Every city in China has a food street that exists mainly for tourists, and every city also has the one locals actually use. In Xi'an, the Muslim Quarter is a rare case where those two things overlap. Yes, it is crowded and increasingly polished, but the food in the back lanes off Beiyuanmen is still made by families who have been at it for generations.

I first came here expecting a theme park and left with a list of addresses written on the back of a receipt by a vendor who barely spoke Mandarin, let alone English. That is the kind of place it is. Give it two evenings rather than one, and you will understand why Xi'an people are so protective of it.

First, understand the geography

The Muslim Quarter sits just west of the Bell Tower, inside the old city wall. The main drag is Beiyuanmen Street, running north from the Drum Tower. This is the part with the neon signs and the queues. The interesting stuff is one and two streets west of it, in the lanes around the Great Mosque, where the crowds thin out and the prices drop.

Come hungry, come around 6pm, and bring cash or make sure your phone wallet works. A few of the smaller stalls still do not take foreign cards.

The dishes worth your stomach space

Roujiamo

The Xi'an version of a burger, and the best thing on the street. Slow-braised pork, chopped with a cleaver and packed into a flat white bun that has been crisped in a clay oven. The bun soaks up the juice in about thirty seconds, so eat it standing up and immediately. Expect 10 to 15 yuan.

Yangrou paomo

Lamb soup with torn pieces of flatbread. This is the dish locals are most serious about. You sit down, you tear the bread into small pieces yourself, and the kitchen floods it with lamb broth. Tearing takes five minutes and the size of your pieces is a point of pride, so do not rush it. Around 30 to 40 yuan.

Liangpi and cold noodles

Cold wheat or rice noodles in chilli oil, vinegar and garlic. Refreshing in summer and a good counterweight to all the meat. Ask for less chilli if you are unsure, because the default here is genuinely spicy.

Sweets

Look for fried persimmon cakes, which are sweet and sticky, and for the boxes of dried fruit and nuts sold by weight. The candied fruit skewers are everywhere but usually disappointing, so I would spend the money elsewhere.

What to skip

• The giant novelty skewers sold at the entrance. They are staged for photos and the meat is usually dry.
• Anything with a sign in six languages. The more languages, the higher the price and the lower the care.
• Squid and octopus, which are not a Xi'an specialty no matter how they are advertised.

How to order without speaking Chinese

Point at what someone else is eating. It works at almost every stall, and the vendors are used to it. Learn two words and your experience improves sharply: bu la, which means not spicy, and duo shao qian, how much. If a stall has no prices on display, ask first. If the answer feels high, walk on. Another identical stall is twenty metres away.

Getting there

Take subway Line 2 to Bell Tower and walk west five minutes, or Line 2 to Yongningmen and walk north through the wall gate. The Quarter is a 15-minute walk from the Bell Tower in the centre of the old city, and it is easy to combine with the City Wall and the Drum Tower in one afternoon.

One honest tip: go on an empty stomach and pace yourself. The mistake everyone makes is eating a full meal at the first stall. Buy one thing, walk a hundred metres, buy the next. That is how the street is meant to be eaten.

Originally published on 71Asia Tours blog.