"A new Chinese barbecue restaurant has opened in Linda Vista, replacing the old Saigon Restaurant location adjacent to Thuan Phat supermarket. This is the second location of Xinjiang BBQ, which opened in Monterey Park in 2017. Inspired by meat dishes in Xinjiang, a city in northwestern China, the Chinese fusion restaurant also offers lamb soup, lamb chops, lamb kidneys, and lamb testicles as well as a good selection of barbecued skewers, including beef kabobs, crispy pork, Taiwanese sausage, and chicken gizzards which can be ordered spicy or mild. The menu extends to seafood snacks like barbeque oysters and spicy clams, plus fried rice, sweet sour fries, eggplant with garlic, and fried tofu. Sweets include skewers of grilled buns lightly dusted with sugar come on skewers and small desserts filled with yogurt and red bean paste. Designed like a 360-degree art installation, the immersive experience starts in the 2,800-square-foot restaurant’s lobby which is set with motion sensors so customers can interact with roving images on the floor. Giant screens on every wall display various scenes, including Chinese scroll paintings whose characters and objects move within the artwork. Each table also features individual screens broadcasting Chinese and Western music videos and microphones for karaoke. Owner Xun Tong tells Eater he plans on expanding the menu to include hot pot, and hopes to serve beer and soju once the restaurant receives its liquor license. Known for keeping late-night hours in Monterey Park, Xinjiang BBQ will also stay open late in Linda Vista. The restaurant is open from Monday to Thursday, 5 p.m. to 2 a.m., Friday and Saturday, 5 p.m. to 3 a.m., Sunday, 5 p.m. to midnight." - Helen I. Hwang
