Lao Sun Jia
The original restaurant, opened in 1898, is still the best place to sample Xi'an's most celebrated dish,yangrou paomo. There are now three branches, two of them on Dong Dajie. The branch with the best reputation at the moment is located inside a large hotel. On the first floor, you can dine with the masses -- not recommended unless you want to be the main attraction. The second floor is a point-to-choosexiaochi(snack) restaurant. Recommended dishes include the lamb dumplings(suan tang shuijiao)and a local favorite,fenzheng yangrou,two steamed buns perched delicately to the side of a pile of mince and flour. Orderyangrou paomoon the third floor. You will face an empty bowl and two steamed buns, as well as plates of chili, coriander, and cloves of garlic that have been marinated in vinegar and sugar for several months. Tear the buns into tiny pieces and pop them into the empty bowl. When you've finished, your bowl will be taken away and refilled with broth and noodles. Stir in the coriander and chili, and when your palate gets greasy, nibble a clove of garlic and encourage your friends to do likewise. If the star dish doesn't fill you up, the stewed oxtail(hongshao niuwei)and bok choy with mushrooms(bilu za shuang gu)are recommended. Don't bother with the fourth floor, unless you are entertaining a government official looking for a bribe.
 | | | |
| Cuisine | Shanxi | |
| | | |
| Hours | 11am-9pm | |
| | | |
| Address | Dong Guan Zheng Jie 78 | |
| | | |
| Location | From Dong Men, cross the road, walk 27m/90 ft. north, turn right, and walk 45m/150 ft. east, Around Town | |
| | | |
| Transportation | Bus: no. 45 from just east of Bell Tower to Dong Men | |
| | | |
| Reservations | Reservations recommended on weekends (3rd floor) | |
| | | |
| Phone | 029/8221-2935 | |
| | | |
| Prices | ¥60 ($7.50) on 2nd floor, ¥200 ($25) on 3rd floor | |
| | | |
| Credit Cards | Not accepted | |