1001 XINJIANG CUISINE 1001 新疆菜 — Restaurant in Toronto

After last month's disappointing experience at another Xinjiang restaurant, we were hoping to make up for it by trying out this well-rated spot. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite live up to our expectations. To put it plainly, the dishes were just… average—nothing more, nothing less. We ordered the Big Plate Chicken, Cumin Chilli Lamb Kebab, and Lamb Shank Polo. Given how popular the Cumin Chilli Lamb Kebab is in Xinjiang cuisine, we were particularly excited for that signature crispy, fragrant taste with the rich, smoky aroma from the grilled fat. Sadly, it didn’t deliver. The meat was a bit tough and overly chewy, making it hard to enjoy. As for the other dishes, they were similarly unremarkable. Surprisingly, the highlight turned out to be the hand-pulled noodles served with the Big Plate Chicken. Tossed in the rich, flavorful sauce, the noodles had just the right amount of chew and absorbed the broth beautifully. The combination of the sauce’s lingering aroma with the noodles’ glutenous texture was honestly the most satisfying part of the meal. That said, since the noodles were just a side, they didn’t do much to boost our overall impression of the main dish. The ambiance of the restaurant, however, was quite distinct, with seating enclosed in Mongolian yurt-style fabric. While this setup was certainly eye-catching, it also left us with a couple of questions. For one, the blend of Mongolian and Uyghur styles felt a bit out of place, considering the cultural differences between the two. More practically, it made us wonder: in winter, the enclosed space might feel cozy—especially with hot pot—but come summer, wouldn’t these fabric-wrapped seats get unbearably stuffy if the air conditioning doesn’t circulate well enough? All things considered, while the decor was interesting, the food didn’t quite hit the...

My friend & I drove past this plaza and we decided to come back to have Xinjiang food. I was kinda craving the taste…

The outside of the restaurant needs to have some TLC but when I stepped foot inside, it looks 1000 times better. Don’t judge the book by the cover folks 🤭it was hard to find a parking; cars were stacked. Therefore it gave this impression of rare commodity, which led to curiosity. Good organic marketing strategy 🥰

The interior designed in such a way that reflects the xinjiang aesthetic in every detail. I was impressed with the original yogurt (yes! It’s the name 😋) and bread fermented drink. Somehow it was the same yoghurt my mom always made when I was little. The taste is the same but the texture is different. This yogurt is creamy & cheesy which I liked more.

At first we wanted to just come in to check out. So we ordered only few dishes & expecting to go to the other restaurant. However my friends got ambitious and called more. I didn’t take more pics of dishes because I was busy walking around 😂

Within 1 hour after arrival, the restaurant got extremely crowded. All tables and tents were fully occupied, except the private room for larger group.

It was busy the day I went but there was almost no wait time. It can be the size of it that contributes to this winning factor.

Food is great. I find the portion of the meat is large. Someone in my group was fond of the noodles. Pricing is another bonus point in making this restaurant so popular. I liked the vibe of this restaurant. I’d def come back to try some other...

The food is amazing and atmosphere is great, you can sit in a cozy Xinjiang style tent. Lighting is comfortable, not too bright or too dark. I’ve been eating here on special occasions for almost two months and every time their soup laghman does the job. Here’s the thing I really like as well, which is that of you crave something really spicy they will add it for you and it’s actually good unlike some other places I’ve been to where they say it’s 爆辣 but it ends up being 微辣 (like the 丁丁炒面). Naan was extremely delicious and they put lots of potatoes in the 大盘鸡.

Cold chicken dish tasted great with tints of Sichuan peppercorn. Fried laghman and soup will fill your stomach up completely. Grilled Lamb is fresh and is not too salty.

Service is fine, the waiters will come and help once every ten minutes or so to check of the tables need cleaning and are very friendly.

Bathrooms are fine and are clean, which is an upgrade from the last time I went. Overall experience was a 4.8 out of 5. Great restaurant to go to if you want to try out some great Xinjiang cuisine!

The photos below...