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A taste of Xi'an

Sheng Zhiwang Sesame Paste Niangpi (Dapiyuan main shop)

清真盛志望麻酱酿皮铺（大皮院总店）

A single-dish halal counter at the west end of Dapiyuan that has become the local shorthand for Xi'an cold noodles. Niangpi is the thicker, chewier cousin of liangpi: steamed wheat-starch sheets, cut into belts, buried under sesame paste and bright red chilli oil. It makes a limited batch each day and shuts when it runs out, often by mid-afternoon.

¥10–20 per person≈ US$1.49Lianhu, Dapiyuan west end no. 225, at the junction with Beiguangjijie, inside the Muslim Quarter.
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Why come here

A place worth making time for

No verifiable guide award. Known across Xi'an for sesame-paste niangpi, made in a limited daily batch at a long-standing Dapiyuan counter.

The house favourites

What to order

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

  • Sesame paste niangpi (麻酱酿皮)
  • Cold wheat-starch noodles (凉皮)
  • Sweet steamed rice cake with dates (甑糕)

What it actually tastes like

Thick, slightly bitter sesame paste plus a lot of chilli oil and vinegar - more pungent and more oily than a visitor expecting a light salad will anticipate. Served cold, with raw garlic water in some versions. Texture is deliberately rubbery and chewy, which is the point.

Allergens in this kitchen

sesamegluten/wheatsoypeanut

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.

Get to know the menu

Local specialities to try here

Cold skin noodles 凉皮Sour, garlicky, cool and chilli-fragrant rather than burning hot