Written by Adrian Yeo & Monica Lu
Over the past few years in Xi’an, there has been a plethora of western-style restaurants, with many new entrants bursting onto the scene and bringing Xi’an’s Western culinary experience to even greater heights. Both my wife and I are food-aficionado wannabes, and when we are dining out together we try our very best to satisfy our taste-buds and creature comforts through a great dining experience.
We chose to dine at Papa Park’s Big Wild Goose Pagoda (Dayanta) location at the trendy Century Ginwa Shopping Center. Papa Park is a well established western food chain with seven restaurants conveniently located throughout Xi’an, and while we have previously dined at Papa Park’s other locations, this was our first time visiting their inaugural restaurant.
When we arrived we were greeted at the entrance by Lulu, the head waitress, who pleasantly surprised us with her fluent English. We were given the option of being seated outside, but, as it was a hot and sunny afternoon, we chose to be seated in the cool air-conditioned environment inside. Lulu brought us to our table and provided us with exceptional service throughout our meal.
The restaurant’s decor was tastefully furnished and modern. We especially liked the cozy ambiance and the comfortable sofas. We also greatly appreciated that the restaurant takes great pride in using fine cutlery and also provided lovely designed and colorful napkins.
Their menu, which is written in both English and Chinese, made our ordering a breeze. We had heard from friends who had dined here that this Papa Park had a more extensive menu than the others. We came in with great expectations and, thankfully, we were not disappointed.
Our first dish, which was the highlight of our meal, was the Arrabbiata Pizza, which arrived within 10 minutes and was wonderful. Its thin crust was crispy, the portion was generous and it tasted amazing; it’s perhaps the best pizza we have ever tasted in Xi’an.
For our main course, we ordered their cod filet and salmon, which were served with side dishes of potato wedges and fine garden vegetables. The portion size was generous, and our fish was pan fried to perfection. It was truly sumptuous!
My wife always has a craving for something sweet, so for dessert we ordered one each of their cheesecake and walnut cake, and they were simply amazing.
In a nutshell, eating at Papa Park was not just a meal, it was a truly wonderful dining experience and we are eagerly looking forward to our next experience.
Pro: Authentic western food and a great dining experience at affordable prices
Con: Can be busy during peak hours and on weekends, so be prepared to come earlier
Recommendation: Their crispy, thin-crusted oven baked pizzas are mouthwatering and come with very generous toppings
Address:C1-6, 1F, trendy Century Ginwa Shopping Center, No.69, Ci En Road, Yanta District.
( 雁塔区慈恩路69号世纪金花曲江购物中心1楼C1-6号铺 )
Tel:029-8913 9178 029-8913 9179
Business Hours:11:00am-11:00pm