Urumqi, China — Uyghur Lamb Specialist
#1 in Urumqi

Hongshan Mutton Restaurant

The celebrated Urumqi lamb specialist — succulent lamb dishes, aromatic pilaf, and flavourful kebabs, the city's reference single Uyghur-cuisine destination.
Birthday Team Dinner First Date $$
Photo via Ritthisak Thapniwat · Google

About Hongshan Mutton Restaurant

Hongshan Mutton Restaurant is celebrated for its succulent lamb dishes, aromatic pilaf, and flavourful kebabs. The kitchen has built its reputation among Urumqi-resident food press and visiting Xinjiang-tourist travellers as the city's most-cited single Uyghur-cuisine destination — a comfortable mid-range restaurant that emphasises the regional lamb tradition in formal multi-course presentation.

The signature dishes feature the regional Xinjiang lamb. Whole Roasted Lamb (¥380 for sharing across four diners) — the traditional Uyghur slow-roasted whole lamb, served with the standard Uyghur side accompaniments. Mixed Lamb Kebab Plate (¥120 for ten skewers, by cut) — the chunky-cubed Xinjiang lamb kebabs with cumin-and-chili rub. Xinjiang Lamb Polo (¥35) — the regional pilaf with extra lamb chunks. Big Plate Chicken (¥90 for sharing across two-three diners) — the famous Xinjiang one-platter dish.

Beyond lamb specialties, the kitchen serves the broader Uyghur menu: laghman ($35), Uyghur dumplings (manty, $25), naan-style breads, and a small selection of regional Xinjiang vegetable dishes. A multi-course meal for four with whole roasted lamb, side dishes, rice, and drinks runs ¥600-1,200.

The room is comfortable Uyghur-restaurant style. Eighty seats across two floors with bay windows facing the Hongshan District, decorative Uyghur-Islamic-art wall hangings and traditional carpet decor, low communal tables in some sections. Reservations matter for the whole-roasted-lamb format (which requires three hours' notice) and for weekend evenings; one week ahead is enough. Cards are accepted; the staff speak Uyghur, Mandarin, and basic English.

9.2Food
9.0Ambience
9.2Value

Best Occasion Fit

Birthdays for groups of four to eight — the whole-roasted-lamb sharing format is properly celebratory and the staff will arrange a small song with notice. Team dinners with visiting colleagues — the multi-course Uyghur format absorbs four to ten without complaint. As a first date with food-curious partners, the Uyghur-cuisine introduction gives the meal a built-in cultural narrative.

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