Silk Road in Camberwell, London

Silk Road in south London’s Camberwell is an old haunt. Back when I used to crash in ~~a food dessert~~ New Cross Gate, a trip to Camberwell (or nearby Brixton or Peckham) was a prerequisite for a satisfying local meal. Silk Road on Camberwell Church Street always delighted me with its spiced and spicy food inspired by China’s Xinjiang region… I say inspired because in addition to serving Xinjiang’ regional Uyghur cuisine, which is mainly halal, Silk Road also offers a bounty of porky goodness, as well as a handful of Sichuan dishes.

But there are also very traditional Uyghur dishes on the menu like längmän (hand pulled noodles, pictured above) served with lamb, cabbage, peppers, garlic, and spices. And grilled skewered meat and fish dishes called “shish” abound.

Uyghur cuisine exhibits a fascinating blend of Eurasian influences, with elements of Asian, Anatolian and Slavic traditions thrown in. The multi-ethnic recipes of the area are indebted to the region’s location on the Silk Route. And due to linguistic and cultural similarities, the names of Uyghur food are reminiscent of Anatolian recipes.

On a trip back to Silk Road last month, I found the place unchanged and the thick, hand pulled noodles as satisfying as ever. This time the trip was from across town rather than a few post codes over, but the journey was just as rewarding.