Nanlaishun was first opened in 1937. The original restaurant was located in the Gongping Market, Tianqiao. The boss, Shi Kunsheng, whose nickname was ‘quick-fired tripe Shi’, had but a dozen or so employees. He made a roaring business selling a limited variety of quick-fired, roasted, or instant-boiled Muslim dishes with a distinct flavor.

In 1956, when the whole trade was converted into joint state-private enterprises, all the well-known snack stall owners were merged into the Tongfuhe Tea and Cookie Shop. In 1961, it was merged with Nanlaishun Snack Shop to form the Nanlaishun Restaurant. Since then, the restaurant has been a showcase of the skills of the best Muslim food chefs and snack chefs in the city, and a constant source of delight for its distinct Beijing style.

The restaurant offers the following famous snacks:

Merry laughter, honeyed fried dough twist, sweet bee cake, sliced cake, salty short cake, sesame-seed baked flat cake, twist, big/small fried dough twist, roast spareribs and ginger shreds, doughnut, thin and crisp, jellied beancurd, almond tea, bean porridge, steamed cake made of corn flour, mashed pea cake, almond and beancurd, bean jelly, lotus leaf porridge, a variety of rice cakes, mutton instant-boiled in hotpot, quick-fried tripe, white soup and chopsuey, stir-fried dough balls, spicy beancurd, quick-fried paste, and roll.