Uyghur Lagman House

Sometimes, you walk into a restaurant for the first time and you’re instantly at ease, like you’ve been there a dozen times before. That’s how we felt about this Uyghur restaurant on Woodhaven Boulevard in Rego Park, where a curtain that reads “cooking with love” divides the kitchen from the dining room. Fake greenery covers the ceiling, traditional instruments decorate the walls, and clear plastic tablecloths ensure the embroidered floral ones beneath remain pristine.

Even at lunchtime, diners linger comfortably here, serenaded by Uyghur music videos playing on the TV. You’ll be in no rush to leave—especially once you try their hand-pulled lagman noodles with an absolutely perfect chew. Come to Uyghur Lagman House for an excellent representation of a cuisine we love that’s still all too hard to find around the city.

Food Rundown

photo credit: Molly Fitzpatrick

Special Lagman

The bouncy noodles are the main attraction, but there are so many things to like about this dish: a deeply aromatic and savory (but not at all spicy, though its deep red color might look that way) sauce, juicy beef, and a hearty stew of tomato, wood ear mushrooms, cabbage, and bell peppers.

photo credit: Molly Fitzpatrick

Samsa

We were so eager to dig into this delicious-smelling pastry that we forgot every warning about opening microwave popcorn bags our parents ever issued and nearly melted our face off with steam on the first bite. No regrets. The pizza crust-adjacent dough is sturdy, and the crunchy corners are the best part. It’s in perfect proportion and textural contrast to the soft filling of ground meat (usually beef, but sometimes lamb as well) and close-to-liquid onions.

Lamb Shish Kebab

The minimum order for these skewers ($3.99 each and served with crunchy raw white onions), is two. This will not pose a problem, because they are delicious. The meat is wonderfully tender and well-seasoned, with a caramelized crust from the grill.

photo credit: Molly Fitzpatrick

Uyghur Manta

These plump steamed dumplings have a juicy beef and lamb filling, with considerable back-of-throat heat from the vinegary chili oil.

Nawat Tea

There’s a handful of teas on the menu at Uyghur Lagman House, including saffron. We like the nawat tea. This loose-leaf black tea serves two, and nawat is the popular Central Asian crystallized sugar it’s served with, which comes as a pair of rock-candy swizzle sticks. Who doesn’t love an interactive beverage?