Best Lamb Ribs in Ulanbutong! 🍖

Our First Meal in Ulanbutong!

After checking in at James Joyce Coffetel, we went for late lunch just a few hundred meters away from the scenic area — and surprisingly, a few restaurants were still open even though it’s off-season!

Our driver, who actually grew up in this small town, brought us to a local Mongolian restaurant called 那日满达蒙餐 (Narimanda Mongolian Cuisine) — and wow, it’s lamb heaven! 🐑

Thanks to him, we got a private room, but honestly the restaurant is huge and comfy even if you sit outside. You know they’re truly local when you see a lamb head being served — yes, an actual head 😅 (our family didn’t dare to try that one).

Instead, we ordered the classics:

Chuan’r (lamb skewers) — smoky, juicy, and full of flavour

奶豆腐 (nai doufu) — tastes like crispy milk curd coated with sticky caramel, hard to pick up with chopsticks so we used fingers instead 😂

Shaomai (Inner Mongolian dumplings) — stuffed with minced lamb and chives

Pickled vegetables — because it’s cold season, no fresh greens, so this was their alternative (Skip this if you are particular about having fresh greens in your meal, perhaps dabao some fresh raw veggies from Chifeng)

But the real superstar? 💥 The grilled lamb ribs.
Crispy outside, tender inside, perfectly seasoned with salty and spicy herbs — the fat melts right in your mouth. Honestly, it beats the imported Australian lamb we get back in Malaysia. I ate it too fast and forgot to take a proper photo 😭

Tips:
1️⃣ Portions are huge, so if you’re 6 people, order for 4!
2️⃣ Prices are very reasonable considering the quality and location.
3️⃣ They only speak Mandarin, so if you can’t, use a translation app. (Or try your best with sign language like me)

Even though it’s a small rural town, this meal was one of the most memorable ones of our Inner Mongolia trip ❤️

We left the restaurant super full and ready to see the sunset at the scenic spot.

#travel #couplestrip #localfood #china #innermongolia