Exploring Yixinzhai: Shanghai’s Century-Old Halal Legend for Pan-Fried Beef Buns & Cold Noodles
[Internet Repost]
Dual Glory of a Time-Honored Brand and Intangible Cultural Heritage: Exploring the Legend of Yixinzhai's Halal Cuisine in Shanghai
Abstract:
A deep dive into Yixinzhai, a renowned Shanghai Halal eatery holding the dual titles of a 'China Time-Honored Brand' and a 'Municipal Intangible Cultural Heritage.' This article traces its century-long evolution since its founding in 1913, showcasing the artisan spirit of three generations of inheritors who strictly adhere to Islamic dietary laws and traditional heritage culinary techniques.
“Yixinzhai” is a celebrated, time-honored Halal restaurant in Shanghai. Its 'Halal culinary preparation technique' has been inscribed onto the Shanghai Municipal Intangible Cultural Heritage list, making this rare dual status of 'Time-Honored Brand + Intangible Cultural Heritage' quite unique among the city's Halal restaurants.
Historical records show that the history of Yixinzhai traces back to 1913, when Ma Wanglin’s grandfather, Ma Shisheng, established the 'Ma Ji' Halal food stall in Cao County, Shandong province. It quickly gained fame locally with specialties like niurou jianbao (pan-fried beef buns) and curry beef. After 1938, fleeing the chaos of war, Ma Shisheng moved with his son, Ma Xingbang, to Zhenjiang, Jiangsu province, to continue the business. By the late 1940s, Ma Wanglin followed his parents to Shanghai’s Yangpu district, reopening the 'Ma Ji' Halal food shop on Huangxing Road, allowing this culinary craft to take deep root in Shanghai. In 1958, the state-run 'Yixinzhai' Halal restaurant was officially established, and a 15-year-old Ma Wanglin joined his father working there. In 2000, Yixinzhai underwent restructuring, with Ma Wanglin taking over management.
Back in the day, whenever people had business at the Hudong Workers' Cultural Palace, they would drop by Yixinzhai right across the street to grab its signature niurou jianbao (pan-fried beef buns), leaving behind deep impressions and wonderful memories. The cold noodles are also a signature crowd-pleaser here. Craving them in this seasonal weather, I recently drove over 20 kilometers, cutting all the way from Changning in the western urban center to Yangpu in the east, just to hit up Yixinzhai and treat myself. The original building is currently undergoing renovations, so the shop has relocated to a temporary space about 200 meters to the east. The golden signs reading 'Shanghai Yixinzhai' and 'China Time-Honored Brand' hang high above the entrance, gleaming brilliantly.
Checking out the menu, the options are seriously plentiful, featuring rice bowls with toppings, fried rice, and noodle soups with various toppings. I ordered the shop's signature celery and shredded beef mixed noodles (note: during the summer season, the shop's mixed noodles refer to cold noodles), an order of guotie (crispy beef potstickers), and a bowl of beef soup, totaling 60 yuan.
The potstickers and mixed noodles had to be picked up at the counter yourself, while the beef soup was brought to the table by a server. Figuring that the potstickers should be eaten while hot since cooling ruins the texture, I picked them up first to enjoy immediately.
An order of potstickers comes with four pieces. They're pretty sizable, neatly arranged, crescent-shaped, plump, and gorgeous, with bottoms pan-fried to a golden, crispy crunch.
The potsticker wrappers are made from unleavened dough, keeping the skin relatively thin and crispy. When you bite into them, you get a satisfying 'crunch' sound without any tough chewiness—though I'm not sure if they were slightly over-fried or just naturally like that?! It's a different mouthfeel compared to potstickers elsewhere. The meat filling uses hindquarter yellow beef (knuckle cut), with all connective tissue trimmed away, mixed with the Ma family's secret ancestral seasonings. The flavor is totally unique, accompanied by a small amount of savory broth, making it super delicious.
The beef soup is fairly clear, topped with a generous handful of cilantro and chopped scallions that blend with the beef aroma, making it wonderfully fragrant. A touch of curry is added to remove any gamey odor and boost the flavor. The beef shank inside comes in slices, and the portion is genuinely generous, totally justifying the 20 yuan price tag per bowl. The beef is cooked until tender without falling apart, and the broth is rich and packed with flavor. Eating it alongside the beef potstickers and cold noodles is absolute perfection! Highly recommended.
After finishing the potstickers, I headed back to the window to pick up the cold noodles and the celery and shredded beef topping.
The cold noodles are a signature summer specialty here, made with custom, narrow alkaline noodles. They follow the golden rule of cooking noodles: 'clear water, high heat, fewer noodles.' They are boiled on high heat for a short time, skipped the cold water rinse, and instead blown dry directly with electric fans while being tossed with homemade scallion oil. The noodles turn out chewy, resilient, smooth, and not mushy. Drizzled with homemade salty-savory soy sauce and fragrant vinegar, the flavor profile hits salty, savory, and slightly sweet notes, topped with a scoop of the soulful peanut sauce personally developed by Ma Wanglin (made by stir-frying and grinding 8 catties of peanuts and 2 catties of sesame seeds for an intense aroma). If you like it spicy, add a few drops of chili oil—with the noodles completely coated in sauce, the taste is simply indescribable.
The celery and shredded beef topping is equally standout. The celery is super tender with no tough fibers, meaning it won't get stuck in your teeth. The shredded beef is pre-marinated, velveted, and quick-fried, making it silky, tender, and delicious. Slurping it down with the noodles is an absolute blast and deeply satisfying.
The niurou jianbao (pan-fried beef buns) are the shop's absolute top-tier intangible heritage delicacy. The prep kitchen features three large flat-bottomed iron pans where chefs take turns whipping up niurou jianbao and guotie on the spot. The niurou jianbao are easily the size of an adult's fist, pan-fried on both sides until golden and crispy. When you bite into them, soup juices pour out. They're a massive hit with diners, selling thousands daily and usually requiring a long wait in line.
The gold-medal Sanhuangji (three-yellow chicken) uses chickens raised in Nanhui for over 90 days, cage-raised first and then free-range for 20 days. Prepared as fully cooked white-cut chicken, there isn't a single trace of blood between the bones. The skin is crispy, the meat is firm and flavorful, making it another staple signature dish at the shop.
After polishing off an order of potstickers, an order of cold noodles, and a bowl of beef soup, I was already full. Not wanting to miss out on the signature niurou jianbao and the specialty Sanhuangji, I ended up buying a large portion of the chicken and five niurou jianbao to take home and slowly enjoy with the family.
Dining Experience: The food tastes great and has a distinct Halal character. Overall, while the prices are slightly on the higher side, it's definitely worth the money and well worth a try.
Dual Glory of a Time-Honored Brand and Intangible Cultural Heritage: Exploring the Legend of Yixinzhai's Halal Cuisine in Shanghai
Abstract:
A deep dive into Yixinzhai, a renowned Shanghai Halal eatery holding the dual titles of a 'China Time-Honored Brand' and a 'Municipal Intangible Cultural Heritage.' This article traces its century-long evolution since its founding in 1913, showcasing the artisan spirit of three generations of inheritors who strictly adhere to Islamic dietary laws and traditional heritage culinary techniques.
“Yixinzhai” is a celebrated, time-honored Halal restaurant in Shanghai. Its 'Halal culinary preparation technique' has been inscribed onto the Shanghai Municipal Intangible Cultural Heritage list, making this rare dual status of 'Time-Honored Brand + Intangible Cultural Heritage' quite unique among the city's Halal restaurants.
Historical records show that the history of Yixinzhai traces back to 1913, when Ma Wanglin’s grandfather, Ma Shisheng, established the 'Ma Ji' Halal food stall in Cao County, Shandong province. It quickly gained fame locally with specialties like niurou jianbao (pan-fried beef buns) and curry beef. After 1938, fleeing the chaos of war, Ma Shisheng moved with his son, Ma Xingbang, to Zhenjiang, Jiangsu province, to continue the business. By the late 1940s, Ma Wanglin followed his parents to Shanghai’s Yangpu district, reopening the 'Ma Ji' Halal food shop on Huangxing Road, allowing this culinary craft to take deep root in Shanghai. In 1958, the state-run 'Yixinzhai' Halal restaurant was officially established, and a 15-year-old Ma Wanglin joined his father working there. In 2000, Yixinzhai underwent restructuring, with Ma Wanglin taking over management.
Back in the day, whenever people had business at the Hudong Workers' Cultural Palace, they would drop by Yixinzhai right across the street to grab its signature niurou jianbao (pan-fried beef buns), leaving behind deep impressions and wonderful memories. The cold noodles are also a signature crowd-pleaser here. Craving them in this seasonal weather, I recently drove over 20 kilometers, cutting all the way from Changning in the western urban center to Yangpu in the east, just to hit up Yixinzhai and treat myself. The original building is currently undergoing renovations, so the shop has relocated to a temporary space about 200 meters to the east. The golden signs reading 'Shanghai Yixinzhai' and 'China Time-Honored Brand' hang high above the entrance, gleaming brilliantly.
Checking out the menu, the options are seriously plentiful, featuring rice bowls with toppings, fried rice, and noodle soups with various toppings. I ordered the shop's signature celery and shredded beef mixed noodles (note: during the summer season, the shop's mixed noodles refer to cold noodles), an order of guotie (crispy beef potstickers), and a bowl of beef soup, totaling 60 yuan.
The potstickers and mixed noodles had to be picked up at the counter yourself, while the beef soup was brought to the table by a server. Figuring that the potstickers should be eaten while hot since cooling ruins the texture, I picked them up first to enjoy immediately.
An order of potstickers comes with four pieces. They're pretty sizable, neatly arranged, crescent-shaped, plump, and gorgeous, with bottoms pan-fried to a golden, crispy crunch.
The potsticker wrappers are made from unleavened dough, keeping the skin relatively thin and crispy. When you bite into them, you get a satisfying 'crunch' sound without any tough chewiness—though I'm not sure if they were slightly over-fried or just naturally like that?! It's a different mouthfeel compared to potstickers elsewhere. The meat filling uses hindquarter yellow beef (knuckle cut), with all connective tissue trimmed away, mixed with the Ma family's secret ancestral seasonings. The flavor is totally unique, accompanied by a small amount of savory broth, making it super delicious.
The beef soup is fairly clear, topped with a generous handful of cilantro and chopped scallions that blend with the beef aroma, making it wonderfully fragrant. A touch of curry is added to remove any gamey odor and boost the flavor. The beef shank inside comes in slices, and the portion is genuinely generous, totally justifying the 20 yuan price tag per bowl. The beef is cooked until tender without falling apart, and the broth is rich and packed with flavor. Eating it alongside the beef potstickers and cold noodles is absolute perfection! Highly recommended.
After finishing the potstickers, I headed back to the window to pick up the cold noodles and the celery and shredded beef topping.
The cold noodles are a signature summer specialty here, made with custom, narrow alkaline noodles. They follow the golden rule of cooking noodles: 'clear water, high heat, fewer noodles.' They are boiled on high heat for a short time, skipped the cold water rinse, and instead blown dry directly with electric fans while being tossed with homemade scallion oil. The noodles turn out chewy, resilient, smooth, and not mushy. Drizzled with homemade salty-savory soy sauce and fragrant vinegar, the flavor profile hits salty, savory, and slightly sweet notes, topped with a scoop of the soulful peanut sauce personally developed by Ma Wanglin (made by stir-frying and grinding 8 catties of peanuts and 2 catties of sesame seeds for an intense aroma). If you like it spicy, add a few drops of chili oil—with the noodles completely coated in sauce, the taste is simply indescribable.
The celery and shredded beef topping is equally standout. The celery is super tender with no tough fibers, meaning it won't get stuck in your teeth. The shredded beef is pre-marinated, velveted, and quick-fried, making it silky, tender, and delicious. Slurping it down with the noodles is an absolute blast and deeply satisfying.
The niurou jianbao (pan-fried beef buns) are the shop's absolute top-tier intangible heritage delicacy. The prep kitchen features three large flat-bottomed iron pans where chefs take turns whipping up niurou jianbao and guotie on the spot. The niurou jianbao are easily the size of an adult's fist, pan-fried on both sides until golden and crispy. When you bite into them, soup juices pour out. They're a massive hit with diners, selling thousands daily and usually requiring a long wait in line.
The gold-medal Sanhuangji (three-yellow chicken) uses chickens raised in Nanhui for over 90 days, cage-raised first and then free-range for 20 days. Prepared as fully cooked white-cut chicken, there isn't a single trace of blood between the bones. The skin is crispy, the meat is firm and flavorful, making it another staple signature dish at the shop.
After polishing off an order of potstickers, an order of cold noodles, and a bowl of beef soup, I was already full. Not wanting to miss out on the signature niurou jianbao and the specialty Sanhuangji, I ended up buying a large portion of the chicken and five niurou jianbao to take home and slowly enjoy with the family.
Dining Experience: The food tastes great and has a distinct Halal character. Overall, while the prices are slightly on the higher side, it's definitely worth the money and well worth a try.
