I went to "Uyghur Cuisine DOLAN" in Hongo Sanchome! I was a bit skeptical when I heard about Uyghur cuisine, but it's actually a mix of Chinese and Mongolian influences, with lots of interesting dishes. We tried the following dishes: Kao You Rou (fried pork), Laghman Uyghur Polo Set, Chicken in Sichuan pepper sauce, Lamb heart skewers, Stir-fried dried tofu, and a vegetable salad. Laghman is like Uyghur yakisoba, with stir-fried beef and spicy ingredients topped with long, flat noodles that you cut with scissors. The Polo Set is like fried rice or pilaf, with raisins on top that give it a mild flavor. It tastes amazing when eaten with the lamb skewers! Adding unsweetened yogurt for a flavor change makes it even more delicious. Personally, I really liked the stir-fried dried tofu - the texture was great! You can choose the level of spiciness, so even those who don't like spicy food can enjoy it! The Uyghur beer (500ml can) was refreshing and easy to drink - I may have had a bit too much though! The juice I had at the end was tea-based with a cola-like flavor, giving off an exotic vibe. The atmosphere of the restaurant is very cozy and welcoming. It faces the main street, so there were many families and groups of friends enjoying their meals. I highly recommend you to try it out! To the staff, I apologize for staying so long. Thank you for the delicious food. It was a great meal! Thank you!

Second time at a Uyghur restaurant. Last time I had laghman at a different place in Hatsudai, so this time I ordered polo. I recently tried a Uzbekistan dish called plov, which looks and sounds quite similar. Since Uyghurs and Silk Road were connected, they probably originated from the same dish. Plov is sweet with lots of carrots. The meat portion is small. The spicy lamb skewers are delicious, so having them before the polo makes it even tastier. The atmosphere of the restaurant is new and too clean. I prefer a more Uyghur-style interior with a different ambiance.

According to Doran's commentary, the Uighurs are Turkish people living in western China. Their cuisine features dishes made with wheat and lamb. The walls are decorated with explanations of the dishes, and tambourine-like objects with drawings are displayed. On the monitor, a man who appears to be Uighur is singing. (7/17/2023) I revisited to eat Laghman (excluding tax 1,300 yen). I also tried a drink called Wang Lao Ji (excluding tax 300 yen) without asking what it was made of. From the price, I guessed it was a soft drink rather than alcohol. The portion of Laghman was generous, and it was enough to make me full. It had lamb meat on top. The noodles were delicious. I plan to eat it again sometime. Wang Lao Ji was not to my taste (thin and sweet), but I was satisfied to try something unusual. (6/26/2023) After seeing a review of Hamasan's food court, I visited for the first time on a weekday just before 6 pm when it was still bright. There were three Asian (possibly Uighur) foreign guests, one male and one female. I ordered the Uighur Polo Set (excluding tax 1,300 yen) which seemed to be recommended. Polo is a dish similar to pilaf with carrots. It comes with two skewers of grilled lamb and yogurt. I was told I could pour the yogurt over it, so I did. It was quite delicious. In terms of service, they provide wet wipes. They disinfect the table after customers leave. There are no chair backs, so it's not a place to linger, but I was satisfied with the price comparison. Next time, I want to try Laghman.

I felt like eating lagman noodles, so I took multiple trains to get there. They had a daily lunch set available, and when I received the menu, the staff gave me a detailed explanation of the dishes. I decided on the spot when I heard they were serving lamb offal stir-fry today! I placed my order by scanning the QR code on the counter, and even though I came for the lagman noodles, I felt it was the right choice when the dishes arrived. Everything I tried was delicious! I left feeling full and satisfied. The staff was also very polite, and their hospitality was exceptional. I definitely want to go back again.

I ordered the Guoyourou (fried pork) Laghman, which is a type of noodle dish from the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region with meat, tomatoes, and vegetables stir-fried on top. The noodles were flat but had a good thickness and a nice chewy texture, similar to Inaniwa udon. I peeked into the kitchen and saw them stretching the dough thinly to make the noodles, which is different from how udon is made. The sauce had a subtle tomato acidity and a spicy kick from the chili oil, giving it a fragrant and slightly spicy flavor. There was also a hint of star anise, adding a Chinese cuisine touch to the seasoning. The Laghman included lamb, bell peppers, onions, and wood ear mushrooms. The lamb meat had no gamey taste, and I initially thought it was beef. However, the rich lamb flavor gradually emerged, confirming that it was indeed lamb. The meat had a strong salty taste that matched the sauce on the noodles, making it a perfect combination. The noodles and sauce didn't mix well, resulting in a slightly bland taste, so the flavorful lamb meat was a great addition. I also ordered the lamb heart skewers, which had a strong cumin aroma. The meat was tender, juicy, and not too chewy, with the meat juices bursting out. Compared to the lamb skewers from northeastern China, these had a milder cumin flavor and chili spiciness, with a simple seasoning.

- Ramen (1,500 yen): Udon noodles topped with a tomato-based sauce and plenty of meat and vegetables. Very delicious. - Lamb Shank Soup (1,600 yen): Soup with a large bone-in lamb meat. Light and refreshing broth with big pieces of meat, very good.

In the Hongo area where mainland-style restaurants come and go, a new Uyghur cuisine restaurant has opened. I ordered the recommended Laghman noodles. The noodles were definitely chewy and slippery, like udon, and very long! The seasoning was as expected, with a taste that wasn't too bad and didn't seem to use any strange condiments. It felt like the authentic taste from the region. However, overall, it's quite expensive. It makes sense for this price range overseas, but when comparing domestically, it's a bit tough.

Today, after a 3-week break, I went out for dinner at a new Uyghur cuisine specialty restaurant that opened in Hongo Sanchome on April 17, 2023. Despite the ongoing concerns about the new coronavirus, I feel relatively safe as I have received my 6th vaccine dose and my antibody levels are at their peak. This is my 5th visit to a Uyghur cuisine restaurant, having previously visited similar establishments in Yokohama, Shinjuku, Saitama, and Ikebukuro. The restaurant is located about 100 meters from the Hongo Sanchome intersection on Hongo Street, towards the University of Tokyo Akamon. The exterior of the restaurant is brightly colored, and the name "DOLAN" is written using the Chinese characters for "Dao Lang." The interior has a unique seating arrangement, with counter seats facing the kitchen, table seats for 2 and 4 people, and a total capacity of 22 seats. Upon being seated at the counter, I was informed that orders could be placed using a smartphone. The menu, both on the table and on the smartphone, was relatively simple, lacking some of the variety I had seen at other Uyghur cuisine restaurants. I ordered the signature Laghman noodles and lamb skewers. Overall, the restaurant was clean and inviting, with only one other table occupied when I arrived. I look forward to trying the Uyghur dishes and experiencing the unique flavors of this cuisine once again.

Lagman is a hand-pulled noodle widely eaten throughout Central Asia, also known as "la tiao zi" in Chinese. The noodles are made by kneading flour with salt water, resting the dough, then pulling and stretching it by hand. When boiled, they are rinsed with cold water to give them a firm texture. The noodles are similar to Sanuki udon, with a strong chewy texture. They are served with a topping of lamb or beef, tomatoes, and vegetables. The tomato-based soup has a slightly sour taste with hints of spices like cumin, but some may find it a bit thin and prefer a richer broth. The meat topping is thinly coated beef, and the lamb heart skewers are recommended for their juicy and flavorful taste. Overall, the flavors at this restaurant closely resemble authentic Chinese cuisine, but the high prices may deter local students from visiting.

Unexpectedly ordered at the counter. All dishes were served within 5 minutes. Faster than the local Chinese restaurant. The staff were Uyghur and Mongolian women. They explained everything politely and quickly, served the dishes separately, and cleared them promptly. Even though it was quite busy, they still came out to attract more customers. No tea was offered. It was all about quick turnover! The food was not lukewarm. The chicken with Sichuan pepper sauce had bone-in chicken pieces soaked in spicy oil until the bones were dry. The lamb and vegetable stew was a salty soup with lots of cilantro. The laghman noodles were in a rich tomato base, nothing special. It's surprising to see a serious Uyghur restaurant in Hongo. They are very systematic, providing authentic Uyghur food, creating jobs, and seem to be doing well financially. But somehow, it lacks a sense of gratitude.

There is a new Uyghur cuisine restaurant called UYGHUR KITCHIN DOLAN in Hongo-Sanchome serving dishes like Uyghur pilaf, grilled lamb skewers, and laghman noodles. The reviewer enjoyed the simple yet flavorful Uyghur pilaf with plenty of carrots and confirmed that the meat used in the dish was beef, not lamb. They also ordered grilled lamb skewers, which were delicious and had a strong cumin and spicy sauce flavor. Overall, the reviewer had a great dining experience and plans to try dishes like lamb soup and baked naan bread next time.

The sign and the landlady give off a very authentic vibe.

This is authentic Chinese flavor! Everyone at the University of Tokyo, please try it out.

It's a newly opened restaurant that serves rare Uyghur cuisine. I'm very happy that they have added new lunch options.

The stir-fried dried tofu was delicious. Overall, it seemed a bit oily. Also, I think it would be better to have more staff during lunchtime.

The hand-pulled lamb was especially delicious.

It was beautiful and good!

On Sundays, the restaurant offers a special course for private reservations only. There were a total of 11 people, all of whom were strangers to me. When the conversation turned ethnic, these people had quite intense reactions that made me a bit nervous. It seemed like we were the first Japanese group they had encountered. The host, a Uyghur businessman, gave us a long explanation before we started eating each dish. He talked about the different regions in Xinjiang, such as the grasslands in the north and the deserts in the south. He explained that there are traditional dishes and modern dishes, and that it is customary to keep serving until the guests are full, otherwise it could be seen as disrespectful. Hearing about the background of the cuisine made the dining experience much more meaningful. I almost wanted to pay extra for a guided tour of the food.