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A second Uyghur restaurant has opened in Mountain View.
Kusan Bazaar, founded in December in Milpitas as a sister restaurant to Kusan Uyghur Cuisine in San Jose, soft opened at the former location of Jersey Mike’s Subs at the end of June. It plans to hold its grand opening Tuesday, July 15. The sit-down restaurant offers a more succinct menu featuring its other locations’ bestsellers in a modern, French-inspired ambiance. Find a variety of lamb preparations, pilaf plates and housemade yogurt beverages – all under $30.
“I know when we talk about Chinese food, people think about Panda Express kind of Chinese food,” said Cindy Fu, founder of Kusan Bazaar. “But China has all kinds of different ethnic groups, and we have different food styles.”
Uyghur cuisine comes from the Xinjiang region of China and blends Central Asian and Chinese culinary traditions. As the majority of Uyghurs are Muslim, Uyghur food typically is halal, which, among other requirements, means there is no pork or alcohol. At Kusan Bazaar, not only is the food halal, but MSG is also not used.
Kusan Bazaar opened just five months after Halal Street Xinjiang Cuisine & BBQ established itself as the only Uyghur restaurant in Mountain View. It adds to a growing number of Uyghur restaurants in the area, including Mrs. Khan in Menlo Park.
Unique to Kusan Bazaar’s Mountain View location is the inclusion of signature pilaf sets, which allow customers to order meat, pilaf and salad for $18.95-$25.95, versus ordering three separate plates, which can be pricey, Fu said. Pilaf sets come with braised beef, lamb rib or lamb shank; pilaf; two quail eggs; yogurt; and Uyghur salad, a fresh and acidic mixture of shredded tomato, onion and green bell peppers, seasoned with coriander, red pepper, sesame oil and vinegar.
In addition to the pilaf sets, Kusan Bazaar’s menu features grilled items, such as lamb and chicken kebabs ($8.95-$9.95 for two skewers) as well as a Wellington-style roasted lamb shank, which features tender lamb covered in puff pastry speckled with sesame seeds, served with hot chili sauce, housemade barbecue powder and housemade yogurt dipping sauce ($28.95).
The restaurant also offers beef or lamb noodle soup, lamb broth with handmade mini wontons and handmade lamb or beef dumplings ($15.95-$17.95). Notably, laghman and big plate chicken are not on the menu.
Kusan Bazaar specializes in a variety of housemade yogurt beverages, in flavors such as honey yuzu, passion fruit, blueberry, mango and more ($6.50). Three desserts are available: baklava, housemade yogurt with almonds and honey and a dish of housemade yogurt that’s been strained to remove the whey for a thick, rich texture, served with fig jam, honey, dried rose petals and an ice cream cone for a crispy texture ($4.95-$7.95).
While Fu is not Uyghur herself, the founder of Kusan Uyghur Cuisine, who is a longtime friend of Fu, is. Fu currently works in the tech industry as an operations manager and debuted in the food and beverage industry last year when she founded Kusan Bazaar.
The head chef, who asked his name not be included for privacy concerns, has more than 20 years of experience in traditional Uyghur and Central Asian cuisine. He trained in Xinjiang, China, and has cooked in restaurants in Turkey and the UAE.
“(We hope) to preserve and elevate Uyghur cuisine in the U.S. while staying true to its roots,” Fu wrote in an email.
The interior of Kusan Bazaar features a modern minimalist aesthetic, 40 seats, a black-and-white color palette and a white-and-silver Zimomo peeking through the window (a Zimomo is a larger version of a Labubu, a trendy collectible). Chopsticks and other flatware are gold-colored. Fu pointed out that the white leather seats symbolizes Kusan Bazaar’s commitment to cleanliness and detail, as dark seating is a popular choice at restaurants to hide stains. No outdoor seating is currently available.
“We just hope the environment makes the customer feel like they’re at home (and that) everything is clean and cozy,” Fu said.
Black fungus salad with goji berries, onion, garlic, cilantro, soy sauce, chili oil, sesame oil and vinegar ($7.99) at Kusan Bazaar in Mountain View. Photo by Adrienne Mitchel. 
Cold chili chicken with onion, green bell pepper, cilantro, dried red pepper, sesame oil, chili oil and prickly pepper oil ($9.50) at Kusan Bazaar in Mountain View. Photo by Adrienne Mitchel. 
Eggplant with mashed garlic, cilantro, sesame oil, prickly pepper oil, chili oil and garlic water ($8.99) at Kusan Bazaar in Mountain View. Photo by Adrienne Mitchel.
Fu plans to continue expanding Kusan Bazaar and said she’s exploring opportunities in San Mateo, Fremont and Oakland.
Kusan Bazaar, 634 N. San Antonio Road, Mountain View; 650-215-6118; Instagram: @kusanuyghurcuisine. Open daily from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5-9 p.m.
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