Jia San Guantang Bao (Beiyuanmen)

Jia San Guantang Bao sits along Beiyuanmen, the main food street of Xi'an's Muslim Quarter, and has built a name specifically around guantang bao -- soup dumplings with an unusually thin, almost translucent skin that holds a pocket of hot broth inside. First-timers are warned to bite carefully: puncture a small corner first and sip the broth before eating the rest, since the dumplings come out of the steamer very hot. The shop serves a beef-and-lamb mixed filling in keeping with the Hui Muslim halal tradition of the surrounding street, alongside a simple cold sesame noodle side for guests who want a lighter accompaniment. Seating is minimal -- a handful of stools and counter space -- with most visitors eating quickly and moving on to the next stall along Beiyuanmen, in keeping with the street's grazing culture. There's no menu beyond a short board of dumpling and side options, and no alcohol service. Lines form quickly in the evening as the street fills with both locals and visitors, so an earlier visit in the late afternoon tends to mean a shorter wait.