Article By Brian Cotter
#66 Cien Road, Qujiang New District.
曲江新区慈恩路66号
(029) 6568 6568-7656
11:30am – 2:00pm
5:30pm – 9:30pm
Average Price per Person /人均消费: 180RMB
PROS: Good service, good atmosphere, great food
CONS: Tough to get to the restaurant at rush hour
There’s certainly no shortage of Shaanxi food in this town—you can’t throw a stone and not hit a place serving up regional delicacies around here. The local food is certainly delectable, but if food safety is on your mind or you’re sick of hole-in-the-wall places, your options will become severely limited. Consider, then, a trip to The Westin Xian for a meal at their Chinese restaurant, Five Zen5es.
Historically, Five Zen5es was a Cantonese restaurant, but they’ve recently overhauled the entire menu, moving away from the dishes of the southeast and, instead, serving up delicious Shaanxi cuisine. The idea was to take their commitment to quality and focus it on local food, using local specialty ingredients and serving it up in a very attractive environment (which is rare in these parts).
You’ll recognize a lot of familiar dishes, and are likely to discover some new ones. We started with Lao Wa Sa, a sour-and-salty soup made with beef, tomatoes, dough balls and green vegetables. As this was a Chinese meal, the main course was comprised of several dishes, and the spread was mind-boggling. Spicy-sweet Yellow River carp shared the table with sautéed Yulin tofu and the always-good Hu Lu chicken, the classic deep-fried whole chicken with crispy skin and tender, juicy meat.
If you’re not a huge fan of Shaanxi cuisine, there are still some Cantonese options on the menu, but you should give these dishes another look. The food at Five Zen5es was among the best of its kind I’d tried, and with the commitment to fresh, locally-sourced ingredients, the prices aren’t too bad as well. You might balk at 16RMB liangpi, but that’s a paltry price to pay for five-star quality and service.
So, if you’re looking to dine on some regional specialties, you couldn’t do much better than enjoying them in their highest-quality form, in a modern, relaxing environment, with service you don’t have to shout for. Five Zen5es has you covered.
Brian Cotter is Batman. He can be reached at reviews@xianease.com