XINJIANG BBQ — Restaurant in Monterey Park

Was looking for a place that serves Chinese cumin lamb skewers. Apparently, when we looked on the list suggested on Yelp, my boyfriend immediately chose this one since it is known in China. He was craving more skewers after the ones we got from the 626 Night Market the previous weekend. It wasn't the same vendor at the Night Market but was still pretty good. It wasn't too overly spiced, and you can cater to your liking on how spicy or whether you want it more dry or not. Extra condiments on the table if you want to add more spices.

It was kind of hard to find as it is located on a small boulevard and small stores. It barely has any street lights at night, and it's tucked all the way in the back corner of the little complex. You'll notice where they are since it is the only place that has a bright Christmas tree right in front of the store, and Christmas lights lit up all around to grab your attention. Since this is mainly a late night experience, you can use all the parking space in the complex to wait in your car while waiting for your turn.

It's better if you speak Chinese when you go there. They do speak English. We came around 8.30 pm on a Friday night and waited about 40 minutes for two people. It was a good timing as it seems more people come here later in the evening and great for groups. I would suggest just order to-go ahead of time, pick it up, and enjoy at home.

The place is very limited seating (max 35), lots of images/videos projected all along the walls. The chairs and seating are minimal decor, like you're seating at an outside bar vendor. It's nice that the place cooks the skewers outside where you're not covered in smoke. They will place the skewers as they're done cooking and place it on the main platter. At the time, it was $6.99 for 4 skewers.

Place is definitely a fun experience, a bit trendy for the younger crowd. Probably not a place for family with...

Decided to give this try since it was recommended by my sister for skewers. We arrived and was seated. It was a neat setup. Each table had a TV that was playing karaoke songs. You can request for the microphone if you feel like singing (so basically free karaoke). You scan their QR code and order online.

We decided on the chicken gristle, chicken skin, chicken gizzard, beef kebob, and intestines (4 skewers each) and 1 beef tongue, the triple delight and garlic cucumbers. The skewers were served on a wooden board in the middle of the table. The only thing is they served the skewers really quite so everything gets cold fast. My favorite was the garlic cucumbers. Its a different flavor from places I've tried before. More on the salty side but it actually brought of the flavors more and I enjoyed it. The beef kebob was good, very tender and flavorful meat. The tripe delight was ok. Nothing special. Chicken skin was crispy but lacked flavor. I prefer the more sweet seasoning. The beef tongue was flavorful and tender as well. The chicken gristle and the gizzard were a downer. Both were not crispy or crunchy which is usually how I like them. Flavor was mostly spicy and lacked cumin. They did offer side seasoning but its not the same as cooking it with it on so the flavor can seep into the meat.

They have a huge parking lot. Service was just ok. Had to ask twice for sugar. Seems like a good place so I think I'll most likely be back just for the garlic cucumbers and...

Nestled in the corner of a shopping plaza in Monterey Park, Xinjiang BBQ is an unassuming restaurant that draws quite a crowd. We had to put our name on the Yelp waiting list, and there was almost always a line. Inside, the restaurant features a 360-degree video display of live scenes from Xinjiang, China. While the constantly moving walls made me a bit dizzy, it added an authentic touch to the ambiance.

The food was the highlight of our visit. We ordered mutton and beef skewers, as well as octopus, and they were all delicious, reminiscent of the flavors we experienced in China. Although traveling to Xinjiang isn’t easy for us as foreigners, we had the chance to sample Xinjiang cuisine in Beijing, which is why we were excited to see fried shredded potato on the menu here. They were crispy and tasty, just as we remembered.

As an older couple, we felt a bit out of place among the younger crowd, but the food made it worth it. Xinjiang BBQ is definitely a spot for young people, but anyone who appreciates good food...