Little lamb, who made thee?

 

The cucumbers, simply dressed in a slightly tart dressing, are refreshing and addictive.

Mutton is a favorite meat from Urumqi to Beijing, and this tender morsel is a prime choice for gourmet diners. Pauline D. Loh samples a leg at Kashgar Restaurant.

Don't make friends with your food. Based on that, it's a blessing that the furry bundles with long-lashed eyes and cute wiggly tails are an uncommon sight in Beijing. In fact, most of the lamb we see here are already dressed and ready for the oven, crusted with specks of salt, cumin, chilli flakes and other delicious spices.

And of course, there are the ubiquitous chuan'er, the Xinjiang lamb kebabs that have become China's favorite supper snack.

But I digress. My latest encounter with lamb is the result of a search for a good halal restaurant. My good friend Rosnah was visiting from Singapore, and, since she is Muslim, I needed to find a restaurant that served food prepared according to Islamic regulations. It was surprisingly easy. I just needed to head for Beijing's ancient Muslim quarters at Niu Jie, or Ox Street, a stone's throw away from Xuanwumen.

We had visited the Great Wall in Mutianyu earlier and it had been a long day, so we were glad to finally get back into town, hungry and ready for a feast of lamb. But before that, we took a tour of the neighborhood.

Niu Jie is a well-established area where the Muslim community in Beijing lives, studies, shops and worships. There is a historic mosque here that dates back more than a thousand years, and its architecture is unique. Rosnah was greeted politely by the caretakers and invited to enter and look around. The ancient architecture and the friendliness of the residents must have left a deep impression.

Niu Jie is just opposite the Caishikou Hutong, where my mother-in-law lives, and I took Rosnah back home so she could see what the real courtyard houses looked like. Later, we took a slow walk to the Kashgar Restaurant in Pen'er Hutong, just across the road.

The restaurant lies deep in the lane, past blocks of grey apartment buildings on a street lined with plane trees. When we finally saw the building, it was brightly lit and impossible to miss. Kashgar Restaurant is operated by the regional government headquarters in Beijing, and this alone should guarantee its authenticity, and, we hope, quality.

We had booked a private room for our party of six. There is a minimum expenditure of 400 yuan ($63) for the privilege of privacy, but we did not think that was a problem.

Browsing the menu, which is all in Chinese, may be a challenge for visitors. I suggest you ask for the manager and ask for recommendations. But this was what we ordered - whole roast lamb leg, big platter chicken (dapen ji), cumin roasted tilapia fish, mutton samosas (yangrou boazi), naan, paratha and a selection of cold salads, including an amazing dish of tiny cucumbers that still had their blossoms attached.

The cucumbers were absolutely delicious, and reminded me of the micro salads so popular in chic Californian restaurants years back. The tiny fruits were prettily piled on a plate and simply dressed in a very light, slightly tart dressing. It was refreshing, and addictive, and we collectively picked at it until the plate was empty.

The big platter chicken is actually stir-fried in a tasty brown sauce, with lots of bell peppers, onions and crinkle-cut potato chips. It was an easy dish to eat as well, and we mopped up juices with the naan.

But, of course, the star of the evening was the lamb - so tender that it fell off the bone and so well seasoned that every bite was a burst of flavor.

If you are not into the cave-man approach to lamb, you can also order nicely disguised kebabs and a lamb chop that you tear into with your hands, the way they eat them in Kashgar. But whatever the method, you can be assured that the lamb has no unacceptable smell and is of a quality that they serve to top officials of the autonomous region whenever they are in Beijing for business. After all, their accommodation is just up the stairs.

You can order beer here as well, as the no alcohol rule is more relaxed. Our table asked for several bottle of Sinkiang Beer, which is dark and malty. Teetotallers can order the milk tea, and you can choose from savory or sweet. Otherwise, their homemade yoghurt is also delicious.

Our laden table just fell short of the required expenditure of 400 yuan, despite our valiant efforts. So we did the natural thing and ordered a platter of sweets that included various almond pastries and cakes and the sticky sweet baklava. That rounded off the meal very nicely indeed.

There is no minimum spending if you choose to dine in the main hall, and it is a brightly lit place with tables spaced comfortably apart.