Best Halal Food in Yunnan: Hui Muslim Rice Noodles, Beef and Local Dishes
Reposted from the web
Summary: This Yunnan halal food map covers Hui Muslim rice noodles, beef dishes, local restaurants, and regional food stops across Yunnan, with cultural and place details kept intact.
First stop: Shangri-La
1. Plateau Beef Restaurant
Shangri-La is in a Tibetan area and has no mosque in the city center. Most people running halal food businesses here are Hui Muslims from Dali.
For breakfast, you can walk to the entrance of Dukezong Ancient Town for a bowl of rice noodles (mixian).
Address: Entrance of Gama Lane, Changzheng Avenue, Shangri-La (opposite the Chengnan Police Station)
2. Yak Beef Hot Pot Garden
You can find many yak beef restaurants near Dukezong Ancient Town in Shangri-La.
You must try yak beef in a Tibetan area. Yak beef hot pot involves boiling large chunks of beef in a pot, and you can add beef offal (niuza) to it.
In Yunnan, you can eat mint just like cilantro.
Also, try dipping some saffron sprouts (zanghonghuamiao) in the pot.
Butter tea (suyoucha) is a must-have drink to keep the cold away.
Address: Near Dawa Road, Shangri-La
Second stop: Dali
1. Yitianyuan
This is a large restaurant chain from Kunming. The environment is nice and the service is thoughtful. The servers will keep reminding you not to order too much food to avoid waste.
You must try the fried milk fan (zha rushan), a local snack.
Stir-fried yellow beef (xiaochao huangniurou) is also a common home-style dish in Yunnan.
Address: 1st Floor, Dangshanzhou Hotel, No. 15 Fuhai Road, Xiaguan (near Minzu Square)
2. Erling Halal Snacks
There are many halal snacks inside Dali Ancient Town. There are 18 mosques in the local area, and the halal restaurants mainly serve local or Yunnan-style food.
You can have noodles here for breakfast. This is Dali-style noodles, and you can choose from many different seasonings yourself.
Address: Opposite Aizhe Shiguang Hostel, Dali Ancient Town.
3. Shuanghe Halal Snacks
You can see this shop as soon as you enter Dali Ancient Town.
Try the Dali rice noodles (ershi). They are a bit like regular noodles, but the texture is slightly different.
Address: Shuanghe Road, South Gate, Dali.
4. Nanwuliqiao Halal Food Street.
A local friend introduced me to Nanwuliqiao Village, about 3 kilometers from the ancient city, where I found a street full of halal food.
This shop is located in the halal alley inside the village.
I haven't tried the black soup fish hot pot (wutang yu huoguo) yet.
Beef in a copper pot (huopiao niurou) is a local specialty.
Dali is a great place to stay for ten days or half a month to taste all these delicious foods.
I felt a bit overwhelmed on this street because there were so many special halal dishes that I didn't know what to pick.
I chose to try the Dai-style barbecue.
The grilled tilapia comes with a red dipping sauce that has the sour and spicy flavor of the Dai people. Locals love Dai-style barbecue, and the sticky rice is free.
Address: Middle section of Nanwuliqiao Village Halal Food Street.
5. Cold shrimp drink (liangxia) and sweet rice (tangfan).
A drink that quenches thirst.
You can mix the cold shrimp drink and sweet rice together for 2 yuan a serving. It is slightly sweet.
Address: Entrance of the West Gate Mosque in Dali Ancient City.
Third stop: Xishuangbanna.
1. Hongfu Halal Restaurant.
This is a local halal restaurant in Xishuangbanna with Dai script on the sign. A local friend treated me here, and locals love coming here too.
Fish from the Lancang River.
Stir-fried local specialty vegetables.
Cold tossed beef.
This is very similar to tofu puff soup.
Address: No. 3 Menghun Road, Jinghong City, Xishuangbanna.
2. Jueduiniu Hui Muslim Restaurant
Not far from the Jinghong Mosque, there are several halal restaurants along both sides of the road.
Oil-drenched dried beef (youlin niuganba)
I tried some stir-fried green vegetables that I didn't know the name of.
Address: No. 11 Galan Middle Road, Jinghong City
3. Jinqiao Halal Restaurant
This restaurant is run by Hui-Dai people. The Hui-Dai are local Hui Muslims in Xishuangbanna who have adopted Dai culture, or perhaps Dai people who have adopted Hui customs. They speak the Dai language and follow Dai traditions, but they practice Islam.
I had beef rice noodles (migan) here for breakfast. The only difference between this and regular rice noodles (mixian) is the shape; migan is what the locals call them.
Address: Entrance of Manluanhui Village, Xishuangbanna (There is another Hui-Dai village called Mansaihui 4 kilometers away, which also has a large mosque. You can walk there, and the scenery along the way is beautiful.)
4. Eight-Kilometer Hui-Dai Restaurant
A newly opened Hui-Dai restaurant that specializes in Dai-style barbecue.
Stir-fried yellow beef.
Water coriander (shuixiangcai); it is worth trying just for the novelty.
Address: Beside the road about 800 meters west of the Menghai County Passenger Station.
In the old street of Menghai County, there is a mosque that you cannot find on Baidu Maps. You can also find food around the mosque, but unfortunately, they were already closed when I arrived.
Yuxi Halal Restaurant
The young girl at this shop showed me the way to the mosque.
Stop Four: Kunming
1. Guiji Xiaojinniu Restaurant
I have visited this restaurant both times I came to Kunming. It is a pretty good local-style restaurant.
Crispy skin roast chicken.
Dried beef (niuganba), very appetizing.
Stir-fried rice cakes (erkua); you must try this when you come to Kunming, as it is rare elsewhere.
Jinniu charcoal-grilled meat, their signature dish.
Hui Muslim cold chicken (zhuangliangji) is also a signature dish.
Address: Next to Shuncheng Mosque. Beside the mosque is a street full of halal snacks where you can walk and eat at the same time.
2. Yongning Mosque Snack City
In Kunming, almost every mosque sells halal snacks.
There are many types of rice noodles (mixian). The famous bridge-crossing rice noodles (guoqiao mixian) are not the most popular in Kunming. In Yunnan, bridge-crossing rice noodles are called water noodles (shuifen) and are similar to vermicelli. Real rice noodles are made from rice. Varieties include braised rice noodles (hongshao mixian), lamb rice noodles (yangrou mixian), and tofu pudding rice noodles (douhua mixian). Here, the noodles and soup are served separately, and you add the noodles to the soup as you eat.
Address: Jinbi Road, Xishan District, Kunming.
3. Ershiqi Hunan Restaurant
It is not easy to find halal Hunan cuisine, but I discovered this place thanks to a friend in Yunnan.
Stir-fried dried tofu with chili peppers (lajiao chao dougan) takes Hunan-style spice to the next level.
Spicy chicken with hot peppers (jianjiao ji) is fragrant and spicy.
Loving Wife copper pot fish cake (aiqi tongguo yugao) is not spicy, and the soup is fresh and delicious.
Address: 4th Floor, Aegean Shopping Park, Guangfu Road.
4. Bread Workshop (Mianbao Gongfang)
This is the shop. Last time I came to Kunming, a friend treated me to flower cakes (xianhuabing), and I still cannot forget them. This is a chain store, so it is easy to find in Kunming.
They taste even better if you warm them up slightly.
Address: Room 102, Building D5, Beichen Wealth Center, Beijing Road Extension.
Summary: This Yunnan halal food map covers Hui Muslim rice noodles, beef dishes, local restaurants, and regional food stops across Yunnan, with cultural and place details kept intact.
First stop: Shangri-La
1. Plateau Beef Restaurant
Shangri-La is in a Tibetan area and has no mosque in the city center. Most people running halal food businesses here are Hui Muslims from Dali.
For breakfast, you can walk to the entrance of Dukezong Ancient Town for a bowl of rice noodles (mixian).
Address: Entrance of Gama Lane, Changzheng Avenue, Shangri-La (opposite the Chengnan Police Station)
2. Yak Beef Hot Pot Garden
You can find many yak beef restaurants near Dukezong Ancient Town in Shangri-La.
You must try yak beef in a Tibetan area. Yak beef hot pot involves boiling large chunks of beef in a pot, and you can add beef offal (niuza) to it.
In Yunnan, you can eat mint just like cilantro.
Also, try dipping some saffron sprouts (zanghonghuamiao) in the pot.
Butter tea (suyoucha) is a must-have drink to keep the cold away.
Address: Near Dawa Road, Shangri-La
Second stop: Dali
1. Yitianyuan
This is a large restaurant chain from Kunming. The environment is nice and the service is thoughtful. The servers will keep reminding you not to order too much food to avoid waste.
You must try the fried milk fan (zha rushan), a local snack.
Stir-fried yellow beef (xiaochao huangniurou) is also a common home-style dish in Yunnan.
Address: 1st Floor, Dangshanzhou Hotel, No. 15 Fuhai Road, Xiaguan (near Minzu Square)
2. Erling Halal Snacks
There are many halal snacks inside Dali Ancient Town. There are 18 mosques in the local area, and the halal restaurants mainly serve local or Yunnan-style food.
You can have noodles here for breakfast. This is Dali-style noodles, and you can choose from many different seasonings yourself.
Address: Opposite Aizhe Shiguang Hostel, Dali Ancient Town.
3. Shuanghe Halal Snacks
You can see this shop as soon as you enter Dali Ancient Town.
Try the Dali rice noodles (ershi). They are a bit like regular noodles, but the texture is slightly different.
Address: Shuanghe Road, South Gate, Dali.
4. Nanwuliqiao Halal Food Street.
A local friend introduced me to Nanwuliqiao Village, about 3 kilometers from the ancient city, where I found a street full of halal food.
This shop is located in the halal alley inside the village.
I haven't tried the black soup fish hot pot (wutang yu huoguo) yet.
Beef in a copper pot (huopiao niurou) is a local specialty.
Dali is a great place to stay for ten days or half a month to taste all these delicious foods.
I felt a bit overwhelmed on this street because there were so many special halal dishes that I didn't know what to pick.
I chose to try the Dai-style barbecue.
The grilled tilapia comes with a red dipping sauce that has the sour and spicy flavor of the Dai people. Locals love Dai-style barbecue, and the sticky rice is free.
Address: Middle section of Nanwuliqiao Village Halal Food Street.
5. Cold shrimp drink (liangxia) and sweet rice (tangfan).
A drink that quenches thirst.
You can mix the cold shrimp drink and sweet rice together for 2 yuan a serving. It is slightly sweet.
Address: Entrance of the West Gate Mosque in Dali Ancient City.
Third stop: Xishuangbanna.
1. Hongfu Halal Restaurant.
This is a local halal restaurant in Xishuangbanna with Dai script on the sign. A local friend treated me here, and locals love coming here too.
Fish from the Lancang River.
Stir-fried local specialty vegetables.
Cold tossed beef.
This is very similar to tofu puff soup.
Address: No. 3 Menghun Road, Jinghong City, Xishuangbanna.
2. Jueduiniu Hui Muslim Restaurant
Not far from the Jinghong Mosque, there are several halal restaurants along both sides of the road.
Oil-drenched dried beef (youlin niuganba)
I tried some stir-fried green vegetables that I didn't know the name of.
Address: No. 11 Galan Middle Road, Jinghong City
3. Jinqiao Halal Restaurant
This restaurant is run by Hui-Dai people. The Hui-Dai are local Hui Muslims in Xishuangbanna who have adopted Dai culture, or perhaps Dai people who have adopted Hui customs. They speak the Dai language and follow Dai traditions, but they practice Islam.
I had beef rice noodles (migan) here for breakfast. The only difference between this and regular rice noodles (mixian) is the shape; migan is what the locals call them.
Address: Entrance of Manluanhui Village, Xishuangbanna (There is another Hui-Dai village called Mansaihui 4 kilometers away, which also has a large mosque. You can walk there, and the scenery along the way is beautiful.)
4. Eight-Kilometer Hui-Dai Restaurant
A newly opened Hui-Dai restaurant that specializes in Dai-style barbecue.
Stir-fried yellow beef.
Water coriander (shuixiangcai); it is worth trying just for the novelty.
Address: Beside the road about 800 meters west of the Menghai County Passenger Station.
In the old street of Menghai County, there is a mosque that you cannot find on Baidu Maps. You can also find food around the mosque, but unfortunately, they were already closed when I arrived.
Yuxi Halal Restaurant
The young girl at this shop showed me the way to the mosque.
Stop Four: Kunming
1. Guiji Xiaojinniu Restaurant
I have visited this restaurant both times I came to Kunming. It is a pretty good local-style restaurant.
Crispy skin roast chicken.
Dried beef (niuganba), very appetizing.
Stir-fried rice cakes (erkua); you must try this when you come to Kunming, as it is rare elsewhere.
Jinniu charcoal-grilled meat, their signature dish.
Hui Muslim cold chicken (zhuangliangji) is also a signature dish.
Address: Next to Shuncheng Mosque. Beside the mosque is a street full of halal snacks where you can walk and eat at the same time.
2. Yongning Mosque Snack City
In Kunming, almost every mosque sells halal snacks.
There are many types of rice noodles (mixian). The famous bridge-crossing rice noodles (guoqiao mixian) are not the most popular in Kunming. In Yunnan, bridge-crossing rice noodles are called water noodles (shuifen) and are similar to vermicelli. Real rice noodles are made from rice. Varieties include braised rice noodles (hongshao mixian), lamb rice noodles (yangrou mixian), and tofu pudding rice noodles (douhua mixian). Here, the noodles and soup are served separately, and you add the noodles to the soup as you eat.
Address: Jinbi Road, Xishan District, Kunming.
3. Ershiqi Hunan Restaurant
It is not easy to find halal Hunan cuisine, but I discovered this place thanks to a friend in Yunnan.
Stir-fried dried tofu with chili peppers (lajiao chao dougan) takes Hunan-style spice to the next level.
Spicy chicken with hot peppers (jianjiao ji) is fragrant and spicy.
Loving Wife copper pot fish cake (aiqi tongguo yugao) is not spicy, and the soup is fresh and delicious.
Address: 4th Floor, Aegean Shopping Park, Guangfu Road.
4. Bread Workshop (Mianbao Gongfang)
This is the shop. Last time I came to Kunming, a friend treated me to flower cakes (xianhuabing), and I still cannot forget them. This is a chain store, so it is easy to find in Kunming.
They taste even better if you warm them up slightly.
Address: Room 102, Building D5, Beichen Wealth Center, Beijing Road Extension.
