Houston’s sprawling Chinatown can be overwhelming at first, and it might sometimes seem insular to outsiders – e.g. some menus and signage are in Mandarin or Vietnamese only. But most restaurant owners are quite friendly and welcome anyone who breezes through their doors. Here’s a good place to start: Afandim, a Chinese halal restaurant owned by Sabe Nurmaimaiti (photo above), a chef of towering proportions and a well-known soccer player back in his home province of Xin Jiang.

Xin Jiang is located in the northwest region of China bordering Afghanistan, Mongolia and Kazakhstan, so the people who come from there – the Uyghurs – are often Muslims who look more like Afghanis or Persians than like Chinese. However the Uyghurs speak Mandarin, which can be just a little disorienting.

Afandim is Houston’s third Uyghur restaurant; the first two were Xin Jiang BBQ and Uyghur Bistro. We were told that Nurmaimaiti, who was previously the chef at Uyghur Bistro, left his old position to open Afandim, which is tucked in the bustling strip mall on Bellaire Boulevard that is also home to Welcome Supermarket.

We recently stopped in for lunch. As soon as we joined our friend and host, the server poured us cups of steaming red tea steeped with goji berries and red dates, a soothing brew to accompany our perusing of the menu. Nurmaimaiti decorated the restaurant space himself, and it features trinkets, ornate frames and tapestries intended to give visitors a glimpse of Uyghur culture.

Uyghur food features both Arabic and Chinese culinary roots. As noted above, the restaurant is halal, which means that the meat is butchered according to Islamic law. There are numerous lamb dishes, Uyghur-style sauces and basmati rice pilafs along with fried noodles and meat pies. Portions are huge here, perfect for family-style sharing. We began with house-made Uyghur-style yogurt studded with black sesame seeds and golden raisins ($2.49, photo above). Its thin, tart flavor proved to be a nice complement to the spicier dishes that followed.

Lamb served as the focus of our meal, especially the table favorite mur gosh korimisi – crisped bits of stir-fried lamb with chewy-gelatinous petals of wood ear mushrooms ($11.99). The smoky sauce highlighted the lamb and crazy-delicious commingling of flavors and textures. Tawa kawap ($11.99 for a small, $20.99 for a large, photo above) showcased braised lamb shank simmered in a rich sauce fragrant with star anise. It’s served on a bed of sliced flatbread and topped with rings of raw onions. One poke of our chopsticks, and the tender meat slipped off the bone.

We also ordered a platter of tuhogoshi kormisi ($12.99 for a small, $19.99 for a large, photo above). It features chunks of bone-in stir-fried chicken, wide hand-made noodles and boiled potatoes colored red by the spicy chili sauce. The noodles are made to order, so dishes like this one require a bit of time to prepare. For a “small” portion that we ordered, this choice was a wonderful bargain.

Afandim’s imaginative flavors, gentle prices and friendly staff make it an attractive spot for those new to Chinatown. Or to those who regularly frequent the area: Keep your eyes peeled for this new gem. Needless to say, we will be back for more.

Afandim, 9126 Bellaire Blvd. just west of Strake Jesuit, 281-888-5597
Hours: Tues. to Sun. 11 am to 3 pm, 5 to 9 pm