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Many of the best restaurants in Lanzhou are found in its upscale hotels; one to try is Zhong Hua Yuan in the Lanzhou Hotel, where an English menu is available. Another place to find a good meal is along Nongmin Xiang Lu, a street that runs behind the Lanzhou Hotel. This is a great place to try roujiamo, a small sandwich filled with onion, chili, and flash-fried lamb, pork, or beef.
You can often tell a good restaurant by the lack of empty tables; at mealtimes, this Sichuanese eatery is always packed. The picture menu makes ordering dishes very simple, but if you're stuck, order gongbao jiding (aka authentic kung pao chicken), a slightly spicy dish of chicken stir-fried with peanuts.
This lively canteen opens at the crack of dawn and has some of the most fragrant, toothsome beef noodles in Lanzhou, among other excellent dishes. The downstairs is set up like a cafeteria, where you can take what you want and grab a seat, while the upstairs is a dining room with air-conditioning and table service.
Xinhai is surprisingly affordable and offers Cantonese and Sichuan dishes in addition to Lanzhou specialties such as braised beef and hand-pulled noodles. There's a picture menu in Chinese only and one without pictures in English.
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