Photo by Natalia Gusakova on Unsplash
🍲 Xi'an · Yangrou Paomo (Mutton Soup)
Lao Sun Jia Restaurant老孙家饭庄
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ · ¥30–60/person
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ · ¥30–60/person
Lao Sun Jia has been serving yangrou paomo since 1898 and is the most famous restaurant in Xi'an for this extraordinary dish — mutton broth with hand-torn unleavened bread that you shred yourself at the table. The ritual of tearing the bread (mo) into tiny rice-sized pieces takes 20–30 minutes and is as much the experience as eating the final soup.
['Tear the bread as small as possible — locals make pieces the size of rice grains', 'The waiter will judge you if your pieces are too big — this is not a joke', 'The soup is mild, not spicy — the flavor comes from the long-simmered mutton broth', "The restaurant opens early — breakfast paomo is a Xi'an tradition"]
The bread-tearing ritual is one of the most fascinating food preparation videos from Xi'an — featured by multiple food travel creators
Address (English): 364 Dong Dajie, Beilin District, Xi'an
Address (Chinese — show to driver): 碑林区东大街364号
Take Didi (China's Uber equivalent) and show the Chinese address above. Or use the metro — all major Xi'an attractions and restaurant districts are well-connected.
Most restaurants in Xi'an accept Alipay and WeChat Pay. Both apps now accept international credit cards — set up Alipay before arriving in China. Some traditional restaurants prefer cash.
Citizens of 54+ countries can visit China for up to 240 hours (10 days) without a visa. This restaurant is fully accessible during a visa-free transit stay in Xi'an.
Read the Full Visa-Free Guide →Biangbiang Noodles
Xi'an Dumpling Banquet
Xi'an Street Food