The centre of the city lies around the central mosque and boasts food markets and bars that serve cold beers. Food in Dunhuang is mostly the noodle-heavy carb feast with some additions from Xinjiang. One of the local favourites is a bowl dressed in a plastic bag with cold noodles. Add shaved cucumber, chilli, and garlic, and you got yourself a perfect quick meal when the summer heat fails to raise the appetite. Another lady working a stall in the market swore that all the locals drink the sweetened apricot rind tea in the summer since it helps to cope with the dry heat.
My winner in the food section was Xinjiang shouzhuafan (羊肉抓饭; Uyghur lamb pilaf). I accidentally found it in the Shazhou food market, where a family from Xinjiang was cooking it up on the stall and instantly fell in love. Glossy rice with generous pieces of lamb and melt-in-your-mouth carrot bits are the perfect cherry on top for a real Silk Road expedition. Especially if you can picture the spices coming on the backs of a camel caravan, just to go deeper into the story.
After filling up on rice and noodles, head to the nearest bar around Shazhou market, where they serve decent cold craft beers to wash it down. The main party is at the Motorbike Club, a bar just by the river, which may be short of motorbikes but certainly has enough quality cocktails to offer.
Dunhuang is the perfect ground for efficient exploring—you spend your days soaking in the history and stories of the Silk Road, and evenings trying out the foods in the street market and testing out the cocktails. From what I’ve heard, frozen pear is a local ingredient loved by mixologists in the modern oasis town, so remember to ask for it!