China - Xinjiang Restaurants/Uighur Neighborhood in Beijing

Hi everyone (Big Family Good),

I'll be in Beijing for the next couple of days, or a couple more, and am interested in visiting (should it exist, outside of NiuJie and the Xinjiang Autonomous Government Building block) the de facto Uighur section, mainly to eat, but also to eat. Adding on to that, where are the giant Xinjiang restaurants with toothpicks stuck in the ceiling? Vague memories of a good meal six years ago...

Xie xie,
TBS

Hi everyone (Big Family Good),

I'll be in Beijing for the next couple of days, or a couple more, and am interested in visiting (should it exist, outside of NiuJie and the Xinjiang Autonomous Government Building block) the de facto Uighur section, mainly to eat, but also to eat. Adding on to that, where are the giant Xinjiang restaurants with toothpicks stuck in the ceiling? Vague memories of a good meal six years ago...

Xie xie,
TBS

"Uighurville" was replaced with hotels, apartments, and office buildings 15 years ago. As such, I don't know of any Uighur neighborhoods, but there is still decent (well, better than Shanghai) 串 on offer throughout the city. And, the Xinjiang restaurant on Houhai is pretty good. Having been to Xinjiang myself, I'm unable to provide a glowing review, but people here seem to like it.

As such, I don't know of any Uighur neighborhoods, but there is still decent (well, better than Shanghai) 串 on offer throughout the city.

I have a close Xinjiang born Han Chinese friend who has introduced me and other friends to very decent Xinjiang style restaurants both in Puxi and Pudong. Try to put names and address information up if and when get those.

I have a close Xinjiang born Han Chinese friend who has introduced me and other friends to very decent Xinjiang style restaurants both in Puxi and Pudong. Try to put names and address information up if and when get those.

There are two in my neighborhood down there:

-one is on Changping Road just east of Changde Road
*it is a hole in the wall place that probably uses recycled oil, but I happen to like its lamb/onion dish
-the other one is on Xikang Road near Wuding Road
*it is "upscale" in comparison to the aforementioned establishment, but is certainly not a bank breaker

Getting back to the OT (Beijing), the Houhai joint I mentioned upthread honestly is pretty solid in comparison with anything I've experienced in Shanghai; it just doesn't hold a candle to the real deal (Kashgar, Kuche, Turpan, etc).

I think someone talked about the gov't complex previously and think this is a great call. I try to get to it whenever I am in Beijing. It's on #7 Sanlihe Lu, near the Zoo/Xizhimen (Xinjiag Hotel), so may be a trek but well worth it.

Walk through the hotel (ignore the restaurant in the hotel itself) and you'll find yourself in a large complex with a number of different restaurants. I usually go to the biggest one. It's on the right side but I don't know its name. It's the biggest one and where most people go. Well worth it. I think the rumor is/was that they fly in the lamb from Urumqi every morning... I can't validate it but it sure is tasty!

Thanks for your replies, everyone.

Actually, a recent haul to Urumqi reminded me to ask fellow FTers about one particular Xinjiang restaurant in Beijing (of course, I don't know the name) where I recall seeing hundreds of toothpicks stuck in the ceiling. That was where I was first introduced to the cuisine, mind you it was about six years ago now. If anyone can think of where this particular establishment is (I vaguely recall being herded into it from within a parking lot, surrounded on all sides by low-rise buildings--useful, I know), please let me know.

As an aside, if there's one thing I missed from the beifang while living in Shenzhen, it was the lettuce, radish, capsicum, and peanut salads.

One of the recommended Shanghai places by my friend ZT is Yershari Xinjiang restaurant at 918 Dongfang Rd. in Pudong. Have been there once and it was a very enjoyable experience complete with belly dancing.

http://vip.enjoyshanghai.com/dining/chinese/yershari-xinjiang-food_13560.htm

Thanks for your replies, everyone.

Actually, a recent haul to Urumqi reminded me to ask fellow FTers about one particular Xinjiang restaurant in Beijing (of course, I don't know the name) where I recall seeing hundreds of toothpicks stuck in the ceiling. That was where I was first introduced to the cuisine, mind you it was about six years ago now. If anyone can think of where this particular establishment is (I vaguely recall being herded into it from within a parking lot, surrounded on all sides by low-rise buildings--useful, I know), please let me know.


I'm wondering if you are talking about Afunti? Which would dovetail in with "being herded into it from a parking lot." At least several years ago. If there was some sort of dancing/entertainment show after the dinner, that was probably it. This is generally the Uighur restaurant visitors would get taken to or directed to...there are others in Beijing that are harder to find, or more neighborhood-known.

If you can find a place called Crescent Moon (it's in a hutong area), that has the reputation of being good and authentic.

Possibly an update; the aforementioned toothpick-in-the-ceiling Xinjiang restaurant was in an area called Dongsi. Does that help narrow down the search a scoche? Particularly if there is just one Xinjiang place where you enter from a carpark within a low-rise apartment complex.

Thanks,
TBS

I was looking through a mate's Beijing photos from August 2006, and might have found the block (rather, 花园) the restaurant with the "toothpicks" is located in:

On the top of the restaurant building in red lettering is "烏魯木齊" (Urumqi). The awning/sign at the restaurant entrance says "新疆名优." This could be a common slogan, or more importantly, should I have used past tense instead?