Tarim Garden Xinjiang Cuisine

Bouncy, Hand-Pulled Noodles Star at New Uyghur Restaurant Tarim Gin Santa Clara | Eater SF

"Tucked in a small plaza in Santa Clara, Tarim Garden specializes in the rare Xinjiang Uyghur cuisine of the Ili region, offering dishes I rarely find in the Bay Area. Owner Lei Han, a third-generation chef who moved from Ili five years ago and started a halal food delivery business with his spouse in 2023, opened the permanent restaurant in 2024 to share festival-centered dishes like lamb polo (pilaf) and hand-pulled beef laghman. The laghman—available with beef, minced beef, or tomato and egg, and expanded Mon–Thu to include specials such as lamb kidney, beef tripe, beef with chives, and lamb—is made with noodles Han pulls fresh every morning; they’re thin and bouncy from rolling, stretching, and slapping, tossed in a tomato-based, broth-like sauce with charred sliced beef, bell peppers, cloud ear mushrooms, garlic, and cumin, producing a grassy bell-pepper aroma and earthy depth. I also enjoyed liang pi (cold skin noodles) served cold and tossed in aromatic chiles with spaghettified cucumber, chunks of spongy seitan, and cilantro; the chicken spicy rice noodles come in a thick, fiery sauce topped with snappy celery; and other Xinjiang-style plates such as lamb leg polo and big plate chicken showcase cumin and Xinjiang’s sun-dried chiles. Han aims to keep recipes about 95% traditional while tweaking where necessary, and each table is supplied with a fresh sheet of paper so you can slurp without worrying about stains. Tarim Garden is open seven days a week, 11:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.–9 p.m." - Octavio Peña