Turan Uyghur Kitchen — Restaurant in Plano

This restaurant popped up one day as a Yelp suggestion and it did not disappoint. I am honestly not sure how long it has been here, but after today’s visit, it is certain to be added to our list of rotations. I had previously browsed the Menu online and Mom and I had already decided to order the Cucumber Salad and Big Plate Chicken(medium-sized order) to share. We also ordered their Signature Walnut Honey Yoghurt for Dessert. We made an 11:15AM Reservation through Google since it was our first time here and I was not sure how busy it would be during that time. You order from the Menu and pay the bill after you eat.

Received with a welcoming vibe and cultural and delightful background music as soon as we entered. Abdullah graciously greeted us and told us to sit wherever we liked. It is a Husband/Wife (didn’t get her name) Team - making everything hot, fresh, and from scratch - so we knew we were in for a treat.

I don’t believe ambiance is the focal point of the dining experience here; rather, it is the Five Star Quality Food and Service. I will gladly support a Family Business over a chain or franchise.

The Cucumber Salad was crunchy, zesty, perfectly spicy, and was the ideal accompaniment to the Big Plate Chicken.

The Big Plate Chicken had a bed of Chewy, Steamy Noodles, simmered with Bone-In Chicken, Potatoes, Braised Carrots, Red Peppers, and Dried Red Chilies. The chicken was fall-off-the-bone tender and so flavorful. It was also to our preferred spice level - not too spicy and not at all bland.

The Signature Yoghurt had a texture resembling that of a cross between Cream Cheese and Greek Yoghurt and a depth of flavor that contrasted very well with the Honey and Walnut. Perfect after a meal!

All three were truly excellent, noteworthy, standout dishes and we would order them again. However, on our next visit, we shall consider others on the Menu. We...

I grew up in Urumqi (capital of Xinjiang province) and in the states have never found a restaurant featuring all the staples of Xinjiang cuisine and able to do all of them well: lamb skewers, lamb samsa, laghman, rice pilaf/polow, big plate chicken, yogurt, savory milk tea, nann…. Staff spoke perfect Uyghur, Mandarin Chinese and English. During checkout I learned they’re from Kashgar, and oh my am I impressed! Kashgar is a city in Southern Xinjiang bordering Pakistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and Ladakh of India. Everyone in Xinjiang knows Kashgar is the hub of Uyghur culture and arts, and the history there is insane! It’s one of the oldest continuously inhabited city. It was an oasis on the Silk Road, and since 200 BC has gone through rulings of widely different cultures: eastern Iranian, Han Chinese, Mongolian, Tibetan, and Turkic. You can imagine what that does to the food scene. It’s a fusion food by default. You can tell the recipes they use are family recipes. Laghman for example is distinctively Kashgar-style as it’s more acidic (they add vinegar to it) than Laghman in other areas of Xinjiang. I can’t believe I’m able to enjoy those dishes tens of thousands of miles away from Xinjiang. Turan Uyghur Kitchen needs to stay. We need places like this to remind us we’re all human and cultures should be bountiful like stars. Come with an open mind. Ask questions. Try new dishes.

5 star through...

A must try!

The interior is modern and balanced: comfortable without being overly cozy or too austere. Lighting level and temperature were good. And everything was very clean.

The food was excellent. We started with an order of dumplings, with the velvety texture unique to homemade noodles and a filling that was reminiscent of kafta kabobs. The chili sauce served alongside added a nice bit of heat and complemented the dumplings well.

For the main course, we ordered the kawa kabab plate, comprising beef, carrots, and potatoes served over bread. In appearance and style, it felt very much like a hearty winter stew one might encounter in any number of American comfort food spots. The spice profile, however, was layered and complex, and (to my untrained palate) seemed to share elements with a number of other Asian cuisines, ranging from the Levant in the west to China in the east.

The honey cake also made for a nice finish to the meal, with nice structure and mild sweetness. All in all, a wonderful place for your first foray into Uyghur cuisine; just know that your first is likely not to be your last. I can’t wait to return and try some of the other dishes, especially the noodles. Highly recommended.

And do not forget to offer a prayer or kind thoughts for the Uyghurs suffering at the hands of the brutal Chinese...