Cumin Lamb at Chinese Sichuan Cuisine: As Good As Ever

By Katharine Shilcutt Wed., Sep. 15 2010 at 2:00 PM

Categories: Meat!

Photo by Robb Walsh

While Robb Walsh was counting down his 100 favorite dishes in Houston, one of his choices was an unusual and delicious dish he'd encountered while reviewing Chinese Halal Cuisine: cumin lamb, which he placed in the No. 64 spot on his list. The lamb, cooked with -- as indicated -- healthy amounts of cumin along with chile and garlic, is a specialty of the Uyghur people of Xinjiang Province in western China.

According to Walsh:

The cumin lamb lunch special at Chinese Halal Cuisine on Bellaire tastes like Chinese chili con carne. The pungent aroma of this spicy lamb dish is reminiscent of Tex-Mex because cumin, chiles, and garlic are the major components in Chinese Muslim Uyghur cooking.

When I got to Chinese Halal one night to find out that it had suddenly become Chinese Sichuan Cuisine, I -- along with my dining companions -- was concerned that the name change meant a menu change as well. Luckily for everyone, some of Chinese Halal's most popular dishes, the cumin lamb included, remain on the new menu at Chinese Sichuan Cusine.

Of course, there's more to enjoy about the new-ish restaurant in Chinatown than just the old favorites, as seen in this week's cafe review. Grab some friends on an evening when you have plenty of time and head out to find a new favorite for yourself.