RESTAURANT: Silk Road and Uighur Cuisine

Uyghur cuisine. The food of choice of Turkics (basically, Chinese muslims) living in China. Since I first tasted it at Uighur Cuisine on Dixon St in Chinatown, I fell in love. These.people.know.how.to.eat.

While Uighur Cuisine still has the best Xinjiang lamb skewers I've tasted, I've found that Silk Road is more rounded, offering some great handmade noodles dishes and some really great rendition of Szechuan dishes. Uighur Cuisine is a bit more hit and miss, with some pretty average dishes on the menu

There are two Silk Roads. The bigger (and newer) one on Thomas Street (opposite the perennial favourite, Chinese Noodle Restaurant) and one on (I think) the corner of Ultimo Road and Quay Street (basically, up the lane from the Thomas Street one).

The Xinjiang lamb skewers are essential. While I maybe have posted a recipe for the skewers and some spring rolls, it's hard to beat the original, fired over some coals, or whatever it is they fire them over (poor performance?). I find the ones on Quay/Ultimo are a bit fatty, but still quite edible.

But it's the side dishes that make the meal. The meat pancake thing is puffy and crunchy and oily and delicious. As is the chicken with Chinese buns. And the spicy tofu salad (a typical Szechuan dish). And... you get the idea. The dumplings seem to be a bit frozen and reheated, so keep your wits about you and order things that don't seem "standard" and you'll totally win at eating.


RATING: Will constantly return to [?]