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February 27, 2014

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Home » City specials » Hangzhou

Mutton restaurants make their mark

By Xu Wenwen | February 27, 2014, Thursday | Print Edition

Hangzhou is increasingly showing a multicultural side. This extends to food.

Muslim food in the city can be traced back more than 700 years. Back then, many Arab and Muslim merchants from northwestern China traveled south to China’s central region on business. Some chose to remain in Hangzhou, then a commercial hub.

Most of them settled in areas along today’s Zhongshan Road. The area today is still home to some Islamic restaurants featuring mostly mutton and beef dishes.

Shanghai Daily introduces one popular Muslim restaurant, another known for the best mutton soup in the city and one new halal eatery that is generating rave reviews.

Dong Yi Shun

Dong Yi Shun is one of the city’s most popular Muslim restaurants.

Evidence of this is found in the long queues that form every afternoon in front of its barbecue booth, which sells freshly made shish kebabs, Xinjiang naan bread and other northwestern snacks.

The tasty, reasonably priced naan is a particular favorite, with locals and foreigners happy to wait in line for the hot flat bread.

The facade of the two-story building features Chinese wood-carved windows and balcony railings with Islamic arch structures. Each floor has up to eight tables. Waitresses wear Uygur head scarves.

Like many Uygur restaurants the portions are huge. Its menu is based on mutton, beef and chicken with few vegetables. Pasta dishes are also available.

The homemade yogurt is famous. Pick from original, peppermint and cucumber flavors. Be warned that it is more sour than yogurt sold in stores. But just add sugar to sweeten it up.

Address: 99 Gaoyin St

Tel: (0571) 8780-5163

Mutton Soup Restaurant

The term mutton soup restaurant originally applied to classic Hangzhou Muslim restaurants offering fast food, including dim sum and noodles. There were a bunch of them centuries ago. Zhongshan Road M. and its side streets still boast some restaurants serving Muslim food.

Founded in 1788, this one has taken the generic name Mutton Soup Restaurant.

Befitting its history stretching back more than two centuries, Mutton Soup Restaurant offers some very traditional fare. However, these are complemented with new dishes.

As its name suggests, the eatery mainly offers mutton dishes, but it is no longer a Muslim restaurant since it also has pork on the menu.

Classic dishes include sliced boiled mutton and mutton braised in sauce, while many dishes featuring chopped cooked entrails are also available.

Also try shish kebabs, sliced mutton fried with fish, barbecued leg of lamb and grilled lamb chops. Lamb and sheep organs are also served in several dishes.

The restaurant’s popular items include mutton noodles and  steamed mutton dumplings. The secret dumpling recipe goes back more than 100 years.

The first floor of the eatery sells fast food like rice and noodles, while main dishes, including a small selection of Hangzhou cuisine, are available on the second floor.

First-time customers will easily recognize the restaurant as a sheep sculpture stands in front of the entrance.

Address: 64 Zhongshan Rd M.

Yilan West Lake Noodles

Near West Lake is one of the city’s best Muslim eateries.

This unfashionable hole in the wall is surprisingly clean with an eye-catching tropical fish tank that keep diners entertained while they wait for their food.

Here you’ll find one of Hangzhou’s best eggs fried with tomato dish. They use the freshest tomatoes available and farm eggs. The result is a sweet and tangy dish that is excellent with rice or noodles.

Speaking of noodles, this newly opened restaurant also serves authentic beef noodles with possibly the best broth in town, topped with plenty of fresh chives and cilantro.

The menu also includes all the staples of northwestern Chinese cuisine including a refreshing salad made out of onion, cilantro and green peppers, as well as many different lamb dishes.

Address: 146 Laodong Rd

Hangzhou


 

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