Best Halal Food in Lanzhou: Beef Noodles, Hui Muslim Snacks and Local Restaurants
Reposted from the web
Summary: This Lanzhou halal food map highlights beef noodles, Hui Muslim snacks, restaurants, and local food routes in Lanzhou, keeping dish names and practical details from the original guide.
1. Mazilu Beef Noodles
Lanzhou beef noodles taste and feel very different from ramen shops across the country. This might be due to the local environment. Even with the same ingredients and the same people, noodles made in Lanzhou taste different than those made elsewhere. It is not easy to pick the most popular beef noodle shop in Lanzhou, as everyone has their own favorite brand. However, in terms of tradition, the century-old Mazilu Beef Noodles is very representative. Their noodles are special because of the chili oil, which is seasoned and processed to be fragrant rather than spicy.
Lanzhou beef noodles focus on five elements: clear soup, white radish, red chili, green scallions, and yellow noodles. Locals have a way of eating called "meat and egg double fly" (roudan shuangfei), where you order an extra portion of beef and an egg to soak in the bowl, making it even more delicious.
This is the "meat and egg double fly" at Youde Beef Noodles. It is best to eat beef noodles between 7 and 8 in the morning because that is when the first batch of soup is ready. After 9 o'clock, you might miss out on that first-batch flavor.
This is Mogouyan Beef Noodles, a long-established shop. Their beef is excellent.
Mazilu Beef Noodles address: No. 86 Dazhong Lane, Chengguan District, Lanzhou City, Gansu Province (chain store).
Mogouyan Beef Noodles address: No. 46 Mogouyan, Xijin East Road (near Nanbinhe).
Youde Beef Noodles address: No. 27 Nanbinhe East Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou City, Gansu Province.
(Chain store)
2. Mingdegong
If you think all beef noodle shops in Lanzhou are small roadside stalls, you are wrong. Mingdegong offers a luxury beef noodle set for 888 yuan.
Mingdegong has two floors. The first floor is a traditional public restaurant, and the second floor offers more refined set meals.
Here, a large bowl of noodles can be served in two smaller bowls. You can choose the noodle shape, such as hair-thin (maoxi), thin (xi), second-thin (erxi), or leek-leaf (jiuye). The waiter waits for you to finish the first bowl before telling the kitchen to prepare the second, ensuring the quality of the meal.
Address: No. 328 Jiuquan Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou.
3. Huayu Kaiguo Lamb
The first meal I had when I came to Lanzhou was Huayu Kaiguo Lamb.
The soup left a deep impression on me. I usually don't drink hot pot soup, but this shop's soup is truly delicious. You can chew the lamb brisket with the bone.
You can try the moss-filled steamed buns (dida xian baozi), made from a locally grown moss.
Address: No. 39 Nongmin Lane (intersection of Yizhichuan North Street and Nongmin Lane).
4. Kelan Hot Pot
This shop is known for its spotted fish hot pot.
You can choose a split pot (yuanyang guo), with seafood porridge as the base on the left and a mildly spicy base on the right. The fish is served in small plates, and one person can eat over a dozen plates.
Address: 50 meters diagonally opposite the People's Theater on Jiuquan Road (near Zhongshanlin 102 bus station).
5. Ma Laoliu Halal Restaurant
Ma Laoliu is quite famous locally, and their hand-grabbed lamb (shouzhua yangrou) is the signature dish.
When you are in the Northwest, you have to eat hand-grabbed lamb, and it is only authentic if you eat it with garlic.
You can pair it with a serving of grey bean soup (huidouzi) and sweet fermented oat porridge (tianbeizi), both of which are famous Northwest snacks.
Ma Laoliu's hot pot lamb (kaiguo yangrou) is also popular, so you will have to wait in line if you arrive during meal times.
For the hot pot, I recommend choosing the lamb that comes with bones.
Try the secret dipping sauce at Ma Laoliu; it looks red, but it is actually not spicy and very fragrant.
Ma Laoliu Hand-grabbed Lamb address: No. 17 Tongwei Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou (near Zhangye Road Pedestrian Street).
Ma Laoliu Hot Pot address: No. 9 Tongwei Road (south side of Tongwei Road Primary School).
6.
777 Tasty Grilled Fish
I discovered that people in the Northwest have a special fondness for fish and seafood.
The menu is very simple. There is one set meal, and you do not even need to choose the side dishes yourself; you just tell them the weight of the fish and place your order, which is very convenient.
The decor is also quite unique.
Address: Jinyan Lane, next to Wanda Plaza. In the same lane, there is also halal Korean fried chicken and seafood porridge.
7. Northern Shaanxi Iron Pot Lamb
This is a delicacy I only got to taste because a friend in Lanzhou treated me.
It has a strong Northern Shaanxi style.
The iron pot is brought to the table and then lit to heat up.
You can start eating after a short while.
Try the secret chicken feet; do not be afraid of the red color, as they are really not spicy.
The yogurt with sweet fermented oat porridge is hard to find.
They serve a soup made with eggplant, corn, and other ingredients that feels comfortable in your stomach and helps with digestion.
Address: 300 meters west of the Guangchang Beikou bus stop in Chengguan District.
8. Haitian Ranch Hot Pot and Barbecue Buffet
75 yuan per person.
There is a wide variety of fruits, snacks, and other dishes.
They specialize in seafood that you can either boil in hot pot or grill, and it is a great value.
Address: 6th floor of Xinda Department Store at the Yantan RT-Mart.
9. Tasimi Halal Food Court
You can tell from the name that it serves halal snacks.
It has all kinds of snacks and is a good place to eat alone.
They also have fried chicken.
There are many different brands, and the environment is quite nice.
Address: No. 235 Zhangye Road (Tasimi Food Court, Stall 9, Basement Level 1, Block A, Minji Xincheng).
10. Aijia Dapaidang
When I heard the name, I thought it was a casual street food stall (dapaidang), but when I arrived, I realized it was a high-end restaurant (dapaidang).
The setting is very upscale, and it has the same owner as Mingde Palace.
There is a rich variety of dishes to choose from, like an upgraded version of a street food stall.
Tea tree mushroom hot pot (guozai chashugu).
Iron skewer barbecue, the meat is fresh and tender.
Vegetable-filled potstickers (su xian guotie).
The frozen pear soup (dongli tang) is their signature dish and worth a try.
Cheese shrimp.
Grilled oysters, the price is very affordable.
Address: No. 173 Qingyang Road, Chengguan District.
11. Ding Hot Pot
Ding Hot Pot, owned by the Yilan Group, is one of the few 24-hour hot pot restaurants in Lanzhou. It is still packed with people at midnight.
I ordered the split-pot (yuanyang guo) as usual so I could try both sides.
I highly recommend the hand-cut fresh lamb.
You have to get used to the dipping sauce made of sesame oil and minced garlic here, as that is how they eat Sichuan-style food.
Address: 4th Floor, Kangqiao International Shopping Center, No. 3 Anning West Road, Anning District, Lanzhou City, Gansu Province.
12. Yilan Zige
The brands under the Yilan Group are quite famous, and this restaurant is a place for stir-fried dishes.
In Lanzhou, you should drink tea with a three-piece covered cup (sanpaotai).
The boiled fish is a little bit spicy.
Stir-fried okra with peppercorns (qiangchao qiukui).
There are also delicate pastries with fruit fillings.
Address: Next to Tongwei Road Primary School.
13. Siji Yuge
This is a very popular place for braised hot pot (munguo).
After you pick your ingredients, it starts like this, then you put the lid on to let it braise.
It looks like this once it is finished, and the aroma is amazing.
Address:
500 meters west of the Shuangchengmen intersection in Lanzhou.
14. Shujiuxiang
This is a very famous Sichuan hot pot restaurant, and you can eat a halal version here in Lanzhou.
How could Sichuan-style hot pot not be spicy?
The beef is marinated in seasonings, so it is very flavorful.
The authentic dipping sauce for Sichuan hot pot is sesame oil and minced garlic.
Address: No. 868 Nongmin Lane, Chengguan District, Lanzhou (east side of the Northwest Hotel).
15. Xiwu Teahouse
You can drink tea and order meals here. The environment is nice and quiet. It is a good place to spend time if you are near the train station.
Drinking three-cannon tea (sanpaotai) is the authentic way to go. Lanzhou is famous for its lilies and roses, so if you like rose tea, you are in luck.
Sour soup beef (suantang feiniu)
Make sure to try the peppercorn chicken (jiaomaji) at least once.
Address: 6th Floor, Huisheng, 242 Yongchang Middle Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou
16. Zhengning Road Night Market
You can find all the Lanzhou snacks you want to eat here.
You have to wait in a long line to get the milk, egg, and fermented rice soup (niunai jidan liaozao).
The crowd is packed three layers deep inside and out.
They also sell baked buns (kao baozi), but these iron-griddle baked buns are not as good as the ones baked in a coal oven.
There is a very famous sweet fermented oat milk tea shop in Lanzhou called "Fangxia." Locals call it "Fangha," but since the "Fangha" trademark was registered by someone else, the milk tea is now called "Fangxia." Lanzhou people say that if you do not drink Fangxia milk tea, you have not really been to Lanzhou. They sell it at the night market, so if you are interested, go give it a try.
Summary: This Lanzhou halal food map highlights beef noodles, Hui Muslim snacks, restaurants, and local food routes in Lanzhou, keeping dish names and practical details from the original guide.
1. Mazilu Beef Noodles
Lanzhou beef noodles taste and feel very different from ramen shops across the country. This might be due to the local environment. Even with the same ingredients and the same people, noodles made in Lanzhou taste different than those made elsewhere. It is not easy to pick the most popular beef noodle shop in Lanzhou, as everyone has their own favorite brand. However, in terms of tradition, the century-old Mazilu Beef Noodles is very representative. Their noodles are special because of the chili oil, which is seasoned and processed to be fragrant rather than spicy.
Lanzhou beef noodles focus on five elements: clear soup, white radish, red chili, green scallions, and yellow noodles. Locals have a way of eating called "meat and egg double fly" (roudan shuangfei), where you order an extra portion of beef and an egg to soak in the bowl, making it even more delicious.
This is the "meat and egg double fly" at Youde Beef Noodles. It is best to eat beef noodles between 7 and 8 in the morning because that is when the first batch of soup is ready. After 9 o'clock, you might miss out on that first-batch flavor.
This is Mogouyan Beef Noodles, a long-established shop. Their beef is excellent.
Mazilu Beef Noodles address: No. 86 Dazhong Lane, Chengguan District, Lanzhou City, Gansu Province (chain store).
Mogouyan Beef Noodles address: No. 46 Mogouyan, Xijin East Road (near Nanbinhe).
Youde Beef Noodles address: No. 27 Nanbinhe East Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou City, Gansu Province.
(Chain store)
2. Mingdegong
If you think all beef noodle shops in Lanzhou are small roadside stalls, you are wrong. Mingdegong offers a luxury beef noodle set for 888 yuan.
Mingdegong has two floors. The first floor is a traditional public restaurant, and the second floor offers more refined set meals.
Here, a large bowl of noodles can be served in two smaller bowls. You can choose the noodle shape, such as hair-thin (maoxi), thin (xi), second-thin (erxi), or leek-leaf (jiuye). The waiter waits for you to finish the first bowl before telling the kitchen to prepare the second, ensuring the quality of the meal.
Address: No. 328 Jiuquan Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou.
3. Huayu Kaiguo Lamb
The first meal I had when I came to Lanzhou was Huayu Kaiguo Lamb.
The soup left a deep impression on me. I usually don't drink hot pot soup, but this shop's soup is truly delicious. You can chew the lamb brisket with the bone.
You can try the moss-filled steamed buns (dida xian baozi), made from a locally grown moss.
Address: No. 39 Nongmin Lane (intersection of Yizhichuan North Street and Nongmin Lane).
4. Kelan Hot Pot
This shop is known for its spotted fish hot pot.
You can choose a split pot (yuanyang guo), with seafood porridge as the base on the left and a mildly spicy base on the right. The fish is served in small plates, and one person can eat over a dozen plates.
Address: 50 meters diagonally opposite the People's Theater on Jiuquan Road (near Zhongshanlin 102 bus station).
5. Ma Laoliu Halal Restaurant
Ma Laoliu is quite famous locally, and their hand-grabbed lamb (shouzhua yangrou) is the signature dish.
When you are in the Northwest, you have to eat hand-grabbed lamb, and it is only authentic if you eat it with garlic.
You can pair it with a serving of grey bean soup (huidouzi) and sweet fermented oat porridge (tianbeizi), both of which are famous Northwest snacks.
Ma Laoliu's hot pot lamb (kaiguo yangrou) is also popular, so you will have to wait in line if you arrive during meal times.
For the hot pot, I recommend choosing the lamb that comes with bones.
Try the secret dipping sauce at Ma Laoliu; it looks red, but it is actually not spicy and very fragrant.
Ma Laoliu Hand-grabbed Lamb address: No. 17 Tongwei Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou (near Zhangye Road Pedestrian Street).
Ma Laoliu Hot Pot address: No. 9 Tongwei Road (south side of Tongwei Road Primary School).
6.
777 Tasty Grilled Fish
I discovered that people in the Northwest have a special fondness for fish and seafood.
The menu is very simple. There is one set meal, and you do not even need to choose the side dishes yourself; you just tell them the weight of the fish and place your order, which is very convenient.
The decor is also quite unique.
Address: Jinyan Lane, next to Wanda Plaza. In the same lane, there is also halal Korean fried chicken and seafood porridge.
7. Northern Shaanxi Iron Pot Lamb
This is a delicacy I only got to taste because a friend in Lanzhou treated me.
It has a strong Northern Shaanxi style.
The iron pot is brought to the table and then lit to heat up.
You can start eating after a short while.
Try the secret chicken feet; do not be afraid of the red color, as they are really not spicy.
The yogurt with sweet fermented oat porridge is hard to find.
They serve a soup made with eggplant, corn, and other ingredients that feels comfortable in your stomach and helps with digestion.
Address: 300 meters west of the Guangchang Beikou bus stop in Chengguan District.
8. Haitian Ranch Hot Pot and Barbecue Buffet
75 yuan per person.
There is a wide variety of fruits, snacks, and other dishes.
They specialize in seafood that you can either boil in hot pot or grill, and it is a great value.
Address: 6th floor of Xinda Department Store at the Yantan RT-Mart.
9. Tasimi Halal Food Court
You can tell from the name that it serves halal snacks.
It has all kinds of snacks and is a good place to eat alone.
They also have fried chicken.
There are many different brands, and the environment is quite nice.
Address: No. 235 Zhangye Road (Tasimi Food Court, Stall 9, Basement Level 1, Block A, Minji Xincheng).
10. Aijia Dapaidang
When I heard the name, I thought it was a casual street food stall (dapaidang), but when I arrived, I realized it was a high-end restaurant (dapaidang).
The setting is very upscale, and it has the same owner as Mingde Palace.
There is a rich variety of dishes to choose from, like an upgraded version of a street food stall.
Tea tree mushroom hot pot (guozai chashugu).
Iron skewer barbecue, the meat is fresh and tender.
Vegetable-filled potstickers (su xian guotie).
The frozen pear soup (dongli tang) is their signature dish and worth a try.
Cheese shrimp.
Grilled oysters, the price is very affordable.
Address: No. 173 Qingyang Road, Chengguan District.
11. Ding Hot Pot
Ding Hot Pot, owned by the Yilan Group, is one of the few 24-hour hot pot restaurants in Lanzhou. It is still packed with people at midnight.
I ordered the split-pot (yuanyang guo) as usual so I could try both sides.
I highly recommend the hand-cut fresh lamb.
You have to get used to the dipping sauce made of sesame oil and minced garlic here, as that is how they eat Sichuan-style food.
Address: 4th Floor, Kangqiao International Shopping Center, No. 3 Anning West Road, Anning District, Lanzhou City, Gansu Province.
12. Yilan Zige
The brands under the Yilan Group are quite famous, and this restaurant is a place for stir-fried dishes.
In Lanzhou, you should drink tea with a three-piece covered cup (sanpaotai).
The boiled fish is a little bit spicy.
Stir-fried okra with peppercorns (qiangchao qiukui).
There are also delicate pastries with fruit fillings.
Address: Next to Tongwei Road Primary School.
13. Siji Yuge
This is a very popular place for braised hot pot (munguo).
After you pick your ingredients, it starts like this, then you put the lid on to let it braise.
It looks like this once it is finished, and the aroma is amazing.
Address:
500 meters west of the Shuangchengmen intersection in Lanzhou.
14. Shujiuxiang
This is a very famous Sichuan hot pot restaurant, and you can eat a halal version here in Lanzhou.
How could Sichuan-style hot pot not be spicy?
The beef is marinated in seasonings, so it is very flavorful.
The authentic dipping sauce for Sichuan hot pot is sesame oil and minced garlic.
Address: No. 868 Nongmin Lane, Chengguan District, Lanzhou (east side of the Northwest Hotel).
15. Xiwu Teahouse
You can drink tea and order meals here. The environment is nice and quiet. It is a good place to spend time if you are near the train station.
Drinking three-cannon tea (sanpaotai) is the authentic way to go. Lanzhou is famous for its lilies and roses, so if you like rose tea, you are in luck.
Sour soup beef (suantang feiniu)
Make sure to try the peppercorn chicken (jiaomaji) at least once.
Address: 6th Floor, Huisheng, 242 Yongchang Middle Road, Chengguan District, Lanzhou
16. Zhengning Road Night Market
You can find all the Lanzhou snacks you want to eat here.
You have to wait in a long line to get the milk, egg, and fermented rice soup (niunai jidan liaozao).
The crowd is packed three layers deep inside and out.
They also sell baked buns (kao baozi), but these iron-griddle baked buns are not as good as the ones baked in a coal oven.
There is a very famous sweet fermented oat milk tea shop in Lanzhou called "Fangxia." Locals call it "Fangha," but since the "Fangha" trademark was registered by someone else, the milk tea is now called "Fangxia." Lanzhou people say that if you do not drink Fangxia milk tea, you have not really been to Lanzhou. They sell it at the night market, so if you are interested, go give it a try.
