Most Pingyao restaurants specialize in Shanxi and local cuisine, which emphasize wheat pastas, meat pies, Pingyao beef (similar to corned beef in color and taste), and fried cakes and breads. Two of the best restaurants in town are in the recommendedDeju YuanandTian Yuan Kuiguesthouses. Dinner for two costs ¥30 to ¥50 ($3.65-$6.10). Nearly every restaurant in town serves a version oflaolao youmian(sometimes calledwowo). These small rings of husked-oat pasta are served pressed together in a bamboo steamer. The sauce that accompanies the dish varies from place to place, but Deju Yuan serves one of the best. The pasta is so substantial that it almost tastes like cornmeal, while the tomato-based sauce -- flavorful and slightly hot -- is reminiscent of a light tamale sauce.Xiangsu ji(crispy aromatic chicken) is also highly recommended, as is the lightly sweetyouzha gao(crispy puff with date and red bean paste). Try corned beef with potatoes(tudou shao niurou)at Tian Yuan Kui; or try any of their numerous noodle dishes, made from husked oat, yellow bean, or sorghum flour. Most famous is the pasta shaped like little cats' ears(mao erduo).Both restaurants also serve excellent Western breakfasts, including delicious omelets and fruit crepes. For a drink or dessert, try the Sakura Cafe, which also has a popular branch in Lijiang, Yunnan province, located on the corner of Xi Dajie and Nan Dajie.
In the lanes, look for themobile standselling "beggar's" chicken(jiaohua ji).The chicken is wrapped in two layers of paper, then packed in loess mud ("yellow earth") and cooked over an open fire for 2 hours.