Yin Xiang Ge, Qinxian North Street Branch (印象阁 亲贤北街店)

Yin Xiang Ge, Qinxian North Street Branch, is a hugely popular Shanxi restaurant at 10 Qinxian North Street in Xiaodian District, Taiyuan, opposite the Wangfujing Department Store. With a rating of 4.7 among local diners, it is among the better-regarded casual restaurants in the Shanxi capital and is known for dishes that give a snapshot of the province's home-style and snack traditions. Prices are in the budget bracket, and the busy room is often filled with local families and groups.

The standout order is instant-boiled beef tripe served with sesame paste, a shabu-style preparation in which thin strips of tripe are dipped briefly in hot broth and then in a rich sesame dip. Steamed sophora flowers, made from the blossoms of the pagoda tree that grow across northern China, are a seasonal Shanxi speciality served lightly seasoned. A yang guaiwan lamb platter completes the signature dishes and reflects the province's long tradition of lamb cooking.

The dining room is lively and fast-moving, with a local crowd, shared tables of friends and relatives, and noise that rises at meal times. There is no formal dress code. Beverages are the standard tea, soft drinks and beer.

The restaurant is open 11:00 to 15:00 and 17:00 to 22:00. It does not take reservations for small groups, and long queues form at meal times, so visitors often take a queue number and wait. Arriving shortly after opening or in the mid-afternoon gap reduces the wait. The location near the Wangfujing Department Store in the south of the city makes it practical to combine with a shopping trip along Qinxian Street.