A long-running specialist on Yangguan East Road, often pointed at as the best place in town to try Dunhuang's signature dish — lvrou huangmian, hand-pulled yellow noodles topped with stewed donkey, mushrooms and bamboo shoots in a glossy black-bean sauce. The noodles are stretched to order and have a particular springy bite that comes from the alkaline water used in the dough.
The donkey is rich and dark but milder than beef. Order a side of pickled-cabbage soup to cut it and a flatbread to mop up. Prices are low — a substantial meal for two for under 80 RMB — and the place is unpretentious to a fault: bright lights, a TV in the corner, a noticeboard of certificates from Gansu food competitions.