| OUR SHAANXI RESTAURANT RECOMMENDATIONS |
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Huang He Shaanxi Mian Ming Xiao Chi
Yellow River Shaanxi Noodles and Snacks
(No English, our translation)
 东城区美术馆东街甲24-5号Dong cheng qu Mei shu guan Dong jie, Jia 24-5 hao 24-5A Fine Arts Museum East Street Dongcheng district Tel: 010-6404 4526 $: Cheap. Noodle dishes mostly RMB 10-12; side dishes RMB 6-8; beer RMB 5.
Directions: Meishuguan Dongjie runs along the east side of the Fine Arts Museum. If you are facing the main entrance of the museum, walk to your right/east and turn left/north up the first street. The restaurant is on the east side of the street, about 50 meters up from the corner; look for the sign with the big yellow characters half hidden behind a busy bus stop.
What we think
The queue at the register, no English on the menu board, surly service and crowded self-service seating may seem like insurmountable barriers to eating here. But there is a reason for the line out the door--Yellow River turns out fast, cheap and tasty Shaanxi noodles and snacks.  
Most people stop in to slurp down a quick bowl of noodles. A classic dry noodle dish is the油泼扯面 (yiu po che mian). These wide-as-your-thumb, flat, chewy, hand pulled noodles are first topped with vegetables (usually bok choi and bean sprouts) and then generously dressed with garlic, fried chili flakes and a spicy red chili oil. Mix in a healthy dose of Shaanxi vinegar to taste, and dig in. 腊肉拌面 (la rou ban mian) is a close cousin, the same dish but with chunks of stewed pulled pork thrown on top. For delicious soup noodles, try the 臊子扯面 (sao zi che mian) a traditional dish of long hand pulled noodles, thick or thin (choose when you order—the thick ones are the same as in the yiu po che mian; the thin noodles are about phad thai width and also flat). The noodles are served in a fragrant, sour and spicy soup, with lots of small bits of vegetables (and sometimes topped with small meat bits).
Noodles at Yellow River come in vat sized bowls and are plenty to fill up your belly. But the sides are a good option if you want a little meat snack (try the classic pork sandwich, or 肉扎某 – rou zha mo) or a cold dish to help the spicy noodles go down. What to do when you get there: line up in the queue at the register (often going out the door), order (they are impatient so be ready), pay and take your number to an open seat; if you are more than one, send one person to claim seats while you order. Recommended dishes 
油泼扯面 - you po che mian: Wide noodles topped with bok choi and mung bean sprouts, dressed with chili oil, garlic and fried chili flakes; you can tell them to hold the extra topping of dried chili (RMB 10)
腊肉拌面 - la rou ban mian: you po che mian, served with chunks of stewed pulled pork on top (RMB 16)
臊子扯面 – sao zi che mian: spicy sour noodle soup with small cubed vegetables; your choice of thick or thin pulled noodles (RMB 10)
菠菜办粉条 – bo cai ban fen tiao: salad of boiled spinach and vermicelli noodles (RMB 6)
肉扎某 – rou zha mo: typical Shaanxi sandwich of dense baked biscuit stuffed with chopped fatty pork; hot green chilies optional (RMB 6)
鸡翅串儿– ji ci chuanr: chicken wings on a stick, spiced with cumin and red pepper; two per order (RMB 4) 皮蛋豆腐 – pi dan dou fu: silken tofu has great cooling qualities; this tofu is paired with thousand year egg, topped with minced scallions and chopped peanuts (RMB 8); if the preserved egg puts you off, try the 小葱豆腐 (xiao cong dou fu), the same dish minus the egg.
朝阳门南小街69号
This is one of our favorite places in Beijing.
Start with a few typical braised/pulled pork sandwiches in a hearty Shaanxi biscuit (腊肉夹/la rou jia mo). A delicious (spicy and tart, wide and chewy) hand-pulled dry noodle dish is 油泼扯面or yiu po che mian, seasoned with healthy  油泼扯面 yiu po che mian: wide and chewy hand pulled noodles with chili oil and vinegar
酸辣饺子汤 suan la jiao zi tang: dumplings in a sour and spicy soup
姜汁豆 jiang zhi dou: gingered green beans (cold dish, nice balance to all the spicy stuff)
黄瓜面筋 huang gua mian jin: a light and tart spongy gluten salad with crisp cucumbers and crunchy wood ear mushrooms
植物四宝 zhi wu si bao: peanuts, veggies and soy beans (cold dish, great balance and nice textures)
黄烟鸡 huang yan ji: special roast chicken (another great bird—slightly smoked and salty with crispy skin.
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秦唐府- Qin Tang Fu