Xibei Oat Noodle Village

The specialty at Xibei is the you mian or oat flour noodles and lamb, meaning every part of the lamb from spine to leg.

Already successful in Beijing and Shenzhen, the chain from Inner Mongolia opened Shanghai branches earlier this year and has already drawn an enthusiastic clientele.

In this village-like interior -- complete with dangling chili peppers and big clay jars of rice wine -- the food tastes homemade. Try the signature you mian wo wo (oat noodle nest), a batch of firm noodles hand-rolled into tubes eaten with flavorful broths.

Tip on ordering: anything here with lamb is good. We're partial to Xibei's spicy lamb spine. The spine bones are long-cooked until the rich marrow flavors the tender meat and hot broth.

We also recommend grindstone tofu -- it's freshly made on the premises and the grinding process gives it a pleasant, slightly granular texture. Cap off the meal with a mug of homemade honey yogurt.