12Muqam Uyghur Restaurant

In the heart of Newcastle City Centre, 12Muqam Uyghur Restaurant brings the soulful flavours of the Silk Road to the North East. This is a kitchen where spice and comfort find easy harmony, where slow-cooked warmth meets the lively pull of handmade noodles, and where lamb, wheat and rice take centre stage.

Noodle lovers will make a beeline for beef Lehman, those hand-pulled strands crowned with tender beef and stir-fried vegetables, full of savoury depth and gentle heat. For something heartier, big plate chicken arrives as a generous, aromatic stew, its glossy broth clinging to springy belt noodles for a meal that is both bold and restorative.

Small plates tell their own story: samsa, baked buns stuffed with minced lamb and onion then finished with sesame, offer flaky richness; lampung brings cool relief with mung bean jelly and chickpeas in a savoury, mildly spicy sauce. Then there is Uyghur pilaf, fragrant rice with lamb shank, carrots, onions and spices, balancing sweetness, spice and comfort in every spoonful.

Expect honest cooking, satisfying portions and flavours that linger long after the last noodle has gone. Settle in, take your time, and let this Silk Road soundtrack play out on the palate. Book your place, bring your appetite, and follow the pull of the noodle.