For food lovers, Xi'an is all about lunch

Everyone I know loves to visit Xi'an. The Terracotta Warriors are a must-see whether you are Chinese or a foreigner, and attractions like the Big Goose Pagoda and the still-intact city walls are a treat to explore by foot or bicycle.

But the thought of going to Xi'an makes me smile for a different reason: It makes me hungry. For me, no trip to the fabled gateway to the old Silk Road would be complete - or worthwhile - unless I could spend at least half a day roaming the Muslim quarter. The warren-like streets between the drum tower and the city's Great Mosque have been home to the Hui community for centuries.

This is a street-food paradise, where rouchuan (kebabs) are ubi-quitous, cheap and delicious. The vendors are mostly too busy and too reserved to be shouting at passers-by - this is not your big-city Silk Market - but they'd have plenty to shout about if they were so inclined. The lady on my left has gorgeous dried fruits, including beautiful doughnut-shaped persimmons lined up in rows - the sort that caravan drivers heading for Kashgar snacked on centuries ago.