Islamic Chinese?

[Carrie 218]

I used to frequent Tung Lai Shun in the San Gabriel Valley down in L.A. and really miss it. Other than Old Mandarin Islamic (not the easiest to get to via bus), are there any other Islamic Chinese restaurants in San Francisco?

[chenyu768]

Its not Islamic but has a lot of lamb and its actualy a franchise from China, its Little Fat lamb or little lamb here in America (what was "Fat" too controversial?). If you've been to China then you know what it is, its the best hot pot around here for sures. The lamb delicious, man all i need is a lamb skewer restauant then i'd be so content with America

[mchan02]

I've never heard of Islamic Chinese food - What's it like?

[Melanie Wong]

Here's a recent post that describes Xinjiang food -
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/...

P.S. Xinjiang is north-west, not north-east China.

[mchan02]

thanks!

[usr.bin.eat]

You won't find Xinjiang food at Darda, Fatima, and Old Mandarin. The style is Hui (huhway), Muslims whose forefathers intermarried with Han Chinese hundreds to over a thousand years ago. Depending on the location in China, the original Muslims could be from overland or SE Asia or the Middle East. But the Xinjiang Uighurs are Turkic and are closer to Kazakhs than Han.

I doubt that any of the food you can find here is halal. Anyways, a common dish is a warm/hot pot with lamb slice, sour cabbage, and bean threads served with sesame bread.

[Robert Lauriston]

Per zabihah.com, Peking Eastern House in Fremont has a halal certificate on display.

There are three Xinjiang dishes on the menu at Darda:

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/28504

[usr.bin.eat]

Stir-fried lamb with cumin isn't a Xinjiang dish per se because the stir-frying bit is a Han Chinese influence. Let's call it a fusion dish. I've had that dish at Darda and it's good. But I've asked for the most common Xinjiang lamb dish, grilled lamb skewers dusted in a cumin spice mix (yang rou chuar), and the waitresses have either brushed me off or don't understand.

The Uighur run restaurants that I've gone to in China serve grilled/roasted and boiled dishes but I can't read enough or speak enough to understand the entire menu or to communicate with the waiters beyond the few food characters I know.

[Robert Lauriston]

The server told me those three dishes were Xinjiang, I'm just repeating what she said.

[Melanie Wong]

China Village in Albany used to have the lamb skewers on the appetizer menu. Haven't ordered them in a long time, but they were very true to Uighur food on the streets of Beijing. Muttony-like intensity, crusted with spicy hot and cumin powder, charred edges on the thin strips of meat.

[usr.bin.eat]

Good to know. Even though China Village is close to me, I haven't been in about a year. Never noticed it on the menu so next time I'll have to look at the non Sichuan items more closely.

[Melanie Wong]

I have my fingers crossed that it's still on the menu, still good, and didn't leave with the Beijing chef. Pls. let us know.

[Robert Lauriston]

Not that I've been able to find. There was another on Irving but it closed. There are a few on the Peninsula and in the South Bay--Darda, Fatima, Great Eastern--not very convenient by public transportation. This guide is usually pretty up to date:

http://www.zabihah.com/_region_intro....

Old Mandarin is two blocks from the L streetcar.

[Carrie 218]

Thanks, Robert... Relatively new to the city and have pretty much confined myself to the 38. Need to learn more how to get around and will do so to try Old Mandarin!

I've never been -- anyone know if they have goose entrails and duck tongues? (Two favorites of mine from Tung Lai Shun). Also craving those scallion cakes!

[Robert Lauriston]

They have a filled flatbread they call an onion pancake, and a beef version they call a beef pie. I found both greasy and bland. Same goes for their "stirred flour ball" gnocchi-like dishes. And they don't make sesame bread at all. Disappointing compared with the good wheat dishes I've had at other Muslim Chinese restaurants.

I've had duck tongues at Old Shanghai on Geary.

[Melanie Wong]

The beef pie is a must-order for me each time I've been to Old Mandarin. When they're rolled out and made fresh to order, the aroma of the pan-fried, flaky (and yes, greasy) dough is fantastic and tastes even better. I dab a bit of the table hot sauce on each bite. It's been a while since I've had the flour balls, liked them enough but I guess not enough to order repeatedly.

[Robert Lauriston]

I'd heard so many good reports on the "stirred flour ball" pasta that I tried three kinds, and they were all eh.

Old Mandarin's beef pie reminded me of mediocre peroshki. It's basically the same dish as Diana's Meat Pie at the Hunan, right?

[Melanie Wong]

I'm not a big fan of Henry's Hunan, so have not had the meat pie in recent decades to compare them. (g)

Old Mandarin's pastry is much better than any piroshki I've had, and I've plenty of mediocre ones and a few good ones. More layered, chewy, crisp, not as dense and heavy, and of course, the advantage of cooked-to-order freshness for the "xiang" scent. But reheated the next day, the bad, piroski, sodden character creeps in, I'll admit.

[Robert Lauriston]

I've only had it fresh at the restaurant.