Eerkins Uyghur Cuisine — Restaurant in Rockville

I visited Eerkin's in Rockville, MD on 21 July 2021. My friend and I ordered the Adas/Lentils; Uyghur, Kathlama, and Butter Naan; the Trout Whole Fish, and the Gam Bian Soman (fried, hand-pulled noodle) with lamb.

Food: Adas - underseasoned Trout - overcooked Noodles/Lamb - over-sauced, underseasoned, too little lamb

Overall, the meal lacked the punch that I associate with good Uyghur food.

Service: Bearing in mind that we are recovering from COVID and restaurants are understandably operating with a skeleton crew, please take my service feedback with a grain of salt.

There was one gentleman operating the front of house. He did not greet us when we arrived, just stared and walked to a table when we'd communicated our party size. We didn't see him until we ordered, which is the amount of interaction I want from a server.

When the food came out, he brought us too many bread dishes (which we thought was our punishment for having ordered the three breads on top of the bread included with the Adas). Ten minutes later, the host/busser/food runner/server picked up our extra bread, mentioned something about it being wrong, and dropped it on a another table. That's definitely against health code, especially during these times. Later, he tried again to serve us someone else's lamb kebabs, which we correctly declined.

He did not check-in with us for the rest of our meal, and in this case it was appropriate because my friend and I had lots to catch up on. Finally, when dropping the check and our charged cards, the gentleman provided checkbooks which were covered in The Grease of a Thousand Hands, and had clearly not been wiped down between guests. After fumbling with the lubricated checkbook and signing my bill, I glanced down to my left where I saw a deceased cockroach.

Better dead than alive, right? Still, these service shortcomings, when taken together, do not instill confidence. I won't be returning to Eerkins. The Dolan's in the San Gabriel Valley (CA) is delicious, though I've not enjoyed firsthand Dolan's...

I had the pleasure of dining at Eerkin Uyghur Cuisine in Rockville, MD, and it was a delightful experience. The fact that they validate two-hour parking is a convenient touch that adds to the overall customer experience.

One standout feature of the restaurant is its extensive tea selection. With six pages of teas to choose from, I opted for the milk tea, a delightful blend of milk and black tea. The portion was generous, with one pot providing enough tea for the whole table, allowing us to enjoy three cups each. It was a perfect accompaniment to our meal.

Speaking of the meal, Eerkin Uyghur Cuisine offers a unique and diverse menu. While they offer an entire goat and lamb, these items require advance notice. However, with six pages of food, plenty of delicious options exist. The kabobs selection may be limited, but they offer great value at just $3 per skewer. The lamb kabob particularly stood out for its succulent and flavorful taste.

All the entrees we tried were simply delicious, making it difficult to pick a favourite. The desserts were equally impressive, with the honey cake leaving a lasting impression. Unfortunately, the Uyghur cake was unavailable during our visit, which gives us the perfect excuse to return and try it.

Our server, Menuka, deserves special mention for his excellent service. He was attentive, knowledgeable and added to the overall dining experience.

In conclusion, Eerkin Uyghur Cuisine is a hidden gem in Rockville, MD. Their diverse menu, extensive tea selection, and delectable desserts make it a must-visit for food enthusiasts. The attentive service and knowledgeable staff make the dining experience even...

We came on a Wednesday night and it was empty, which was baffling to me. If more people knew about this place it would have been wall-to-wall packed in there. We'd ordered Eerkin's delivered a few times during the pandemic but this was our first time dining in.

Our server was nice and was happy to tell us what were the most popular/traditional Uyghur meals to have. In the end, we settled on what we knew: noodles! Here's a quick rundown of everything we ordered. I highly recommend it all:

Appetizer: Samsa: DO NOT SKIP THIS!!! I suppose this was a Uyghur version of a samosa... but better! The beef filling was great but the star of the dish was the flaky pastry-like bun. So good.

Beverage: Homemade Dough: Yes it's spelled and pronounced like the carb, but it's an amazing yogurt smoothie! If you've ever had a lhassi at an Indian restaurant, this is very similar but mint instead of mango. Surprisingly refreshing for a dairy beverage. Our server recommended it sweet as it's more popular.

Entrees: Gambian Soman (pictured): I would fall asleep in a bed made of these noodles. You will never settle for lo mein again. Thick (udon-like) noodles with veggies and an incredible sauce. I've also ordered the chop fried soman before, which I believe is the same dish just with the noodles chopped into one-inch lengths, which was equally as amazing, just slightly different eating experience. Gyro Laghman: Very similar to the Gambian Soman except in more of a soup-like sauce....