DongWuYuan

Went to Xinjiang Plaza on our last night in Beijing to try something a little bit different! Apparently each of China's provinces has such a plaza somewhere in Beijing, where local customs and flavours from each are most authentically and proudly showcased. Xinjiang Plaza - indeed the whole dining experience - represented a side of China that we had not even known existed before, much less actually seen.

The Uighurs of Xinjiang province are most strongly influenced by and even inter-mixed with the peoples, cultures and cuisines of the Middle East and India. By religion, they are largely muslim, which is reflected in both the islamic-esque decor and design elements, as well as the prominence of chicken, beef and lamb on the menu (along with the corresponding absence of pork).

Meals are served with nang - a sort of garlic naan fused with sesame seeds from the more traditional Chinese shaobing. Spices are much more reminiscent of Indian curries - plenty of kick without the mala of Sichuan cuisine. To Poppy's delight, one of the house specialties was actually a fully vegetarian mushroom-based dish - unusual ingredients (not the usual Chinese shitake) and really simple yet tasty flavours!

Really glad to have had the chance to learn a bit more about Xinjiang on this trip - thanks to Uncle Ken for taking us around to such a diverse array of places! Xinjiang has definitely made it onto our bucket list for a future China tour.Read more