A Barbecue on the Silk Road in Taipei

Hi All,

(Taly and Queenie outside the Silk Road)

Eat as much as you want BBQs are a dime a dozen in Taipei. Head off in any general direction and you will find a Korean BBQ, Japanese BBQ, Mongolian BBQ, Taiwanese BBQ etc. So we wouldn't normally write about all-you-can eat BBQs, but the Silk Road is different. The food is authentic Xin Jiang (Western most province of China) food. The meat and dishes are all prepared as the Uighar people would with unique spices. Today was the second time we visited. The first time we went was last year for Paul's birthday and not much has changed.

The restaurant interior is very rustic with wood panel walls in some parts and Uighur costumes, interesting pictures of Xin JIang and local musical instruments hanging on the wall. Some parts are made to look like the inside of a Nomad's tent. We though the decor was great. The one draw back is that they use stools and not chairs. Sitting on a stool for 90 minutes is not very comfortable. But that is typical of the BBQ stores here.

(The Interior)

The eat as much as you want option costs about NTD500 per person. For this you get to order anything on their menu. Once ordered, the meat arrives on a big platter with the spices. The waiter explains how to apply the spices to the BBQ to make sure the food has the correct flavor. The spices are the same spices used in Xin Jiang and the food certainly tasted similar to the same style BBQ meat we ate in China.

(Taly and Meichi cooking)


(The Meat)

We also highly recommend the goat milk soup. The portions are big and are a great compliment to the meat and spices. And although we couldn't figure out what the deserts were made of, the deserts were delicious none the less. Another unique offering is their version of Xin Jiang coke, which is pink. Although we didn't try it this time (its too filling) we do recommend it if you have the space and a sweet tooth.

(Meichi and the Goat Milk Soup)

So today we had a great time chatting with Taly and Meichi, cooking BBQ meat in a different way and eating some very special foods. We highly recommend this restaurant. We have been there twice and have not been disappointed. Although, it should be said, this kind of BBQ should only be done about once every six months as it is a lot of meat.

(Taly and Meichi)


(Queenie and Paul)

So if you can't get to Urumuqi, go have an adventure on the Silk Road and let us know what you think.

The contact details are below:

Address: No.8, Alley 6, Lane 136, Roosevelt Rd. Section 4., Taipei

Telephone: (02) 2366 0345

Website (all Chinese): http://www.nomadizing.com.tw/

See our Taipei and Taiwan Travel Guide for more restaurant reviews