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A little preparation. A much better adventure.Independent travel advice · Made for China
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A taste of Pingyao

Backpacker Restaurant

背包客餐厅

A casual traveller-facing restaurant serving quick Shanxi dishes, best known for its own aged-vinegar beef.

About ¥48 per person≈ US$7.15No. 2 on Dianping's Pingyao county local-flavour restaurant list (平遥县当地风味餐厅榜), rated 4.8Pingyao Old Town (平遥古城)
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Why come here

A place worth making time for

Rated 4.8 with around ¥48 per head on Ctrip's Pingyao listings; no verifiable award.

The house favourites

What to order

Point at the Chinese. Staff will understand it even where the menu has no English at all.

  • Dry-fried oat kaolaolao (干煸栲栳栳)
  • Aged-vinegar beef (陈醋牛肉)
  • Cold-dressed wantuo (凉拌碗秃)
  • Knife-cut noodles (刀削面)

What it actually tastes like

Kaolaolao is naked-oat dough rolled into little tubes; it is dense, nutty and rather dry by design. The wantuo is cold and rubbery and dressed with a lot of vinegar and garlic.

Allergens in this kitchen

gluten/wheatsoysesamepeanut

This is the kitchen, not one dish. Woks, fryers, blanching water and utensils are shared in almost every Chinese restaurant, so for a serious allergy treat the whole premises as the unit rather than ordering around it.