Xi'an Cuisine
NapervilleFood Editor
Local team review
The lamb burger — rou jia mo, technically — was Xi'an street food at its most elemental: a split flatbread stuffed with braised, spiced lamb so tender it practically melted. At under ten dollars, it might be the best value meal in Naperville. The cold skin noodles (liang pi) with sesame paste and cucumber were refreshing, chewy, and addictive in a way I didn't expect from a cold dish. The space is humble and the menu is unapologetically regional, which is exactly why it feels like a portal to somewhere thousands of miles away.
About the Restaurant
Xi'an Cuisine brings the bold, cumin-forward flavors of northwestern China's Shaanxi province to a Route 59 storefront, and for fans of regional Chinese cooking, it's a revelation. The hand-pulled biang biang noodles: wide, chewy, and dressed in a fiery chili oil, are the centerpiece, and the cumin lamb is aromatic and deeply savory. This is Muslim Chinese cuisine (halal and pork-free), which means the focus shifts to lamb, beef, and the flatbreads and noodles that define the Xi'an street food tradition. It's nothing like American-Chinese food, and that's entirely the point.
Insider Tip
The biang biang noodles with spicy cumin lamb topping are the must-order, watch the noodle-pulling through the kitchen window.
Photos
Hours
Details
376 Illinois Rte 59, Ste 128, Route 59 Corridor
Open in Maps → (opens in new tab)
