Science of the lambs
By Ye Jun ( Beijing Weekend)
Updated: 2004-07-08 10:15

Customers take part in the Uigur-style dance show at Xi Yu Shi Fu.

Delectable food and an atmospheric environment makes Xi Yu Shi Fu a good choice for people from Muslim countries and those who like Uygur food.

Located at a corner of Datun Lu at the Asian Games Village, the restaurant was founded in 1999. It spans some 1,500 square metres with a seating capacity of 550 people.

The meat used in Xinjiang cuisine is mainly beef and mutton. Grilling is a major method of cooking. But there is no smell of smoke in the restaurant or any unpleasant smell of mutton in the food, sometimes a hazard of enjoying this style of cooking.
The decor reflects the proud Uygur heritage with designs unique to the ethnic minority.

A star attraction aside from the food is a Uygur-style dance show which starts at 7:30 pm and lasts about an hour.

The food is salty and sometimes spicy.

Hanasi Golden Brand Roasted Sheep Back is made from  the most tender part of the sheep. The lamb is transported directly by air from Hanasi, an unpolluted part of West China's Xinjiang, according to Zhang Tao, the restaurant's manager.

Noodles in thick soy sauce.

The sheep is fed by unpolluted forage. It is marinaded for a day before being roasted for four hours using Chinese jujube wood in a hanging furnace.

It looks golden red, is crispy outside and tender inside.

The best part of the sheep back costs 458 yuan (US$55). An ordinary helping costs 258 yuan (US$35).

There is also a cheaper option, which is roasted mutton chop cooked using a furnace burning wood from fruit trees. It is made using the same procedure as the sheep back but costs 58 yuan (US$7) for two people or 88 yuan (US$11) for four.

Golden Brand kebab is another frequently ordered dish at the restaurant. It is made of the best part of the sheep back. One sheep only produces two such kebabs, costing 20 yuan (US$2.4) each.

Also available is a Xinjiang-style salad, which comprises potato chips, green pepper, onion and tomato sauce. It costs 12 yuan (US$1.5).

Staple food at the restaurant include nang, Xinjiang-style baked bread, stir-fried rice with mutton dices and noodles with thick soy sauce. The restaurant's roasted mutton baozi, with mutton and onion stuffing, is also worth trying. The wrapping is a little chewy and the stuffing fragrant.

A mutton-and-flour slices soup is recommended after the meal because the majority of the dishes tend to be dry.

Location: No 411, Huizhong Beili, Asian Games Village, Chaoyang District

Tel: 6486-2555