Sunzi Kaorou (Gaolan Road)

Sunzi Kaorou on Gaolan Road in Lanzhou's Chengguan District is a late-opening barbecue restaurant in Gansu province, serving skewers and grilled dishes to an evening and late-night crowd. Kaorou, or grilled meat, is a staple of northwestern Chinese dining, with lamb skewers seasoned in cumin and chilli being the emblematic form. The signature dishes at Sunzi are lamb skewers and grilled flatbread, a simple pairing in which the bread is used to wrap or accompany the meat. The restaurant opens in the late afternoon, from about 17:00, and stays open until 01:00, making it one of the later options in the central district for a meal after other kitchens have closed. The dining room is casual and unpretentious, with a smoky aroma from the grill, plain tables and a noisy, social atmosphere that is typical of barbecue restaurants in China. Beer and soft drinks are the usual drinks. Prices are moderate, with a meal generally costing about 60 to 110 yuan per person, roughly 8 to 15 US dollars, depending on how many skewers are ordered. The rating is about 4.0, suggesting a dependable neighbourhood option rather than a destination restaurant. Walk-in service is the norm and reservations are not taken. Skewers are typically ordered in quantity and arrive in batches from the grill, so groups can add more as the meal goes on. Gaolan Road is a central thoroughfare, and the restaurant is easy to reach from many of the city's main areas. Visitors looking for a casual late dinner, or a snack after an evening walk along the Yellow River, may find it a practical option, particularly when other restaurants have closed.