Recently, Tianshui spicy hot pot from Gansu province has sparked a craze on various social media, frequently topping the hot search lists and attracting numerous tourists and food bloggers to Tianshui, Gansu. To reciprocate the enthusiasm of visitors, the local government has even launched two special bus lines, carrying banners and holding signs to welcome tourists to Tianshui for the hot pot.
However, apart from Tianshui spicy hot pot, the low-profile yet bountiful Gansu also conceals many other mouth-watering delicacies. In Beijing, a bustling metropolis, there are also quite a few time-honored Gansu cuisine restaurants, quietly propagating the food culture of Gansu and bringing authentic Gansu flavors to the residents.
Feitian Shifu (Feitian Building Branch)
Address: 3F, Feitian Building, No.5 Guangqumen Wai South Street, Donghuashi Street, Dongcheng District
Business Hours: 11:00 am-2:00 pm, 5:00 pm-9:00 pm
Feitian Shifu is the restaurant of the Beijing Office of Gansu Provincial People’s Government and is considered one of the best Lanzhou noodle restaurants in Beijing. Upon entering this restaurant, you will be greeted with large chunks of meat and authentic Gansu cuisine that will satisfy your taste buds. Currently, Feitian Shifu has introduced Tianshui spicy hot pot. Xiao Yang, a native person from Lanzhou, after trying it, highly recommends the potatoes and wide noodles! The hand-grabbed mutton is a classic Lanzhou cuisine. Additionally, the hand-pulled noodles and Niang Pi Zi are also must-tries. They definitely worth a try.
Dunhuang Shifu (Fuchengmen Branch)
Address: 2F, Building 1, No. 27 Fuwai Street, Xicheng District
Business Hours: 11:30 am-2:00 pm; 5:30 pm-9:00 pm
Dunhuang Shifu is the restaurant of the Beijing Office of Jiuquan Municipal People’s Government of Gansu. Their authentic and genuine Northwestern cuisine has won the heartfelt recommendations of many Gansu natives working in Beijing. When visiting Dunhuang Shifu, how could one miss the classic Lanzhou beef noodles? Every bite is infused with the authentic Northwestern flavor. The freshly hand-pulled noodles are boiled in a rich broth, steaming hot. Slurping them down is incredibly satisfying. For those main dishes, options like boiled yak meat and grilled mutton skewers are available, making meat and carbohydrates the stars here!
Lanzhou Hotel Restaurant (Beijing Office Lanzhou Municipal People’s Government of Gansu)
Address: Building 5, Jinhui Jiayuan, No. 58 Xizhimen Beidajie Street, Haidian District, Beijing
Business Hours: 11:00 am-2:00 pm; 5:00 pm-9:00 pm
This restaurant is located on the first floor of the Lanzhou Hotel. As you enter, you can see the chefs busy making noodles. The Lanzhou Hotel Restaurant has open for nearly 20 years and has become the top choice for many Lanzhou natives visiting Beijing on business trips, not only for its authentic cuisine but also for comforting the nostalgia. The Lanzhou wide potato starch noodles are also a specialty here. Unlike other noodles commonly used in hot pot, the Lanzhou wide potato starch noodles turn translucent white when cooked and have a smooth, slippery texture without the same chewiness as hot pot noodles. The salty and spicy broth is rich in flavor, and a few bites will make you sweat from the satisfying spiciness. After the meal, try a bowl of Hui Dou Zi made from dark-colored peas and cooked with red dates and other ingredients to form a porridge-like dish. It taste similar to red bean paste but with a hint of saltiness, making it truly delectable.
