Founded in 2012, Narrow Alley is rarely so lucky, and at the beginning of its birth, the restaurant has been fully recognized by industry associations and local media, attracting local foodies to check in and try it. Today, there are significantly more visitors than locals, and the narrow alley still fulfills its role as a "tourist restaurant" – it is conveniently located next to the bell tower, and the dishes, services, and prices are quite local.
"If you don't eat gourd chicken, you don't go to Xi'an" - affected by tourism promotion, the order rate of gourd chicken in tourist stores is always higher than that of restaurants frequented by locals, and narrow alleys are no exception. Fortunately, the store's gourd chicken perfectly interprets the crispy outside and tender inside the due taste, its system follows the standard scheme of boiling, steaming and oiling, and the selection of products is 2 catties smaller, in the case of ripe meat, the muscle ridge will not be too old. Even so, the best part of the dish is the skin, and like many restaurants, the narrow alley is coated with egg wash on the chicken, which is not sharp compared to the oiled solution of a Western fast food restaurant. Dried chili noodles are distributed in narrow alleys, and their aroma is weak, and they can be dipped with chicken near the bone, which is the weakest part of the taste.
The initial team of chefs in Narrow Alley all have more than 15 years of experience in making meals, which is the greatest guarantee of authentic flavor, but the standard has decreased compared to the past. In addition to gourd chicken, many Shaanxi flavors in the store should be treated with caution. Small crispy meat is the most typical, Shaanxi crispy meat is not stewed over an open fire, but the use of steaming scheme, now the narrow alley of small crispy meat rapeseed oil is more, its characteristic flavor is quite sharp, covering up the aroma of meat - this indirectly affects the alley four unique, small crispy meat is just one of the four side dishes. The phenomenon of excessive oil content also appeared in the old Shaanxi stew, and before 2015, the stewed vegetables produced in Narrow Alley were not as golden as they are now.
Customers don't have much choice, except for the main dishes, there are only about 50 dishes in the narrow alley, and the number of dishes of this magnitude is already on the small side of the restaurant near the bell tower. You might as well keep an eye out for sour and spicy bean sprouts, which have a better reputation than crispy pork, tamales, and spicy lamb's blood. Mixed dough and stewed dough are full of local characteristics, but often overlooked Shaanxi flavor, while dishes with similar preparation methods such as boiled rape tips and boiled wild vegetables have more stable quality control.
The location of the narrow alley is not dominant, the shop is located in the building, and the shop cleverly uses lanterns and pavilions to decorate the aisle, although this is outside the restaurant, but it is the most meaningful part of the narrow alley. The interior of the restaurant is also homely, with red wooden tables, chairs, and screens with a slight Chinese style that are not clean. The gray brick wall seems to be a point, but if there is no corridor of more than 20 meters outside the house, this decoration style is rare in Xi'an.
The lack of good maintenance of the store's facilities and the lack of antiquity throughout the store have led to a fruged hygienic condition. The level of service is also a typical homely feature, and even during peak periods of overcrowding, waiters can turn a blind eye to the needs of customers and take care of themselves. In the process of food delivery and waiter selection, its service attitude is also a little arrogant. If you have expectations for the quality of service, narrow alleys are not a good choice.
If you want to dine, it's best to call in advance, the narrow alley is known for its large queues, and at its peak, both sides of the deep alley were full of diners. However, it is also reasonable, the number of seats in the alley is very limited, and many small shops in Chengdu have created a ranking myth with a similar scheme.
