Uncle From Xinjiang (北疆大叔) focuses on authentic Xinjiang flavours, specialising in grilled lamb skewers, lamb pilaf, etc. With solid traditional Xinjiang cooking techniques, the restaurant offers Western Region-style dining experience in Quanzhou. It is located at the mouth of Fengying Road, right opposite the archway of Wenling Meishi Street (温陵美食街 / Delicacy Street) at the outer edge of Quanzhou Ancient City (泉州古城).
What a surprise! Standing outside the door of Uncle From Xinjiang to welcome us is a pet white alpaca (白羊驼) with soft, fluffy wool. It is very gentle and popular with kids.
The signature Deluxe Lamb Leg Pilaf (豪华羊腿抓饭) — a high-class traditional dish served during local festivals or to honoured guests of the Uyghur and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang — is made by simmering a large piece of lamb hind leg meat together with carrots, onions, and rice, creating a harmonious combination of flavours between the meat and rice. The lamb leg is tender and the glossy, flavourful rice has a rich aroma. It is delicious and can make tastier with extra pickled greens from the self-service condiments counter.
The authentic Xinjiang Traditional Roasted Lamb Rib (新疆古法烤羊排) uses premium lamb rib, marinated with a secret recipe, and slow-roasted in a tandoor oven the traditional way. The resulting roasted lamb rib has crispy skin with smoky, roasty aroma, and tender, juicy meat that retains its original flavour. This is one of the hot favourites among diners and definitely must try.
Aside from roasted lamb ribs, we had another two skewers of lamb meat (新疆古法羊肉串) with different seasoning but roasted the same way. The tender meat has slightly different texture and flavour from the lamb rib meat.
Another signature dish is the Salt-Roasted Lamb (大叔招牌一把盐烤肉) where fresh, chunky lamb is skewered on an iron skewer, seasoned only with salt to preserve the original flavour of the meat and roasted with light seasoning powder. It has a crispy exterior, tender interior, and rich, oily aroma. I love it!
Other skewers are Grilled Mushrooms with Garlic (烤蒜蓉香菇), Grilled King Oyster Mushrooms (烤杏鲍菇), Grilled Garlic-stuffed Tofu Skin (烤蒜心油豆皮) and Grilled Sliced Potatoes (烤土豆片 — not shown in photo). They are similarly seasoned with Xinjiang-flavoured seasoning powders and nice complements to the meaty mutton skewers.
The Grilled Brinjal with Minced Garlic (烤蒜蓉茄子) uses a pretty big brinjal (eggplant) that is cut into 3 folds, laid flat and topped with a number of condiments, such as minced garlic, red peppercorn, seasoning powders, grilled and then sprinkled with scallions and coriander before serving. The soft, non-mushy, flesh carries rich aromas of the condiments used, especially garlic and cumin. Aside from grilled sliced potatoes, this is another popular grilled vegetable dish.
The Kashgar Jar Mutton (咯什缸子肉), a stewed mutton dish, is a traditional specialty stew from Kashgar, Xinjiang (新疆.咯什). It is made by slow-cooking mutton with bones, carrots, and other ingredients in an enamel pot. The stew has a clear, light-flavour broth, tender meat, non-gamey and non-greasy. The “small-portion” mutton stew is served in a retro metal jar and enough for 1 pax — we ordered another jar.
Tacheng Cheese Bread (塔城奶酪包) — a baked specialty pastry originated from Qoqek / Tacheng region of Xinjiang (新疆.塔城) — consists of a soft bread base, filled with thick cream cheese and a variety of dried fruits and nuts (walnuts, raisins, cranberries, etc) and sprinkled with dry milk powder. This bread dessert has rich milky aroma and flavour, layered texture, and the healthy, natural ingredients are big plus — we would have ordered a second serving if we were not so full from the food.
If you have not been to Xinjiang but going to Quanzhou, check out Uncle From Xinjiang for its list of Xinjiang specialties aside from Quanzhou’s specialties. You will probably want to visit Xinjiang next.
Address:
78, Fengying Road, Fengze District, Quanzhou City, Fujian, China
福建省.泉州市.丰泽区.丰迎路78号 — Baidu Map
Opening Hours:
11:30am to 12am | Daily
Nearby:
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