Since Queen Amannisa closed it doors last year, there are only two Uyghur restaurants left in the DC beltway. Dolan Uyghur is a great choice for trying the food of China’s Xinjiang region.
Upon entering the cozy little restaurant at the entrance of the Cleveland Park Metro station, you quickly realize this cuisine is more middle eastern than typically Chinese. The smells of cumin and singed lamb kebabs will make this abundantly clear.
If you’re on the keto diet, then maybe steer clear as dumplings and hand-pulled noodles are popular here. During my last visit I ordered the samsa to start–this is a baked bun filled with ground beef, onions and spices. As a side order I asked for the most popular item on the menu–the lamb kebab. For the main dishes, I order Korma chop, the signature fried noodles with sliced beef, chives, onions, and peppers. Alongside the noodles, I ordered the Goshnan, which is a crunchy, fried bread filled with ground beef, lamb and onions.
Of the dished I tried, the noodles were my favorite dish. The fresh hand made noodles fried with meat and veggetables made for a perfectly balanced and well seasoned meal. The Goshnan was underwhelming with a rather bland meat filling. Overall, I would give Dolan Uyghur a tasty/authenticity score of 7.3/10.
Washington D.C. Asian Food 