Qing Zhen Song Shu Jia Beef Noodles (Zhengning Road)

Qing Zhen Song Shu Jia Beef Noodles is a halal beef noodle house at 855-1 Gannan Road, beside Zhengning Road Primary School in Lanzhou's Chengguan District, close to the Zhengning Road night market area. Its character differs from the many morning-only noodle shops in the city because it stays open late, usually until about 22:00 to 23:00, making it a useful option for evening meals and post-market snacks. The cuisine is Lanzhou beef noodles prepared in the Hui Muslim tradition of Gansu province: clear beef broth, hand-pulled noodles, braised beef, radish, coriander and chilli oil. The restaurant is known for its beef shank noodles, where tender cuts of shank are served in the broth, and for a self-serve selection of cold side dishes that diners pick from a counter and add to the meal. The dining room is a casual, no-nonsense space of plain tables and quick turnover, and the mood is informal and local, with noise levels moderate to high at peak evening hours. No alcohol programme is associated with the venue given its halal character; tea and soft drinks are the usual drinks. Prices are inexpensive, with a meal typically costing about 15 to 35 yuan, roughly 2 to 5 US dollars. The restaurant carries a high traveller rating of about 4.7. Reservations are not taken and are not needed; diners simply walk in, order, and sit. Because the venue serves late into the night, it avoids the early sell-out problem that affects morning noodle shops, though the broth is at its best earlier in the evening. The location near the Zhengning Road night market makes it easy to combine a bowl of noodles with an evening walk among the food stalls.