Originally Posted by
RCyyz
I enjoyed that trip report. Thanks! I did pretty much the same tour a few years back. I'd love to go back to Xian some time and just hang out in the downtown (drum tower / bell tower area). It was nice there!
That's actually not downtown Xi'an. Xi'an has a downtown that's just like most other mid-sized Chinese cities, with lots of stores and shops, including department stores and the like. We were in Xi'an for 11 days and absolutely loved it. There are lots of interesting neighborhoods through which to walk, and an eclectic mix of Chinese cultures and traditions.
As for restaurants, I believe there's a McDonald's in the mall across from the drum tower ...
Your memory is correct. The state-owned Muslim restaurant (whose name I can't recall) is in the row of stores diagonally across from the McDonald's.