My father was in town last week and because he'd never been to Shanghai before, or China for that matter, I wanted to take him somewhere special, somewhere a bit different. We'd already done Teppanyaki, Black Cafe and had lunch in the Radisson's revolving restaurant, so I asked a knowledgeable and vaguely sensible friend to recommend somewhere equally exciting for our final night. "Xinjiang" he said, and taking this as reliable information, I called up, booked a table and thought no more about it.

But perhaps I should have. Although, despite our initial surprise at what we found, my father and I had a fantastic evening there - I'm not sure I actually have a bad word to say about the place.

Let me interject here with a quick word on the restaurant's name, because Xinjiang - for those of you as geographically ignorant as me - is also the name of China's largest and most north-westerly province. If you knew that already and thought my friend had recommended I go to Xinjiang, the place, for a special dinner with my father, you might have thought he was having a laugh. Well, we could have gone there, but let's be honest, Xujiahui's a lot closer.

Naturally, the restaurant takes its name from the province for a reason. Xinjiang, the place, is not like the rest of northern or central China, as it's far more influenced by its Middle Eastern border neighbours, such as Afghanistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Consequently, Xinjiang, the restaurant, is also unlike most other eateries in this part of China, as it has a more Arabic than Chinese flavour to it. But my father and I didn't know that.

Essentially, forget your chopsticks and your noodles - the food at Xinjiang (the restaurant) is a 'lamb-fest'; it was all anyone was eating. We got a giant leg of lamb (we could have had a whole one, head and all), which the waiter hacked up in to bits for us and then we ate with our fingers, wearing the attractive plastic gloves we were given. How thoughtful.

We also had some ground lamb mixed with diced vegetables which we put in pancakes and a salad (which didn't have lamb, alas), all for 160rmb, including drinks. Another waiter came round with small free lamb pastries too, in case we hadn't had enough on the lamb front, but which were very nice. All the food was served quickly and the lamb was well cooked, giving it a delicious, sweet-ish flavour.

If you can't read Chinese characters, Xinjiang (the restaurant) can be hard to spot from the street. It has a big copper oven outside, if that helps, but otherwise you'll have to go by the fact that there aren't many other restaurants nearby, so if you see people going in to a building, assume they're heading to Xinjiang. Just inside you'll see a few tables, some metal pots in a glass cabinet, some large carpets with curious pictures of young girls holding kittens hanging on the wall and a staircase leading up to the real dining area (they only serve a few kebabs downstairs).

Once you're upstairs, it's a whole different world to the quiet street below. The restaurant's decor, the waiters' dress and the attitude of staff and customers alike are what really make the place. Come expecting a lively atmosphere, not class, and you'll be in for a good time.

The simple wooden chairs and tables, the tacky plastic trees and hanging vines with fake grapes are all part of the experience, as are the waiters' bright yellow shirts and the lively dancing of both diners and employees to the traditional Xinjiang (province) music, which is oddly played on an electronic keyboard.

The service in Xinjiang (the restaurant) is excellent too. Despite arriving at the busiest time and having made a reservation which no one knew or cared about, my father and I were given a table without delay. Upon request, the waiter recommended a few dishes, happily took our photo, gaily sung for us and swiftly attended to our every beer-needing whim. Eventually, reluctantly, with our bellies full of sheep and smiles on our faces, we left long after most of the rest of the restaurant. There was no baa humbug about this place. (Sorry, I just couldn't resist that...).

Shanghai Xinjiang Restaurant - 280 Yishan Lu, near Nandan Lu

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