Not every meal Dad & Elaine eat in China has a story behind it.
Sometimes we’re simply hungry. 😂
We were exploring the area around Xi’an’s Giant Wild Goose Pagoda (大雁塔, Dàyàn Tǎ) when lunchtime arrived.
Instead of searching for a famous Xi’an restaurant, we stopped here.

It was the kind of casual place travelers pass every day without thinking much about it.
And this was lunch.

Rice.
Cucumber and tofu strips.
A braised meat-and-potato dish.
And an egg.
Nothing elaborate. Nothing Dad would put on a “must-eat Xi’an foods” list.
But this is also part of traveling China.
Between the Terracotta Warriors, pagodas, museums and famous noodles are hundreds of completely ordinary meals like this — inexpensive, quick and designed for people who simply need lunch before getting on with their day.
And sometimes that’s exactly what Dad & Elaine need too. 😂
We originally ate this while exploring the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda area. You can continue that day with us here.
