When it comes to doujiang youtiao, the food itself—a steaming bowl of fresh soy milk and a crispy-on-the-outside-fluffy-on-the-inside stick of fried dough (wrapped in an optional flaky flatbread, if you want extra comfort in your comfort food)—is of course the main attraction, but the ambience is just as much a part of the experience.

To wit: no doujiang youtiao breakfast is truly complete without you almost wiping out as you slide your way back to your table over tiles slicked with decades of fryer oil while a group of a-ma argue politics in a corner.