse noodles, just like Beijingers love shabu-shabu mutton and Sichuan people love spicy hot pot - they can't live without it and can't quit it.
Come to Xi'an and you'll find more noodle shops than restaurants! According to incomplete statistics, Xi'an boasts over 60 varieties of noodles. Do you think oil-splashed noodles are the most famous? Join me as I try 咥 (die) noodles—a bowl a day for two months without repeating! ("咥" means "to eat noodles with big mouthfuls" and is one of the few Shaanxi dialect words in the Chinese dictionary.)
How many types of noodles are there in Xi'an?
"Look at this noodle, it's long and wide, just like this bowl, it's big and round..." Wu Yifan's song "Big Bowl of Wide Noodles" has been incredibly popular recently, with many netizens saying they want to fly to Xi'an just to eat noodles! The song is about the "Kudai Noodles," which are only available outside of Xi'an.
Talking about Xi'an noodles is like listing a list of dishes, and the list is endless. There are oil-splashed noodles, biangbiang noodles, sauerkraut noodles, wide-belt noodles, pulled noodles, spinach noodles, noodles in soup, dipping noodles, flag flower noodles, fried noodles, and mutton stewed noodles.
Noodles can be categorized by shape: strips, sheets, dots, flower-shaped, chunks, paste, and more. Cooking techniques are also incredibly sophisticated, including boiling, stir-frying, pulling, slicing, dipping, steaming, braising, dry-mixing, pouring oil, and pouring soup. It's safe to say that the people of Xi'an have given noodles a wide variety of possibilities.
At lunchtime, walk into any noodle shop in Xi'an's streets and alleys, and you'll be greeted by the frantic slurping of noodles. A handful of garlic cloves, a bottle of Xi'an locals' favorite drink, Bingfeng or chilled sour plum soup, and a generous bowl of noodles doused in oil and chili sauce—it's such a delight! This unconcerned, hearty, and exhilarating scene is truly undeniably chic and daring!
🍜Day 1: Check in at Xi'an's "C-position" noodle tour
💎The eternal king of noodles——biangbiang noodles
Biangbiang noodles are one of Shaanxi's famous "Eight Wonders." Not only are they incredibly delicious, but their name is also incredibly interesting.
Legend has it that a prince of the ancient Qin Dynasty was sent as a hostage to another kingdom. While away from home, he often thought of a bowl of noodles his wet nurse had made as a child. Unable to recall the name of these noodles, the prince could only recall the sound they made when cooked, "biangbiang." So, he wove this endless yearning into the Chinese character "biang." Coined specifically for this noodle dish, "biang" is also known to have the most strokes in Chinese, a truly significant character.
Recommended shop [Nanyuanmen biangbiang noodles]
As an old Xi'an foodie, I recommend everyone to try Nanyuanmen biangbiang noodles. Although this is an internet celebrity restaurant that has been on TV, the price and taste are affordable and delicious.
Their signature noodles are the three-in-one biangbiang noodles, which come with a mixture of tomato, egg, minced meat, and fried sauce. The noodles are thin and chewy, not too hard, and are rich in flavor and nutrition. They don't feel monotonous without vegetables. I highly recommend it to friends from other places.
Tips:
◆ Address: No. 64, Baishulin, Xi'an
◆ Price: 18 yuan per person
💎A must-try dish on Xi'an tables: oil-splashed noodles
Friends often say that when they eat in Xi'an, they always face a dilemma: if one person can't finish a bowl of noodles, it's too wasteful, but if two people eat a bowl, it seems that it won't be enough to fill them up. It's really a dilemma.
Since the TV series "White Deer Plain" was broadcast, the popularity of oil-splashed noodles has not diminished. The long and wide noodles are topped with chili oil and sprinkled with chopped green onions, and then poured with a spoonful of boiling hot oil. The audience in front of the screen has long been crying with greed.
Recommended shop [Laobaijia Noodle House]
How to judge whether a bowl of oil-splashed noodles is authentic and delicious?
I highly recommend the oil-splashed noodles at Lao Bai's Noodle House, a restaurant that's a true icon of Xi'an oil-splashed noodles! First, their noodles are perfectly springy and chewy; if they're clumping together, they'll definitely get negative points. Secondly, the oil needs to be heated to just the right temperature—neither burning the chili peppers nor undercooking them, resulting in a spicy, flavorless dish. Finally, the garnishes: diced carrots, potatoes, and celery, topped with tofu and chives, and topped with a spoonful of meat sauce—the perfect oil-splashed noodles!
Tips:
◆ Store address: No. 108, Lijiafen Village, Cehui East Road, Xi'an
◆ Price: Large bowl 10 yuan, small bowl 9 yuan
💎The "fresh" noodle world - spinach noodles
A good bowl of spinach noodles must be made with freshly squeezed spinach juice. This bowl of noodles is not only fragrant but also rich in nutrition. Some girls are not used to eating too much oil-splashed noodles, so a small bowl of spinach noodles is the best choice for you to enjoy Xi'an cuisine.
Recommended shop【KunKun Spinach Noodles】
This is a noodle shop that has been recommended countless times by friends around me. It is also known as the "God of Noodles" by everyone in Xi'an who likes to eat spinach noodles! After so many years, the business is still super hot every day~
Although the shop is a bit old and the environment is not as good as that of a big restaurant, but isn't that what the best fly-in-the-wall restaurants are all about? Taste is the most important thing!
The editor recommends trying their beef and spinach noodles. The green noodles are filled with plenty of side dishes and extra-large chunks of beef. The meat is fragrant and very tasty. Add a fried egg to it and you will have energy and calories for the whole day!
Tips:
◆ Store address: 50 meters south of the intersection of Xiajia Cross and Beixiajia Cross in Xi'an
◆ Price: 20 yuan per person
🍜Day 2: The carb-crazy maniac's journey to fullness
💎Want to go eat noodles? The kind you can't digest! —Liuxiang Noodles
Liuxiang is a narrow alley on Xi'an's East Street, running north and south. Mention Liuxiang noodles and no Xi'an resident can resist drooling. The spectacular queues waiting for noodles are the most vibrant sight around the noodle shop.
Recommended shop【Liuxiang Noodles】
The portions of Liuxiang noodles are very generous. Whether you are a hungry tourist after a long tour or an exhausted office worker after a long day of work, this big bowl of noodles is guaranteed to fill you up!
Liuxiang Noodles only offers one beef noodle dish, and its unique flavor lies not only in the noodles themselves but also in the rich toppings, including soy sauce, vinegar, chili oil, and cilantro. The braised beef is tender and fragrant, melting in your mouth. It's paired with cauliflower, cabbage, potatoes, bean sprouts, black fungus, and deep-fried tofu cubes for a truly satisfying meal!
There's an old Shaanxi saying that goes, "The original soup dissolves the original food." Liuxiang noodles are not easy to digest, and sometimes they can even make you feel a bit bloated. But a bowl of warm noodle soup will instantly make you feel better.
Tips:
◆ Address: Jiqing Building, No. 18, Anban Street, Xi'an
◆ Price: 13 yuan per person
💎20 years of unchanging deliciousness - Big beef pulled noodles
Unlike Lanzhou beef noodles, the noodles are made of two types: stick noodles and pulled noodles. There's no soup, but the sauce is rich, and the biggest feature is the large chunks of braised beef hidden at the bottom of the bowl.
This beef noodle restaurant hidden on Jianguo Road has maintained the same old taste for 20 years. It is also a delicacy treasured in the memories of old Xi'an people. It is said that it can sell 300 bowls a day!
Recommended shop: [Yanjing Zhang Beef Pulled Noodles]
The essence of Zhang's noodles lies in his secret sauce. A dozen pieces of beef and spicy chili peppers are spread across the bottom of the bowl, along with a touch of chopped green onions and cilantro for a rich, flavorful accompaniment. The tender beef is neither fatty nor greasy, and the texture is firm and saturated with the sauce. A bowl of noodles is incredibly delicious!
Tips:
◆ Address: No. 83, Jianguo Road, Xi'an
◆ Price: 16 yuan per person
💎Xi'an's top noodle dish - cured meat noodles
Cured pork with preserved juice is a specialty of Xi'an. The Xi'an Roujiamo that is popular all over the world is actually cured pork with preserved juice.
Jumianpian is known as the best noodle dish in Xi'an. The smooth wide noodles are paired with the tender and juicy cured meat. The taste can only be described in one word - Liaozhalie!
Recommended shop: Liuji Braised Pork Noodles
Liu Ji's signature dish, pork noodles with preserved juice, is made with a broth simmered for three to four hours, resulting in an authentic flavor that's rich but not greasy. The noodles are kneaded directly with oil, resulting in perfectly smooth, chewy, and thin noodles. A bowl of noodles at Liu Ji uses only three strands of noodles, each yielding thirty-three slices, or ninety-nine slices per bowl, symbolizing "longevity."
The unspiced pork noodle soup with preserved gravy has a rich, fragrant flavor, and the meat is perfectly succulent, making it incredibly flavorful! This 20-year-old restaurant is not only a beloved favorite for working Xi'an residents, but it's also a popular online favorite, even visited by celebrities like Daniel Wu!
Tips:
◆ Address: No. 33, Dachejia Lane, Xiangzimiao Street, Beilin District, Xi'an
◆ Price: 12 yuan per person
🍜Day 3: A Journey to Discover Unique Noodles
💎Three ways to eat a bowl of noodles? — Noodles with a lump
Recommended shop [Sanyuan Lao Huang's]
No.1: Dry-mixed sauerkraut noodles
Take out the first dough, mix in two spoonfuls of mushy pork, add the appropriate amount of chili oil, mix well, and you can start eating! Remember to drink a few sips of sour soup before eating noodles, this soup is also called appetizer soup~
No.2 Eat the bridge noodles
Everyone knows Yunnan's Cross-Bridge Rice Noodles, but have you ever tried Cross-Bridge Noodles? Dice the second dough in the sour broth until softened, then scoop it into a bowl and serve with chili peppers, cilantro, and chopped green onions. The secret to this delicious Cross-Bridge Noodle is the sour broth, made with vinegar brewed from local Shaanxi grains. It's sour without being pungent, and fragrant without being pungent.
No.3 Three ways to eat臊子面
The remaining noodles are scooped into the broth, and the hot and sour soup is served with wood ear mushrooms, eggs, leeks, carrots, and more. Three ways to enjoy, three flavors! Sanyuan Lao Huang's three-way noodle soup embodies all the essence of Shaanxi noodles.
Tips:
◆ Store address: 5th Floor, Tianlun Shengshi, Wenyi Road, Xi'an. There are also Gaoxin Store and Yongxingfang Store.
◆ Store address: 46 yuan per person
💎Invincibility is a kind of loneliness——Asian Noodle House
Recommended shop [Noodle House·Wushuang Asian Noodle Company]
As a serious foodie, I'm not one to miss out on any of Xi'an's best noodle shops. So, the one I'm going to introduce is truly incredible—Asia! Noodle! Company! Yes, Asia!
Not to mention how cool the store’s decoration style is, just a bowl of luxurious high-end oil-splashed noodles will make you linger and be reluctant to leave.
Delicious, generous portions, generous toppings, and springy. They even use a mixture of milk and water in the broth! A 35-yuan bowl of oil-splashed noodles comes with two small shrimp, two fish balls, half a braised egg, some squid tentacles, sliced beef, greens, and enoki mushrooms... Topped off with a spoonful of their secret oil-splashed chili sauce. It's divine! And at the end, the noodles have a subtle sweet aftertaste – that's the secret to using milk!
Tips:
◆ Store address: Next to the Midie Bar, Defu Lane, Xi'an (Main Store)
◆ Price: 47 yuan per person
💎Just eat it, then go out and mingle in society! — Dry Skin Noodles
Since many of the friends who read the guide are from other places, the editor will first give you some basic knowledge about what "皮干" means.
"Pigan" is a word in Shaanxi dialect, specifically referring to someone who is "arrogant," "domineering," and "unreasonable." Friends, please feel the charm of this word in silence.
Recommended shop [Unknown "Pi Gan Mian"]
The reason for the "Pi Gan Noodles" (skin-dried skin noodles) is that it's a noodle shop hidden deep in an alley, without a name. Entering the shop, whether you're ordering or paying, the owner will simply ignore you—or simply not bother to address you! No matter how gently you try to reason with him, it's useless! That's why people call this noodle shop "Pi Gan Noodles."
The environment in this restaurant is really not very good, so those who care about the dining environment should not go there. They only make pulled noodles, which come in three types: oil-splashed noodles, fried soybean paste noodles, and oil-splashed soybean paste noodles. The noodles are indeed authentic and delicious, and the price-performance ratio is super high! However, the editor's friendly reminder: because the owner is really "stubborn", friends who go there should just eat the noodles and that's it. Don't say anything you shouldn't say, and concentrate on eating the noodles, otherwise you will be "dizzy" and it will be worth it.
Tips:
◆ Address: 50 meters east of the intersection of Tianshuijing Street and Bingjiao Lane, Xi'an
◆ Price: 11 yuan per person
Conclusion
The history of Xi'an can be witnessed by its city walls.
The culture of Xi'an can be witnessed by the Forest of Steles.
As for Xi'an's delicious food, in addition to the old shops and famous restaurants, every small restaurant and stall in the streets and alleys can prove it.
Xi'an residents often say that if they don't have noodles, they feel restless! If you're looking for the most authentic and delicious noodles, then Xi'an is the place to be! Check out this noodle-eating guide and explore the "Noodle Kingdom" of Xi'an in just three days!
