Underappreciated and generally unknown, Uyghur cuisine from the Xinjiang region of China is hard to come by in most parts of the world. It is the unique mesh of Chinese cuisine with Muslim influences (and some straight-up Central Asian dishes). In Vancouver (where I'm from), we had essentially 2 places and now we are down to one (Beijiang Restaurant). While I was down visiting my relatives in the East Bay (in particular Fremont), they suggested we hit up Sama Uyghur Cuisine. They didn't have to ask twice since finding this cuisine is the equivalent to finding a unicorn.
We ended up getting all the greatest hits including the Lamb & Chicken Skewers. These were really large with substantial chunks of meat. They were spiced with the usual earthiness of cumin and spice of chili flakes. Minor hints of nutmeg and garlic were present as well. They were grilled enough that the flavors were activated while still keeping the meat moist and tender. I particularly thought the lamb was good being just fatty enough. The chicken was a little drier though. As an appie of sorts, we got the Spicy Green Bean Jelly. These soft and buttery "noodles" were topped with chickpeas, chili oil/sauce, chili peppers and cilantro as well as a soy-based sauce. This was spicy, salty, aromatic with a touch of tang. This was all about the delicate texture of the green bean jelly though.
Of course we couldn't do without the Big Plate Chicken with pieces of chicken leg, potatoes and peppers. This went really well with rice where the sauce was full of cumin and just a touch of spice. There are several different versions of the dish and this one included tomato. We enjoyed the tender pieces of chicken and the equally delicate potatoes that soaked up the sauce. Underneath, the house-made noodles were still chewy and also benefited from the sauce. However, since they were served with the original dish, it started to get soft as we ate (usually should be served after we finished the ingredients). Getting some veggies into our meal, we had the Stir-Fried Broccoli and although it was not a complicated dish, it was prepared well. Lots of wok heat lead to caramelized flavours (garlicky) and crunchy broccoli without much moisture.
Since Uyghur cuisine is famous for the use of lamb, we also went for the Cumin Lamb. This was also prepared properly with plenty of wok heat which ensured caramelization and activation of all aromatics. Naturally, the earthy cumin came through in spades, but the lamb was definitely there too with its usual gaminess. The pieces were tender enough without being dry. The rest of the ingredients including the peppers were still vibrant and crunchy while cooked all-the-way through. I also noticed the dish wasn't as greasy as some other versions I've had. One dish I wasn't a huge fan of was the Dry Stir Fried Green Beans as the beans were a little old. Hence, they were chewy and not crunchy. Furthermore, the flavors were a bit weak too with only a minor amount of aromatics.
On the other hand, the Stir-Fried Noodles with Beef was the complete opposite exhibiting developed and activated flavours. Obviously, the most important part was the hand-pulled noodles and they were indeed excellent. Super chewy in an appealing manner, there was bite and elasticity. After that, the preparation was flawless with caramelization in terms of color and taste. Just a touch of spice, the dish had plenty of savory elements combined with a balancing amount of sweetness and umami. Lots of complimentary ingredients as well. For the other noodle we had, it was more saucy in the Fried Pearl Noodle. At first, I couldn't even tell there was any noodle due to the amount of ingredients on top. Again, the noodles were chewy and this time around, they were more mild as the sauce didn't adhere very much. This was more about textures than impactful flavor. So other than the green beans, the dishes we had at Sama were appealing and tasty. Sure, Uyghur food is fairly obscure and sometimes it leads to over-excitement even if the food is mediocre. I don't believe this was the case here as the food was solid on its own merit.
*Restaurant is closed*
Beyond the skewers, we tried their Cold Skinned Noodles which were essentially equivalent to cold noodles in spicy sesame sauce found at Old Xian. I would say this version was pretty decent with slippery noodles dressed in an aromatic and mildly spicy sauce. I would've liked the noodles to be chewier and more spice, but this was still good nonetheless. Our first order of skewers was the Beef @ $1.95 each with a minimum order of 5. These fairly tender and not overdone, but I would've liked to see more charring and caramelization. Spices were impactful with unmistakable taste of cumin and chili. I liked how they had a reasonable minimum of 5 unlike the stupid 10 at Happy Tree.
Onto some seafood, we chose the Scallop and Mini-Abalone @ $4.75 and $4.95 each respectively. I thought these were "okay" but nothing special. The scallops were golden brown but a bit overdone, so it was on the chewier side in spots. The abalone were fairly chewy, but not so much that it wasn't pleasant to eat though. I could see how the abalone were almost $5.00 each, but didn't understand why the scallops cost just as much. Living up to its namesake, the South African Big Prawn came in at $2.95 each. By virtue of being frozen, the head wasn't really great to eat but the actual meat was fairly meaty and sweet. Again, these were a bit too overdone.
The best skewers of all were the Lamb @ $1.75 each (also minimum of 5) in original and special seasoning. Honestly, we couldn't tell the difference between the two and had to ask for an explanation. What we could gather, the special was cooked a bit longer to activate the spices. Again, we couldn't tell. The lamb was tender though with its classic gaminess accented by the aromatic and slightly spicy seasoning. To get our one vegetable into the meal, we got the Eggplant with a tonne of garlic on top. As such, the flavours were definitely impactful and appealing. Texturally, the eggplant was soft without becoming mushy. There was actually some bite left in each slice.
Lastly, we got the Tilapia Skillet in spicy with pepper. For $41.00, we found the fish to be a bit small. There just wasn't a whole lot of meat to it. However, the fish was nicely prepared where it was soft and not overdone (but we did have to ask for the heat to be turned off so it didn't cook any further). Although there was definitely spice to the dish, it wasn't too strong. Good for those who like mild, but for us, we like it spicy. For a total of $10.00, we added lotus root and fish tofu to the mix. So compared to Happy Tree, Chi House does a better job in terms of a reasonable minimum for the skewers. Also, if you like it quieter and better service, than Chi House does that well too. However, flavours are a bit muted and your total can get pretty high if you order lots.
For this meal, we started off with the Dragon Salad consisting of green, yellow and red peppers, onions and tomato. It was dressed with a tangy vinagrette that was more vinegary than anything else. Hence, the salad was bright and appetizing. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of raw peppers, so it wasn't my thing. I'm sure it was totally fine as the veggies were crisp and vibrant. Next, we had the Dapanji Chicken. This was a large serving of Xinjiang style braised chicken and potatoes served with house-made noodles. Nicely balanced, the sauce was mildly spicy with plenty of savoury flavours. We thought there was bit a less cumin than last time. The sweetness and succulence of the chicken made the dish as well as the oil-blanched potatoes as they soaked up the sauce. The same could be said about the chewy noodles as they were pretty tasty as well.
Moving on, we had the Stir-Fried Lamb Shoulder with fried buns. I found the lamb tender and well-prepared. It was immersed in a considerable amount of sauce that was on the greasier side. There was some good flavours going on with sweet onions and peppers. The golden brown fried mantou were soft on the inside while crispy on the outside. Once again, they could've let the buns sit on a paper towel for a bit to soak up the residual oil. The most interesting and tastiest dish was the Cumin Lamb Skewers grilled on actual twigs. Hence, there was a natural and appealing smoky woodiness to the meat. It was tender and succulent with a nice crispy exterior. Loved the ample cumin, but we could've used even more!
Our last savoury dish was the Scorpion Lamb Bone Hot Pot which was overflowing with large neck bones. Depending on the piece, some had a good amount of tender meat while others were a bit dry due to having less meat. Lots of flavour going on with a noted spiciness as well as cumin again and numbing Szechuan peppercorns. Reminded me a little of the nearby Lamb Hot Pot and their fabulous lamb bones. To finish off, they prepared fresh-made noodles in the residual broth. This was delicious texturally and of course it soaked up the wealth of flavours. For dessert, we had the Sugar-Filled Sesame Pastries. These were flaky and light with a mildly sweet filling. Overall, this was pretty similar to meal we had at the Vancouver location where the food was tasty and unique. They could ease up on the oil though.
We started off with their most popular and as it turned out, the strongest dish of the meal in the Dapanji Chicken. Presented on a large platter, it consisted of Xinjiang style braised chicken and potatoes served with house-made noodles. This was aromatic even before we dug into it. The sauce was spicy with a balanced amount of savoury and sweet elements. With a touch of numbing spice and hits of cumin, the chicken was full-flavoured with some natural sweetness. Texturally, the meat was on the chewier side due to being free-range. When we were half-done, they added house-made noodles to soak up the rest of the flavourful sauce. I found them a bit soft, but still with some chewiness left.
Next, we were presented with the Hot & Spicy Basa Fish Soup that was very similar to the classic Szechuan Water-Boiled Fish. This was chock full of big tender and buttery basa fillets which were bathed in a mildly spicy broth. When a bite contained a Szechuan peppercorn, there was some appealing tongue-numbing spiciness. However, by itself, the broth was rather mild, yet at the same time, the rest of the spices did come through. Another on point item was the Lamb BBQ Skewers as they were completely coated in spices, in particular cumin. The lamb was cooked just right where it was succulent and tender. There was no absence of rich flavours, however, I would've liked to see a bit more charring.
Moving away from spicy, we had the Crispy Singing Rice served with a starch-thickened broth. I really enjoyed the toasted rice as it was light and definitely crispy without any hard portions. When doused with the sauce, the rice softened up without becoming a mush. I found the sauce to be pretty mild but not bland. All of the ingredients, including the veggies were cooked just enough retaining an appealing texture. Presented on a sizzling cast iron plate, but lined with foil, we had the Stir-Fried Beef. I would've personally liked the beef searing on the hot plate without the foil, but it was still tasty. Each slice was large and buttery with a savoury and tangy sauce barely clinging on.
An interesting dish was the Stir-Fried Cumin Lamb and Naan. It consisted of aromatic and crispy pieces of naan that were not heavy. Rather they were somewhat airy and fried beautifully. There was some impactful flavours from the plethora of cumin and spice. There was a decent amount of fatty and tender thin slices of lamb. On a similar note, we had the Stir-Fried Lamb Shoulder with fried buns. The saucy and flavourful lamb was the beneficiary of sweet caramelized onions and peppers. It was tasty stuffed within the crispy mantou, but they should've soaked up the oil as it became pretty greasy to eat. Overall, I enjoyed my meal at Beijiang as the proteins were on point and well-seasoned. Something different than that usual Cantonese spots especially on a cold day.
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