Iconic dishes · Xinjiang
Big Plate Chicken (Dapanji)
大盘鸡 — A whole chicken stewed with potatoes, bell peppers and belt-noodles in a chili-laced gravy, served on a plate the size of a car wheel — one dish, four people…
Dapanji is the Xinjiang-Sichuan borderland’s proudest invention: chicken joints browned, simmered with whole garlic, star anise, potatoes and dried chilies in a glossy dark sauce, finished with wide hand-pulled noodles that soak up the gravy. It arrives on a tray big enough to anchor a boat.
The dish originated on the trucking routes out of Shawan and remains road-trip food at heart — order it mid-journey between Urumqi and Turpan with a round of naan to mop up. Heat is adjustable; the potato-to-chicken ratio is not negotiable.
Where to eat it
- Highway restaurants between Urumqi and Turpan
- Xinjiang restaurants in Urumqi and Xi’an
Named tables that do it well
- Tong Sheng Xiang — Local Institution
- De Fa Chang — Local Institution
- Fan Ji Roujiamo — Local Institution
- Lao Sun Jia — Local Institution
Routes that eat their way here
More dishes to know
- Lanzhou Hand-Pulled Beef Noodles (兰州牛肉面)
- Dumplings (饺子)
- Cong You Bing (Scallion Pancake) (葱油饼)
- Peking Duck (北京烤鸭)
- Hairy Crab (大闸蟹)
- Dongpo Pork (东坡肉)