Sānjiěmèi Jiǎozi

Xi'an


Weary diners with dumpling fatigue will be inspired by the rustic two-room Three Sisters, with its well-done twist on classics. Try succulent carrot-and-lamb dumplings blanketed in crisp peanuts and fried chives. Or for vegetarians, sample the winning texture of dry and marinated tofu (yes, two types) with the zing of crunchy coriander and a lashing of chilli.

There's a whole range of other dishes too, including the tangy, sour, cabbage fish soup (酸菜鱼; sāncàiyú) and the extremely spicy black-pepper beef (黑胡椒牛柳; hēihújiāo niúliu), which will put hairs on your chest. Look for the words 'Restaurant of China' on the outside.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Xi'an attractions

1. Bell Tower

0.25 MILES

Occupying a central place at the frantic bulls-eye intersection of Xi Dajie, Dong Dajie, Bei Dajie and Nan Dajie, the domineering form of the Bell Tower…

2. Forest of Stelae Museum

0.35 MILES

Housed in Xi'an’s Confucius Temple, this museum holds more than 1000 stone stelae (inscribed tablets), including the nine Confucian classics and some…

3. Drum Tower

0.46 MILES

While the Bell Tower originally held a bell that was rung at dawn, the Drum Tower, standing at the foot of the smoky and uproarious street of Beiyuanmen,…

4. Folk House

0.53 MILES

This well-rounded historic residence also serves as an art gallery, entertainment centre and teahouse. Originally the home of the Qing bureaucrat Gao…

5. Great Mosque

0.54 MILES

Bigger than many temples in China, the Great Mosque is a gorgeous blend of Chinese and Islamic architecture and one of the most fascinating sacred sites…

6. Muslim Quarter

0.82 MILES

The backstreets leading north from the Drum Tower have been home to the city’s Hui community (non-Uyghur Chinese Muslims) for centuries, perhaps as far…

7. Little Goose Pagoda

1.19 MILES

Standing in the pleasant grounds of Jianfu Temple, Little Goose Pagoda had its top shaken off by an earthquake in the middle of the 16th century, but the…

8. Xi'an Museum

1.4 MILES

Housed in the pleasant grounds of the Jianfu Temple is this museum featuring relics unearthed in Xi'an over the years. There are some exquisite ceramics…