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A taste of Xinjiang

Jinzhu Dapanji

金柱大盘鸡

The other big dapanji name in Urumqi, thirty years old and now with more than a hundred branches across Xinjiang. Its distinguishing habit is braising each plate to order in a small pot rather than batch-cooking, which keeps the chicken juicier. The most reliable choice if you are not near the Shuimogou branch of Xiao Lizi.

Price not confirmedBranches across Urumqi and Xinjiang; confirm which one
Plan your meal Open map
Jinzhu Dapanji (金柱大盘鸡), Xinjiang
Photo: HaziiDozen · CC BY-SA 4.0

Why come here

A place worth making time for

A thirty-year Urumqi dapanji brand with over 100 branches across Xinjiang, known for cooking each plate to order; no graded award.

The house favourites

What to order

Point at the Chinese. Staff will understand it even where the menu has no English at all.

  • Big plate chicken (大盘鸡)
  • Belt noodles (皮带面)
  • Laghman, hand-pulled noodles (拉条子)
  • Lamb kebabs (烤肉)

What it actually tastes like

Numbing Sichuan pepper plus chilli; bone-in chicken. Portion sizes are the Xinjiang problem — the standard plate is a four-person dish, so ask for 小份.

Allergens in this kitchen

gluten/wheatsoy

This is the kitchen, not one dish. Woks, fryers, blanching water and utensils are shared in almost every Chinese restaurant, so for a serious allergy treat the whole premises as the unit rather than ordering around it.

Get to know the menu

Local specialities to try here

Laghman hand-pulled noodles 拉条子 / 拌面Chewy, substantial noodles under a tangy tomato-and-cumin sauce; savoury and warming rather than hot.Big plate chicken 大盘鸡Savoury-spicy and slightly numbing, with sweet collapsed potato and a sauce the noodles soak up completely.