This halal restaurant specializes in a cuisine hard to find along the Peninsula

A homey new halal Uyghur restaurant debuts in downtown Mountain View

Grilled fish ($59.98) in Sichuan peppercorn beef broth with pickled cabbage, tofu and nan at Halal Street Xinjiang Cuisine & BBQ in downtown Mountain View. Photo by Adrienne Mitchel.

My first time trying Uyghur food was right after interviewing the owners of Halal Street Xinjiang Cuisine & BBQ, the newest restaurant to open on Mountain View’s Castro Street. Seated by myself at a table for two, I had placed an order for laghman and samsa via the QR code menu when the general manager asked me to relocate to a table for six.

While at first I was a bit confused, it soon became evident that the owners, managers and even someone’s cousin was joining me for what I thought would be a quiet solo lunch. Instead, it evolved into an hour of chatting, tasting and learning about Uyghur culture and cuisine. It felt like I had been welcomed into their home.

I very much enjoyed the grilled fish, which came served in a bath of boiling bone broth flavored with numbing Sichuan peppercorns, spicy jalapenos (which the manager told me was nontraditional and a “California twist”), pickled cabbage, tofu and housemade nan, which soaked up the flavorful broth. It was unlike any fish dish I’ve tried before and a dish I’d definitely want to order again.

In this week’s feature story, learn about why husband and wife Isaming Deng and Sudai Ma opened Halal Street, what dishes are commonly eaten in Xinjiang and what the couple aims to achieve with their restaurant.

Stay tasty,
Adrienne

A taste of Xinjiang: Inside a new halal restaurant serving Uyghur and Chinese dishes

Walking inside Halal Street Xinjiang Cuisine & BBQ feels like being welcomed into owners Sudai Ma’s and Isaming Deng’s home. While the downtown Mountain View restaurant is large and can seat 180 people, it still has a cozy, warm and inviting ambiance.

Portola Valley gets an upscale Greek restaurant, the story behind a local winery and events for St. Patrick’s Day

Greek village salad with local tomatoes, cucumbers, Epiros feta and olives ($19.95) at TAVERNA. Courtesy TAVERNA.

TAVERNA, an upscale Greek restaurant in Palo Alto, is expanding to Portola Valley on Friday.
Just nine months after opening, a San Mateo restaurant offering an eclectic assortment of cuisines has permanently closed.
No plans yet for St. Patrick’s Day? Here’s a roundup of St. Paddy’s events along the Peninsula.
The founder of Woodside Vineyards recently celebrated his 99th birthday. Take a look back at his career and his impact on Woodside.
Hundreds of people attended Palo Alto’s second city-sponsored Iftar Dinner last week.
Indian restaurant Naan-N-Masala recently opened in the former House of Kebobs space in Sunnyvale.
After 18 years, Cinnabar Winery’s Saratoga tasting room will close March 30, according to The Mercury News.
La Honda Winery in Redwood City will host its annual bottle-your-own-wine event on Saturday from 12:30-3:30 p.m. where table wine goes for just $7.50 a bottle. No need to book or RSVP.

Dinner at Eylan

Panch saag, parsnip and tofu with garlic and kasoori methi ($28), above, and roasted Cornish hen with tomatillo “butter chicken sauce” ($31) and skillet jalapeno naan at Eylan in Menlo Park. Photo by Adrienne Mitchel.

Located in The Villa Menlo Park and created by the owners of Ettan, Eylan almost feels like a speakeasy: You park in the underground garage, take the elevator up and arrive in a quiet, small hallway with one large, unmarked door. Open the door and you’re transported to a bustling, lively restaurant with colorful woven light fixtures, a geometric floor design and lots of potted trees.

This is not a quiet, intimate restaurant – it’s raucous and kid-friendly, and many nearby tables had young children the night I went. The service is personable and knowledgeable, and even with my penchant to drink a lot of water alongside a meal, the water in my glass never dipped below the halfway mark.

Techies, Guns & Money with rum blend, pandan, cardamaro, ginger, cinnamon and bitters at Eylan in Menlo Park. Photo by Adrienne Mitchel.

I tasted four cocktails: the Bazaar Paloma; Techies, Guns & Money; A Cut Above; and Bombay Green. The Bazaar Paloma, made with tequila blanco, tandoori spice, grapefruit, mezcal, tamarind, lime and club soda, was delicious, refreshing and well-balanced and was my favorite drink of the night.

Techies, Guns & Money was a close second, with a spiced rum flavor that lingered for a few seconds before a powerful pandan forward punch at the end. A Cut Above, with tequila reposado, corn liqueur, dry vermouth, umeshu bitters and cacao bitters, was nice, but there was nothing about it that particularly excited me, and the Bombay Green was in essence a $19 gin and tonic (I’d skip this one.)

Bellwether Farm ricotta kebabs with amchoor (mango powder) and charred pineapple and mint chutney ($16), left, and a half-dozen natural oysters with fermented passion fruit chili essence and shallots ($21) at Eylan in Menlo Park. Photo by Adrienne Mitchel.

The menu is divided into snacks, breads, wood-fired small, wood-fired large and desserts. For snacks, I tried the Bellwether Farm ricotta kebabs with amchoor (mango powder) and charred pineapple and mint chutney ($16), as well as a half-dozen natural oysters with fermented passion fruit chili essence and shallots ($21).

Both dishes were stunning and packed with flavor. The ricotta kebabs were crispy on the outside and lusciously creamy on the inside and didn’t feel too heavy because of the bright and refreshing chutneys. The Miyagi oysters didn’t have any perceptible fishy flavor, and the passion fruit chili essence added the perfect sweetness, spice and acidity.

King trumpet mushrooms with achaari, yogurt, mint and cilantro ($17), left, and Eylan lamb seekh kebab with mint, lime and smoked chili ghee ($21) at Eylan in Menlo Park. Photo by Adrienne Mitchel.

I decided to skip the bread course and go straight into the wood-fired small plates: King trumpet mushrooms with achaari, yogurt, mint and cilantro ($17) and the Eylan lamb seekh kebab with mint, lime and smoked chili ghee ($21). While the mushrooms were good, they paled in comparison to the lamb seekh kebab. It was insanely juicy, seasoned perfectly and featured a bit of spice from the chili ghee. The kebab was so well-flavored that it didn’t even need the chutney served with it, and it was my favorite savory dish of the night.

For the wood-fired large plates, I tried the panch saag, parsnip and tofu with garlic and kasoori methi ($28) and roasted Cornish hen with tomatillo “butter chicken sauce” ($31). I paired both with skillet jalapeno naan, which had a wonderfully fluffy texture but the jalapeno slices would just fall off. The naan would have benefited from diced jalapenos mixed into the dough to distribute the flavor evenly. The panch saag was the most underwhelming dish of the night, but I enjoyed the roasted Cornish hen, which had a grilled caramelization and came with a bright and acidic take on butter chicken gravy.

Shaved rose lassi with strawberry, pistachio and gulkand ($14), left, and masala chai “sundae” with toasted ghee cake, whipped bourbon milk and masala crumble ($12) at Eylan in Menlo Park. Photo by Adrienne Mitchel.

One dessert at Eylan is plenty for two people, as the portion sizes are unexpectedly large. I tried both the masala chai “sundae” with toasted ghee cake, whipped bourbon milk and masala crumble ($12) and the shaved rose lassi with strawberry, pistachio and gulkand ($14). While the flavor and contrasting textures of the masala chai “sundae” yielded a delicious dessert, I couldn’t stop digging into the shaved rose lassi, which was a showstopper. With its height and bright pink color, the dessert is visually stunning. It reminded me of halo halo with all of its textures – crunchy ice, chewy jellies and luscious cream, all with a beautiful rose flavor. It’s definitely a must-order item.

Overall, what stood out to me most about Eylan’s food was its proclivity toward bright and fresh flavors. Indian cuisine can be quite heavy, with a lot of rich curries and fried items, but none of the dishes I tried at Eylan made me feel weighed down.

To watch my review, follow @peninsulafoodist on Instagram.

Eylan, 500 El Camino Real, Suite 101, Menlo Park; 650-420-6866, Instagram: @eylanrestaurant. Open Tuesday to Sunday from 5-10 p.m.

Pauline Ang, left, and Olivia Chen, co-founders of Twrl Milk Tea. Courtesy Twrl Milk Tea.

Asian American motherhood inspires canned milk tea company
Local moms create a heritage brand with Twrl Milk Tea

FROM THE FOODIST

When you support local journalism, you support the Foodist

The Peninsula Foodist is proud to be a sister publication of Palo Alto Online, and as an independent and local news organization, we rely on reader support to bring you 100% original content focusing on the places where you live and work — and of course — eat out. Your support is needed now more than ever. Help sustain local journalism and the Peninsula Foodist by becoming a member. > SUPPORT US TODAY

About the Peninsula Foodist

We cover the dynamic, under-the-radar food scene around the Peninsula through articles, interviews and eating excursions. Pass along tips, comments and recipes to PeninsulaFoodist@PaloAltoOnline.com.

Are you looking to reach locals interested in food and dining on the Peninsula? Learn about advertising in the
Peninsula Foodist newsletter.

You can update your preferences and manage your groups, or if you really never want to hear from us again, including other emails from us you may have signed up for, you can totally unsubscribe from this list.

View this email in your browser