Mingwa Alley ( 明瓦巷 )

Mingwa Alley is one of the best little streets to find an assortment of xiaochi (snack, 小吃) vendors in Nanjing.  There are so many xiaochi here that an adventurous person could make an entire meal out of a wide variety of little snacks.  There are a few Muslim noodle joints, several meat kebab (rou chuan, 肉串) vendors, and at least 4 places that sell roujiamo (肉夹馍). 

 

Side view of a Roujiamo

 

The Xinjiang meat on a stick vendor is one of the most popular in Nanjing, and there is also a stand on Hubei Road next to Hunan Road.

 

While there are a few good places to purchase roujiamo, the original and arguably most delicious roujiamo is served at the stall with the big red sign. This place is run by a woman from Xi’An (西安), the original home of roujiamo.  A standard roujiamo is diced pork, herbs, and hot sauce stuffed into fresh bread that has been baked in a barrel-like oven.

 

One of the best roujiamo vendors.  This one has been around for a long time.

 

Tip: Be forewarned that there is no guarantee that the snacks available at Mingwa Alley are sanitary.  Use your own judgment.  Watch how the food is handled and prepared as well as how the vendors handle their money.

 

How to Get There:  Mingwa Alley is located behind the Bank of China (中国银行) next to Zhongshan Nan Road (中山南路) in Xinjiekou (新街口).  It also runs perpendicular to Shigu Lu (石鼓路).  The alley is only about one block long.  Finding the alley is quite convenient as it is very close to the Xinjiekou Subway Station.