Xining's version of hand-pulled noodles is distinct from the Lanzhou beef noodle soup that has become China's most widespread fast food. The Xining version is thicker, the broth cleaner, the portion larger, and the price is typically 10 to 15 yuan a bowl. Every halal restaurant in the Muslim quarter serves it, with the quality varying but the better places identifiable by the line of waiting customers.
The most popular establishments are the small noodle shops along the lanes parallel to Dongguan Street, particularly the section east of the mosque. Watch the cook pull the dough — stretching, folding, stretching again until the noodles are thin and exactly the same width — before dropping them into boiling water. The dish comes with sliced beef, green onions, and a ladle of the clear, spiced broth. A side of pickled garlic shoots finishes it.