A large part of the Malaysian Chinese diaspora traces their ancestry to the southern provinces of China, such as Guangdong and Fujian. As such, it’s easy to find Cantonese, Hokkien, Hakka, and Teochew dishes here – think perennial favourites like dimsum, Hainanese chicken rice, and bak kut teh, with localised creations like chili pan mee and char kuey teow boasting Malay and Indian influences as well.

Northwestern Chinese cuisine however, is not so common – although more restaurants have opened in recent years, usually run by first generation Chinese immigrants. One such place is Xi’an Gourmet Food in Bandar Puteri Puchong.

Being part of the ancient Silk Road which saw myriad travelers from regions as far as the Middle East and Europe, Xi’an cuisine is a unique amalgamation of different cultural influences. The city has a large Hui Muslim population, who consume a meat heavy diet of lamb and beef, which is less common in other styles of Chinese cooking. There are also many wheat-based and rice-based dishes that are heavy in chilli oil and spices like cumin.

Xi’an Gourmet Food offers a variety of staples, such as biang biang mian (hand pulled noodles in a rich chilli oil), liang pi (cold skin noodles), and of course, jiaozi (dumplings). They also have a couple of non-Xian items on the menu, such as Fuzhou fishball soup noodles and mixian noodles, which are a Yunnanese specialty.

I’m not a big fan of chilli oil (unfortunately for my friend C who is always trying to drag me to a mala hotpot place), but I found these sliced pig’s ears in sauce (RM9) to be surprisingly addictive.

The chili oil mix left a slight burning sensation on the tongue, but it wasn’t a burn-your-lips-give-me-milk level of spiciness. The cartilage in the ears was crunchy, while the skin and fat was chewy and soft, providing a delightful contrast of textures. The portion was also humongous – we had trouble finishing it between us, even though N had a bowl of rice to go with it – so either these were huge ass pigs with big ears, or they served us like two pairs of ears or something lol.

We had to get the jiaozi (dumplings). Although the menu has headings in English, most of the finer details are in Chinese so I could not read the specific type of dumplings they had. I also had trouble communicating with the staff as the Burmese waiter couldn’t speak English, Malay, or Mandarin (????) and the manager could only speak Mandarin. We ended up ordering the mushroom dumplings because the only thing I understood was ‘mo gu’ lol.

The dumplings here (RM9.50 – 8 pieces) have a unique shape and resemble wrinkled coin purses. They also come with vinegar and ginger for dipping. These were cooked nicely. The skin was not too thick, enveloping a generous filling of juicy pork and mushrooms.

Last but not least, my favourite: the rou jia mo Chinese hamburger (RM9). A specialty in Xian, it consists of a baked flatbread with a crisp exterior and fluffy insides, with seasoned and shredded pork belly sandwiched in between. The Hui Muslims also have a beef/lamb version. Fun fact: apparently this dish is considered one of the oldest versions of a hamburger, with a history dating back 2,000 years!

Xian Gourmet Food’s iteration is served warm and toasty, wrapped in paper for easy eating. The meat is well seasoned and full of flavour. It’s just an extremely comforting dish. It’s apparently paired with liang pi (cold noodles), but it was enough to fill me up as a meal on its own.

Prices here are quite affordable, given the portions. Hit this place up if you’re keen to try a different kind of Chinese cuisine!

XIAN GOURMET FOOD

58, Jalan Puteri 2/4, Bandar Puteri, 47100 Puchong, Selangor

Opening hours: 10.30AM – 9.30PM (Tues-Thurs), 10.30AM – 10PM (Fri-Sat). Closed Mondays.

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