PERFECT 5/5: Urumchi in London rated UK’s best Uyghur restaurant

We have reviewed a number of Uyghur restaurants in London over the years to varying degrees of quality.

The first one was Etles in Walthamstow which, while being rated an above-average 3.5/5 in 2018, did better in 2020 at its second branch in Childs Hill with 4/5.

The bar was raised significantly higher, however, by Turpan in Central London at the end of the same year with 4.5/5, before it was matched in 2021 by the UK’s first Uyghur restaurant Karamay in Hackney.

Having only been open a month, Urumchi is located in Central London’s Cosmo Place just off Southampton Row (next door to Cosmo China whose owner’s father was the creator of the famous 70’s animated children’s TV show Bagpuss and The Clangers).

Urumchi opts for the modern look over that of the traditional…

While limited seating is available outside, this 40-cover restaurant has two indoor sections for 23 guests at the front, and 18 at the back, which can also be hired as a private room.

Unlike the interiors of the aforementioned restaurants, Urumchi has chosen not to utilise an overtly Uyghur-oriented theme, opting instead for a smart, modern look that revolves around a green and brown colour scheme.

Currently, the restaurant has a number of offers that include a lunch-time deal, as well as 15% off for all students.

37. Lampung – Bean starch, soy sauce, fish sauce, garlic, vinegar, £7.95

This Lampung appetiser had summer written all over it, with delicately soft, bean starch jelly noodles in a light umami-sauce and covered in thin strips of cucumber that provided some textural contrast.

1. Uyghur Legman - Handmade noodle with saucy stir-fried slices of beef, £14.95

Uyghur Legman - Handmade noodle with saucy stir-fried slices of beefm, £14.95

As an authentic Uyghur restaurant that hand-pulls all its noodles fresh-to-order, Urumchi’s is some of the best we’ve had.

This traditional Uyghur Legman had thick strands of wonderfully chewy noodles, accompanied by a plate of tender strips of beef mixed in with rich sundried tomatoes, red and green peppers, chunks of onions, and gelatinous segments of wood ear mushrooms. Simple ingredients done right; a superb plate of food!

5. Urumchi Spicy Noodle – Stir-fried handmade noodle with beef & vegetables, £16.95

And this signature dish didn’t let up in its quality, with the addition of the sichuan peppers adjudged perfectly by the chef to deliver that customary numbing heat, but without overpowering the main flavours therein.

Uyghur Herbal Tea

In the case of this Urumchi Spicy Noodle, we enjoyed long strands of flat noodles enveloped in a deeply rich beefy sauce that was powered by what’s known as the wok hei – a cooking technique where the extreme heat of the wok imparts a wonderfully satisfying smoky profile to the overall dish.

With chewy strips of beef, spring onions, red and green peppers, onions, and wood ear mushrooms, this is in with the chance of being shortlisted for FtLion’s end of year awards in December.

As is customary in Uyghur culture, hot tea is often enjoyed alongside one’s meal.

As such, we ordered a pot of their lightly spicious and fragrant Uyghur Herbal Tea, which we were told comprises of around a dozen ingredients that include cardamom, rose, cloves, and more.

8. Uyghur Manti (5pcs) – With steamed minced lamb meat, onions & herbs, £14.95

An astounding plate of Uyghur Manti. Despite this taking 20 minutes to make from scratch, this has to be ordered as a matter of priority.

And the wait will be worth it, we promise you, with pillowy soft pastry nimbly pinched into fairly large parcels that are filled with a herbaceous meat and onion mixture, before being steamed to a tee.

But what completes this, is the accompanying chilli oil, which adds just that right level of vinegary heat to make these manti sing.

9. Tugre (Dumpling) – Boiled dumplings with minced lamb meat, onions & herbs, £14.95

If you’re after a firmer version of the above, as well as more manageable mouthfuls, then these dozen Tugre dumplings ought to satisfy.

Boiled instead of steamed, these are more chewier in texture, but just as flavourous.

12. Uyghur Kebab (Min 2) – Cubes of seasoned marinated lamb served with bread, £3.95 each

We’ve had some outstandning Uyghur kebabs before, and Urumchi’s didn’t disappoint.

With the smokiness of the charcoal coming through nicely, these little tender nuggets of lamb cubes were marinated in a seasoning light enough for us to appreciate the meaty taste. What’s more, they even included a zesty palate-cleansing salad.

18. Kidney Kebab – Lamb kidney skewers seasoned with special spices, £9.95

But of the two grilled items had, these smoky skewers of Kidney Kebab stole the show.

Superbly tender with charred bits on the outside serving as texture; each mouthful ended with that familiar subtle metallic taste meandering through as an aftertaste.

26. Kordak – Lamb, carrots, potatoes, bread, £33.95

But perhaps the dish of the review was this rustically presented lamb curry, with chunky segments of potatoes and carrots.

While the marinated meat was utterly soft, decorating the platter’s perimeter were pieces of bread, which you’ll be using to scoop up all that gorgeously rich sauce. A deeply satisfying finale.