Best Halal Food in Bashu: Longnan, Guangyuan, Chengdu and Chongqing Muslim Food Map
Reposted from the web
Summary: This Bashu halal food map covers Longnan, Guangyuan, Chengdu, and Chongqing, bringing together Hui Muslim restaurants, beef noodles, local snacks, and road trip food notes.
I group Longnan in Gansu Province with Guangyuan and Chengdu in Sichuan, along with the municipality of Chongqing, because they share a similar food style that is mostly spicy and numbing. Longnan feels like it belongs in Sichuan because its dialect and food habits are so close. I heard that Jiuzhaigou was almost given to Gansu back in the day. Jiuzhaigou is only 70 kilometers from Longnan as the crow flies, but really, Longnan should be part of Sichuan. High-end food in Longnan is mostly halal. It uses Sichuan cooking methods with Northwest-style lamb, and when you sprinkle on Wudu peppercorn powder, it tastes incredible. Wudu peppercorns are the most famous. Jia Sixie, a famous agricultural scientist from the Northern Wei Dynasty, wrote in his encyclopedia Qimin Yaoshu that 'Sichuan peppercorns come from Wudu.' Many Sichuan restaurants get their peppercorns from Wudu too.
First stop: Longnan
For a trip through the Bashu region, I recommend starting in Longnan. Head south and enjoy the scenery along the way while noticing the subtle differences in food styles.
1. Starch jelly (liangfen)
This starch jelly is unique to Wudu District in Longnan. You can choose wide or thick pieces. It comes with wheat gluten (mianjin), a special vinegar broth, and a sprinkle of house-made chili. It is not too spicy but very fragrant.
Address: Huangmiao Street, next to Qingzhen Lane, Wudu District, Longnan City
2. Tofu pudding (douhua)
The picture below shows another popular breakfast in Qingzhen Lane called tofu pudding. You can add a fried dough twist (mahua) to it. The twist is crispy and fragrant, and you can choose between soft or firm tofu pudding. It is a bit like Beijing-style tofu custard (doufunao), but the flavor is very different.
Address: Huangmiao Street, next to Qingzhen Lane, Wudu District
3. Pot helmet bread (guokui)
This is Wudu-style pot helmet bread. Unlike the version in other areas that serves as a main meal, this one is soft like bread and can be eaten as a snack.
4. Ma's Wife Beef Noodles
They say everyone in Wudu knows this shop. It is very popular. I was too full to eat more, so I do not have a picture. The 'wife' in the name actually refers to an elderly woman.
Address: Huangmiao Street, next to Qingzhen Lane, Wudu District
5. Shuyun Shuwe
This is the beef tallow hotpot at Shuyun Shuwe in Wudu District. The white items are tofu pudding, and the dipping sauce is minced garlic and sesame oil. Longnan sits on a major route between Sichuan and Shaanxi, so its food absorbs the best of both Sichuan and Northwest cuisines.
Address: 100 meters northwest of the intersection of Jianshe Road and Binhe Road, Wudu District
6. Lanzhou Hand-Grabbed Lamb Restaurant
Come here and just order the hand-grabbed lamb (shouzhuayangrou) and lamb neck. The other dishes are just okay, but the lamb is great—very tender and not too gamey.
Address: Opposite Xiaodongyuan, Jianshe Road, Beishan East Road, Wudu District
7. Wudu Eid Noodles (kaizhaimian)
This is a home-cooked meal often eaten by Hui Muslims in Wudu during holidays. It comes with a bowl of soup and a bowl of noodles. When you eat, you put the noodles into the soup. You can add more noodles after finishing the first batch, similar to Beijing-style boiled noodles (guotiao). Serve it with some homemade pickles, and it is delicious.
Address: Not available for takeout; first, you need to know a Hui Muslim friend in Wudu.
Second stop: Guangyuan City
Take a bus from Longnan and you can reach Guangyuan in three hours. Guangyuan has two mosques.
1. Majia Shifu
This is an absolutely authentic halal Sichuan restaurant. The mapo tofu, husband and wife lung slices (fuqi feipian), and steamed pork with rice flour (fenzhengrou) are all delicious. The soaked flatbread (paomo) has a very special taste. Once you are in Sichuan, get used to the fact that restaurants serve rice in a big basin, and it is free and all-you-can-eat. It sounds lovely to hear the staff calling out dishes to the kitchen in the Sichuan dialect.
Address: Next to the mosque on the southern section of Wangjiang Road, Guangyuan City.
Third stop: Chengdu City
1. Tianfanglou
The long-established Tianfanglou is the largest halal restaurant in Chengdu. It is very popular and you will need to queue. Here I tasted authentic Sichuan delicacies like brown sugar sticky rice cakes (hongtang ciba), beef brisket with bamboo shoots, steamed beef with rice flour (fenzheng niurou), roasted lamb chops, baby cabbage with minced garlic, kung pao chicken (gongbao jiding), and twice-cooked pork (huiguorou).
Address: Next to the Huangcheng Mosque at Tianfu Square.
2. Niububi Halal Sichuan Hot Pot
You have to wait in line for two hours, but you can use your phone to get a number. Luckily, Niububi does not cancel your spot if you miss your turn. I found the mild spicy broth very hot, but it was delicious. The signature beef is a must-order.
Address: No. 59 Xiangnongshi Street, Jinniu District (Xunchi Building, Yingmenkou).
3. Benbenniu Halal Hot Pot
Remember it is Benbenniu, not Niubenben, so do not go to the wrong place. It is not as spicy as Niububi hot pot. The signature beef and goose intestines are delicious. The environment at Benbenniu is a bit better. Remember to try the brown sugar sticky rice cakes (hongtang ciba). If you go at noon, you do not need to queue.
Address: 15 meters to the northeast of the 'Those Years We Ate Skewers Together' restaurant, No. 171 Tongxin Road, Qingyang District.
4. Nanjie Street, Guankou Town, Dujiangyan
This street has an ancient mosque from the Ming Dynasty. Along both sides of the mosque, there are all kinds of Sichuan-style halal snacks, including wontons (chaoshou), rice noodles, pastries, hot pot, spicy hot pot (maocai), and three big cannons (san da pao). Sichuan halal snacks are all gathered on one street. Plus, the scenery in Dujiangyan is beautiful and it is not crowded, making it perfect for a stroll.
Address: Nanjie Street, Guankou Town, Dujiangyan Scenic Area.
5. Yijinyuan
Yijinyuan is next to the Tuqiao Mosque. A large basin of boiled beef slices (shuizhu niuliu) is only 28 yuan, and the rice is free. Get used to the custom in Sichuan where rice is free when you eat out; it comes in a bucket, and the rice in Sichuan is also delicious.
Address: No. 13 Jinquan Road, Jinniu District.
6. Shunji Marinated Meats
Located next to the Tuqiao Mosque, this area has many snack shops. I saw everyone queuing at Shunji, so I joined in the fun. The red oil rabbit cubes (hongyou tuding) and marinated duck are very popular. The shopkeeper will cut them up and mix them with Lao Gan Ma chili sauce, which is appetizing and satisfying.
Address: Next to the mosque on Jinquan Road, Jinniu District.
Fourth stop: Chongqing City
The last stop on this trip is Chongqing, which also has the spiciest food. Sichuan food is known for being numbing, but once you reach Chongqing, you have to get used to the heat.
1. Silk Road Fragrant Concubine (Silu Xiangfei) Western Regions Restaurant
This restaurant has a Western Regions theme and features folk song and dance performances in the evening. They offer some Chongqing dishes, but the flavors are a bit heavy and not as well-made as their Northwest-style dishes.
Address: No. 4, Zone A, Liujia Wharf, No. 185-10 Beibin First Road
2. Huixiangzhai
This is the only halal hot pot place in Chongqing, though there is another one right across the street. Both are located downstairs in the Muslim Building. The owner is from the Northwest, but they use local seasonings. It is very busy. You can find it right outside the Xiaoshangkou subway station. If you are visiting Chongqing, I suggest staying in this area for easy access to food.
Address: No. 12 Zhongxing Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing (opposite the mosque)
Summary: This Bashu halal food map covers Longnan, Guangyuan, Chengdu, and Chongqing, bringing together Hui Muslim restaurants, beef noodles, local snacks, and road trip food notes.
I group Longnan in Gansu Province with Guangyuan and Chengdu in Sichuan, along with the municipality of Chongqing, because they share a similar food style that is mostly spicy and numbing. Longnan feels like it belongs in Sichuan because its dialect and food habits are so close. I heard that Jiuzhaigou was almost given to Gansu back in the day. Jiuzhaigou is only 70 kilometers from Longnan as the crow flies, but really, Longnan should be part of Sichuan. High-end food in Longnan is mostly halal. It uses Sichuan cooking methods with Northwest-style lamb, and when you sprinkle on Wudu peppercorn powder, it tastes incredible. Wudu peppercorns are the most famous. Jia Sixie, a famous agricultural scientist from the Northern Wei Dynasty, wrote in his encyclopedia Qimin Yaoshu that 'Sichuan peppercorns come from Wudu.' Many Sichuan restaurants get their peppercorns from Wudu too.
First stop: Longnan
For a trip through the Bashu region, I recommend starting in Longnan. Head south and enjoy the scenery along the way while noticing the subtle differences in food styles.
1. Starch jelly (liangfen)
This starch jelly is unique to Wudu District in Longnan. You can choose wide or thick pieces. It comes with wheat gluten (mianjin), a special vinegar broth, and a sprinkle of house-made chili. It is not too spicy but very fragrant.
Address: Huangmiao Street, next to Qingzhen Lane, Wudu District, Longnan City
2. Tofu pudding (douhua)
The picture below shows another popular breakfast in Qingzhen Lane called tofu pudding. You can add a fried dough twist (mahua) to it. The twist is crispy and fragrant, and you can choose between soft or firm tofu pudding. It is a bit like Beijing-style tofu custard (doufunao), but the flavor is very different.
Address: Huangmiao Street, next to Qingzhen Lane, Wudu District
3. Pot helmet bread (guokui)
This is Wudu-style pot helmet bread. Unlike the version in other areas that serves as a main meal, this one is soft like bread and can be eaten as a snack.
4. Ma's Wife Beef Noodles
They say everyone in Wudu knows this shop. It is very popular. I was too full to eat more, so I do not have a picture. The 'wife' in the name actually refers to an elderly woman.
Address: Huangmiao Street, next to Qingzhen Lane, Wudu District
5. Shuyun Shuwe
This is the beef tallow hotpot at Shuyun Shuwe in Wudu District. The white items are tofu pudding, and the dipping sauce is minced garlic and sesame oil. Longnan sits on a major route between Sichuan and Shaanxi, so its food absorbs the best of both Sichuan and Northwest cuisines.
Address: 100 meters northwest of the intersection of Jianshe Road and Binhe Road, Wudu District
6. Lanzhou Hand-Grabbed Lamb Restaurant
Come here and just order the hand-grabbed lamb (shouzhuayangrou) and lamb neck. The other dishes are just okay, but the lamb is great—very tender and not too gamey.
Address: Opposite Xiaodongyuan, Jianshe Road, Beishan East Road, Wudu District
7. Wudu Eid Noodles (kaizhaimian)
This is a home-cooked meal often eaten by Hui Muslims in Wudu during holidays. It comes with a bowl of soup and a bowl of noodles. When you eat, you put the noodles into the soup. You can add more noodles after finishing the first batch, similar to Beijing-style boiled noodles (guotiao). Serve it with some homemade pickles, and it is delicious.
Address: Not available for takeout; first, you need to know a Hui Muslim friend in Wudu.
Second stop: Guangyuan City
Take a bus from Longnan and you can reach Guangyuan in three hours. Guangyuan has two mosques.
1. Majia Shifu
This is an absolutely authentic halal Sichuan restaurant. The mapo tofu, husband and wife lung slices (fuqi feipian), and steamed pork with rice flour (fenzhengrou) are all delicious. The soaked flatbread (paomo) has a very special taste. Once you are in Sichuan, get used to the fact that restaurants serve rice in a big basin, and it is free and all-you-can-eat. It sounds lovely to hear the staff calling out dishes to the kitchen in the Sichuan dialect.
Address: Next to the mosque on the southern section of Wangjiang Road, Guangyuan City.
Third stop: Chengdu City
1. Tianfanglou
The long-established Tianfanglou is the largest halal restaurant in Chengdu. It is very popular and you will need to queue. Here I tasted authentic Sichuan delicacies like brown sugar sticky rice cakes (hongtang ciba), beef brisket with bamboo shoots, steamed beef with rice flour (fenzheng niurou), roasted lamb chops, baby cabbage with minced garlic, kung pao chicken (gongbao jiding), and twice-cooked pork (huiguorou).
Address: Next to the Huangcheng Mosque at Tianfu Square.
2. Niububi Halal Sichuan Hot Pot
You have to wait in line for two hours, but you can use your phone to get a number. Luckily, Niububi does not cancel your spot if you miss your turn. I found the mild spicy broth very hot, but it was delicious. The signature beef is a must-order.
Address: No. 59 Xiangnongshi Street, Jinniu District (Xunchi Building, Yingmenkou).
3. Benbenniu Halal Hot Pot
Remember it is Benbenniu, not Niubenben, so do not go to the wrong place. It is not as spicy as Niububi hot pot. The signature beef and goose intestines are delicious. The environment at Benbenniu is a bit better. Remember to try the brown sugar sticky rice cakes (hongtang ciba). If you go at noon, you do not need to queue.
Address: 15 meters to the northeast of the 'Those Years We Ate Skewers Together' restaurant, No. 171 Tongxin Road, Qingyang District.
4. Nanjie Street, Guankou Town, Dujiangyan
This street has an ancient mosque from the Ming Dynasty. Along both sides of the mosque, there are all kinds of Sichuan-style halal snacks, including wontons (chaoshou), rice noodles, pastries, hot pot, spicy hot pot (maocai), and three big cannons (san da pao). Sichuan halal snacks are all gathered on one street. Plus, the scenery in Dujiangyan is beautiful and it is not crowded, making it perfect for a stroll.
Address: Nanjie Street, Guankou Town, Dujiangyan Scenic Area.
5. Yijinyuan
Yijinyuan is next to the Tuqiao Mosque. A large basin of boiled beef slices (shuizhu niuliu) is only 28 yuan, and the rice is free. Get used to the custom in Sichuan where rice is free when you eat out; it comes in a bucket, and the rice in Sichuan is also delicious.
Address: No. 13 Jinquan Road, Jinniu District.
6. Shunji Marinated Meats
Located next to the Tuqiao Mosque, this area has many snack shops. I saw everyone queuing at Shunji, so I joined in the fun. The red oil rabbit cubes (hongyou tuding) and marinated duck are very popular. The shopkeeper will cut them up and mix them with Lao Gan Ma chili sauce, which is appetizing and satisfying.
Address: Next to the mosque on Jinquan Road, Jinniu District.
Fourth stop: Chongqing City
The last stop on this trip is Chongqing, which also has the spiciest food. Sichuan food is known for being numbing, but once you reach Chongqing, you have to get used to the heat.
1. Silk Road Fragrant Concubine (Silu Xiangfei) Western Regions Restaurant
This restaurant has a Western Regions theme and features folk song and dance performances in the evening. They offer some Chongqing dishes, but the flavors are a bit heavy and not as well-made as their Northwest-style dishes.
Address: No. 4, Zone A, Liujia Wharf, No. 185-10 Beibin First Road
2. Huixiangzhai
This is the only halal hot pot place in Chongqing, though there is another one right across the street. Both are located downstairs in the Muslim Building. The owner is from the Northwest, but they use local seasonings. It is very busy. You can find it right outside the Xiaoshangkou subway station. If you are visiting Chongqing, I suggest staying in this area for easy access to food.
Address: No. 12 Zhongxing Road, Yuzhong District, Chongqing (opposite the mosque)
