Serving up domestic delicacies(2)

Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region: Hantengri Muslim Gourmet Restaurant

You might have seen people making hand-pulled noodles outside some Xinjiang restaurants in Beijing, but don't be fooled. Li Jing, a waitress at Hantengri Muslim Gourmet Restaurant, revealed that most only use the noodles for soup.

For the real deal, try latiaozi: a Uyghur staple of hand-pulled noodles mixed with fried vegetables, mutton and beef sourced direct from Xinjiang. "We recommend red willow mutton kebabs. We substitute bamboo skewers for red willow ones," Li explained. "The red willow infuses an aromatic scent that makes the mutton taste even more succulent."

Address: 7 Sanlihe Lu, Haidian district

Contact: 6833-5599

Recommended dishes: red willow mutton kebabs, finger mutton, sauté spicy chicken

Average price per person: 50-70 yuan

Tibet Autonomous Region: Qomolangma Restaurant

This Tibetan cuisine restaurant borrows its name from the world's highest mountain Qomolangma. Customers will feel whisked away to the roof of the world with the restaurant's authentic Tibetan decor, complete with stuffed yak head mounted on the wall. The dishes here are light, cooked in order to preserve the original tastes of meats, including yak, goat and mutton served dried or cooked in a hearty stew. Sesame saffron mutton makes an ideal main dish, topped off with yak butter tea and yak yogurt for dessert.

Address: B1, 149 Gulou Xidajie, Xicheng district

Contact: 6401-8822/6401-8822

Recommended dishes: shredded yak meat, saffron mutton, yak yogurt

Average price per person: 70-100 yuan