Lao Hui Min, Burwood

Lao Hui Min does Xinjiang food. You may be thinking that Xinjiang sounds vaguely Chinese and you’d be correct. It’s a region in northwestern China with a long, rich history and a large Uygher population. The owner, Bill, has been cooking this food for a long time and his sparsely decorated and very green restaurant is well-liked in Burwood. As in Chinese Islamic cuisine, you can expect most of the menu to be made up of lamb (both meat and offal) dishes and a liberal use of cumin and black pepper.

I went to Lao Hui Min for a late dinner so it was quiet. Quiet enough to hear the thwack thwack thwack sound of hand-made noodles being smacked against a board ringing out from the kitchen. This piqued my dining companions’ interest but the sight of offal on the menu turned that interest into mild concern. Me? I’m not too phased by offal; I’ve had ‘tamer’ ones like blood sausage and cakes and more adventurous ones like goat’s heart and pig intestines. Offal is no biggie.

Noodles with minced beef in soybean paste ($11.80)

The noodles are stretched and boiled to order, then covered in a gloopy sauce with potatoes, white radish, carrots, onions, and beef. It’s salty and hearty, while the noodles are slightly resistive to the bite. I’m thinking that it’s a version of leghmen, a popular Uygher noodle dish with a stir fried topping. (I did a fair bit of cuisine research while planning my holiday last year).

Stir-fried lung ($13.80)

This is something to add to my rolodex of offal eats: lung. I’d definitely call it an acquired texture. When you bite down, it feels like a thick jelly, not unlike the texture of congealed blood cakes. As for the taste itself, it’s very peppery and not at all off-putting. Even my dining companions agreed. The first step is getting over that fact that you’re eating a lamb’s organs. After that, you’re all set.

Lamb skewers ($10/4 pieces)

Lamb skewers are a popular Xinjiang food; they’re seasoned with salt, black pepper, and the all-important cumin before being cooked on a barbecue. Each person gets a skewer that you’re supposed to hold at both ends and use your mouth to slide the meat off of the pointy end (into your mouth of course, where else would it go?). It’s soft, well-seasoned and my favorite item from dinner.

Shallot pancake ($6.80)

This was really liked by the table. The pancake was extra crispy on the outside and didn’t break apart when you poked at it with a chopstick. The inside was still a little bit chewy and contained a good amount shallots. Too many times have I seen this be limp and lacking in shallots. It was not the case here.

Pan-fried leek dumplings ($9)

These nicely crimped dumplings should be eaten as soon as they’re brought to the table otherwise you risk a soggy bottom from all the moisture inside. The pastry is crumbly like a curry puff and an almost unbelievable yellow. I made the mistake of waiting a while before eating mine so by the time I got around to it, it disintegrated in my hands. All I was left with was a sad crimped skeleton and no filling. It didn’t taste so bad, just eat it quickly but also try not to burn yourself at the same time.

Lao Hui Min doesn’t have a website, or a phone number, or much presence on social media. The only reason that it’s on the internet is because of bloggers writing about their experiences and magazines like Broadsheet including it in their ‘local knowledge’ series. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a huge fan of offal or not, there’s something hearty for everyone. You’ll definitely leave with a full stomach.

Lao Hui Min
193 Burwood Rd
Burwood NSW 2134