EAST MEETS WEST WITH HAND-PULLED NOODLES AT BOGDA,
In my cookbook reviewing days, when most of the Chinese food I ate was Cantonese, Sichuan, or food court, a copy of Duguid and Alford’s “Beyond The Great Wall” landed in my mailbox. Through it, I learned about China’s diverse cuisines and brought some — including Xinjiang province’s Uighur (or Uyghur; pronounced “wee-gur”) dishes — into my kitchen. In the decade since I reviewed that book, Waterloo Region’s culinary landscape has expanded, and new-to-us foods found their home here. One of these is Uighur cuisine at Waterloo’s Bogda Restaurant.
Outside the university district restaurant, the combined aromas of warm Middle Eastern, Indian, and Chinese kitchens hung in the chilly evening air. Inside the bright and cosy space, we snatched glimpses of Kashgar’s market: doppas (embroidered men’s peaked skullcaps), painted ceramics, carved ornaments, and small richly decorated rugs. Photographs of the Bogda Shan mountain range lined the walls. We took a table as groups of students started or ended their meals.
Dishes range from salads and soups to dumplings and meat pies to soupy noodle bowls to stir-frys to braised dishes. Diners can find traditional favourites — dapanji/ big plate chicken (spicy chicken and potatoes with noodles), polo (lamb pilau), and fresh-made läghmän (wheat noodles). About one-third of the menu is described as “Uyghur-style,” which may not help those unfamiliar with the cuisine.
The food reflects a culture influenced by Xinjiang’s neighbours and shaped by centuries on the Silk Road. The province borders several Central Asian countries as well as Russia, Pakistan, India, and Mongolia. Lamb and beef feature often; chicken and offal also appear. Countless numbers of caravans also left their influences: chay (chai), kawap (kebab), nan (naan), polo (pilau), shorpa (çorba), tawa (tava). The kitchen released a procession of dishes and bowls, as each was ready. Portions are hearty and innately shareable, with each dish plenty enough for two or three people (or one ravenous student).
We started with Atkan Chay ($5). The milky black tea came in (quite frankly) a gorgeous copper teapot that was handdecorated with a simple floral pattern. We chose the sweet tea, but salty chay was an option.
We tore pieces of kalonji (nigella seed)-freckled Nan ($5) to pinch mouthfuls of Kazan Kawap ($15). The stamped pattern on the nan produced a quilted effect on the tendercrumbed wheat flatbread. Cumin and pepper (two signature Uighur spices) punctuated the kazan kawap — stir-fried tender slices of lamb with onion.
The Samsak Tamlik Tarhamak ($7) — chunked cucumbers in a light salad dressing mixed with a generous helping of minced garlic — wasn’t for the faint-hearted (which we weren’t).
The cool crunch of the veg was a pleasant foil against the lamb’s spiciness and bread’s softness. Sopping up puddles of thin garlicky-cucumber dressing with nan was a small joy.
The Shorpa ($13) — a consommé with onion and chunks of lamb on the bone — was a good choice for a cold winter night. The broth was gingery and the meat tender. Lily pads of fresh coriander floated on top.
Our final selection (there weren’t desserts) was Korma Lagman ($13), a dish with bell peppers, cabbage, onion, beef slices, and hand-pulled noodles in tomato gravy. The long bouncy strands reminded my companion of ones made by her Hungarian grandmother. The gravy balanced savoury with sweet, hinted of garlic and ginger, and tingled with Sichuan pepper.
The few service blips we experienced were excused since our server was learning the ropes. That said, when she couldn’t answer questions, the owners cheerfully stepped in. They helped us select dishes, checked in on us, and offered house-made chili condiment (roughly ground dried chilies mixed with a bit of oil), so we could adjust our dishes’ heat.
With flavourful food that’s familiar and exotic, Bogda offers a rich tapestry of history with each mouthful. We finished our chay, slurped the last of our noodles, and bundled our leftovers. We knew we would return for more. Assessing food, atmosphere, service and prices. Dining Out restaurant reviews are based on anonymous visits to the establishments. Restaurants do not pay for any portion of the reviewer’s meal. Jasmine Mangalaseril can be reached at twitter.com/cardamomaddict.