Inside Urumqi's Beijing office (乌鲁木齐驻京办新疆饭庄) is another Xinjiang restaurant loved by both Uygur people and Beijingers. It is bigger than Bayinguoleng Beijing office restaurant, and it is also always busy at dinner. You will need to wait for seats for dinner on the weekend. Coming during lunchtime, or for dinner from Monday to Thursday is a better option, or wait until 8 pm.

The restaurant offers a popular version of the Xinjiang cuisine, but foreign expats might find the place too noisy, and the food a bit oily. Service is polite, but not enthusiastic.

The place has a strong Xinjiang feel to it, with a decor of typical patterns and pictures from the region, and most of the serving staff are also from Xinjiang. A stand at the entrance serves different versions of naan, Turkish bread, and Xinjiang cakes with nuts and raisins, which many customers buy to take home. The cakes definitely taste better than most other Xinjiang restaurants in town.

Popular choices include mutton skewers, big-plate chicken, pasta, boiled mutton chops with naan, and hand-torn mutton ribs. Home-made yogurt is adjusted to popular tastes of sweet and sour, with lovely bits of nuts and fresh fruits in it. Waiting staff recommends sauteed lamb chops with black pepper (黑椒羊脊). Or try hand-torn lamb rack (手撕羊排) served with tomato sauce, pepper and salt. It is half-roasted, half deep-fried. The lamb tastes wonderful, albeit greasy.

Mutton skewers on red willow branches (红柳烤肉) taste wonderful but do not look so great, especially with a big lump of fat between the mutton chops. There are plenty of roast lamb dishes divided by different parts. We tried a fried Xinjiang mushroom with cabbage (阿魏菇炒菜胆). Again, it tastes good but a bit oily.

Xinjiang five-stripe snakehead (新疆五道黑鱼) is a famous local fish to eat. It is a very tender-tasting fish-eating fish. It can be cooked spicy, or braised with brown sauce. There are plenty of Xinjiang dim sum on the menu. A thin crispy cake with raisins in it (巴克拉娃) is a good choice. There is also Xinjiang local liquor and beer.

Average spending is at least 80 yuan. Dishes are served in big helpings. Menu is in both Chinese and English.

Grapes, hami melon, and Korla pear are sold at the entrance of the restaurant, while three stores at the entrance of the yard sell fruit, souvenirs and jade. There is also a special jade store, and one shop also selling lovely Hotan guava. Korla pear of the best quality is priced at 110 yuan a box (10 kilograms), much better than at supermarkets, and of far superior quality.

Text and Photos by Ye Jun

11am-9:30pm. Inside Urumqi's Beijing office, 1 Zhegongzhuang Beidajie, Xicheng District. West of Guanyuanqiao on West Second Ring Road, turn right at first traffic light, go 150 meters, to the left. 6836-2795. 西城区车公庄大街北里1号乌鲁木齐驻京办内(近展览路医院) , 西二环官园桥西第一个红绿灯右转(北)150米路西