Food and Restaurants

Xining is an exceptionally diverse city with a population comprised of several different minority groups, so it's natural that you'll find a similar level of diversity in your dining experience. You'll find all of the great culinary traditions of China represented here, but the local flavor reflects a marked Muslim influence with a wide selection of noodles, mutton dishes and various flatbreads.

Try mian pian while in Xining, these square flat noodles are delicious. Noodles in a beef broth are great on a cold day. Xining boasts many excellent lamb dishes, but perhaps the most famous are shouzhua yangrou, a boiled mutton that you eat with your hands and huangmen yangrou, a spicy mutton fried with potatoes and vegetables. For a good snack try the mutton kebabs, stalls selling these can be found everywhere. Don't forget to try the local yogurt, its got bite.