Xi'an served as China's capital for more than 1,100 years across 13 dynasties, which gave it one of the deepest and most layered food cultures in the country. The city's food took a sharp turn when Hui Muslim communities settled here — today the Muslim Quarter delivers a wide range of excellent halal options. The backbone of the local diet is flour, noodles, and bread, all surprisingly affordable and easy to find throughout the Muslim Quarter and the morning markets scattered across the city. For budget-conscious food lovers, Xi'an ranks among the best-value eating cities in all of China.
#1 Roujiamo
Roujiamo is China's original flatbread sandwich, with a history stretching back more than 2,000 years. The bread is baked in a clay oven until the outside crisps and the inside stays soft. The filling is pork (at standard shops) or beef and lamb (at halal shops throughout the Muslim Quarter), braised for hours in a broth of more than 20 spices until the meat is deep, fragrant, and complex. A single piece costs just 10–15 yuan.
- Halal shops in the Muslim Quarter use beef and lamb — the flavour profile is noticeably different from pork-based versions at regular shops.
- Look for a clay oven at the entrance — it means the bread is baked fresh on the spot and will be properly crisp.
- Eat it straight from the oven while it's hot. The texture and aroma drop off quickly as it cools.
#2 Biangbiang Noodles
Biangbiang noodles are the signature dish of Xi'an. The wheat dough is hand-pulled until each strand is as wide as a belt and as long as your arm, then served in an oversized bowl with chilli oil, garlic, and your choice of toppings. The highlight is watching the waiter pour sizzling hot oil directly over the noodles at the table — the aroma hits instantly. As a footnote: the Chinese character for "biang" is the most stroke-complex in the language, requiring 57 individual strokes to write.
- Order 'yi mian' (single long noodle) for the traditional experience.
- Spice level is adjustable — tell the server 'bu la' (not spicy) or 'wei la' (a little spicy).
- Standard price is 15–25 yuan. Shops that display the 57-stroke character on the wall tend to be the more traditional operations.
#3 Yangrou Paomo
Yangrou Paomo is a proper ritual in Xi'an — diners tear the hard flatbread into small pieces the size of a chickpea with their own hands, then pass the bowl to the kitchen where chefs pour over a lamb broth that has been simmering for more than 10 hours. It arrives back at the table loaded with glass noodles, pickled garlic, and fragrant dried chillies. Tearing the bread yourself is not a gimmick — the size of the pieces directly affects how much broth they absorb and, by extension, how the dish tastes.
- Tear the bread small — the smaller the piece, the more broth it soaks up and the better the flavour.
- Order extra pickled chillies and fresh garlic on the side; the combination is what makes the dish complete.
- Expect to pay around 25–40 yuan per bowl. Prices significantly below that range are usually a sign of a lower-grade version.
#4 Liangpi
Liangpi is Xi'an's most popular cold noodle dish, especially welcome in the summer heat. The noodles are made from steamed rice or wheat starch, sliced into wide strips, and tossed with sesame sauce, vinegar, garlic, chilli oil, and fresh vegetables. The texture is soft and springy with a sharp hit of sour-spicy-aromatic flavour — cooling and satisfying in equal measure. At 8–12 yuan a plate, it's one of the best-value plates in the city.
- Rice-based liangpi (<em>mi pi</em>) is softer; wheat-based (<em>gan mian pi</em>) is chewier and more elastic.
- State your spice tolerance before ordering — the default level is reasonably hot.
- Pair it with a Roujiamo for a complete meal that comes in under 25 yuan.
#5 Xi'an Dumpling Banquet
Xi'an is known for the Dumpling Banquet (<em>Jiaozi Yan</em>), a set meal that serves dozens of distinct dumplings in a single sitting — all based on recipes from the Tang Dynasty. Each piece has a different shape, filling, and cooking method: steamed, fried, boiled, or baked. The variety turns the meal into a cultural experience in itself. For a more casual option, the Muslim Quarter also has straightforward, affordable dumplings available throughout the day.
- A Dumpling Banquet runs 80–200 yuan per person and works well as a special-occasion meal.
- De Fa Chang, near the Bell Tower, is the most established dumpling restaurant in Xi'an.
- Fillings include shrimp, chicken, pork, and vegetables — let the server know any preferences or restrictions before ordering.
#6 Persimmon Cake and Xi'an Traditional Sweets
The Lintong Persimmon, grown near the Terracotta Army site, is Xi'an's most distinctive local ingredient. It gets pressed into fried persimmon cakes (<em>Shi Zi Bing</em>) — crisp outside, chewy inside, with a sweet-tart flavour. Two other traditional sweets worth trying: <em>Zongkui Bing</em> (a jujube date pastry) and <em>Tang Pi Niu</em> (sugar pulled into the shape of an ox), a folk craft confection that is seeing a revival among younger visitors.
- Persimmon cake (<em>Shi Zi Bing</em>) is seasonal — September through April is when you'll find it at its best.
- The sugar ox (<em>Tangren Niu</em>) is as much performance as food — watch the artisan pull and shape the sugar live in the market.
- Most sweets cost 5–15 yuan and make practical gifts to take home.
Where to stay in Xi'an for this trip
A well-located hotel means less commuting and more sightseeing. Here are real, top-rated stays in Xi'an — compare Agoda · Booking · Trip.com in one click.
Hilton Xi'an
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Eastern House Boutique Hotel
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Grand Soluxe International Hotel Xi'an
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Manxin Hotel Xi'an Bell Tower South Gate
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Tours, tickets & activities in Xi'an
Day tours, attraction tickets and travel essentials for Xi'an — book ahead on Klook with mobile e-tickets.
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Before You Pack
Xi'an's food is affordable, distinctive, and genuinely unlike anything else in China. The Muslim Quarter is the best place to start — but make time to explore the morning markets and the side-street shops where locals actually eat.