Queen Ammanisa, web site (many scripts), FB, 320 23rd St. Crystal City, VA, 703-414-7888 [The Golden Road to Samarqand | Ylp | Zabihah | Arlington Now]
Yes, we now have a Uighur/Uyghur restaurant, did you know that Fairfax is a center for the Uighur community in the United States? I am fond of this place, and will continue to visit it, but there are some complexities. First, they serve a dark and complex spicy sauce which improves almost all of their dishes. But you must ask for it. Ask for it, otherwise things are too tame. Second, they have three different menus, none of which exactly describes what they offer. Third, they don’t believe you when you say you want it spicy, and are otherwise resistant to offering useful instruction.
If you can fight through all of these hurdles, you will have an excellent meal, available nowhere else in this area.
The best dish is the dry spicy noodles, make sure they make them spicy. Most of the vegetables are quite good. The bready dishes are authentic, but the bread needs to be a little better. Anything with cumin is worth trying. Not all of the dishes you order will succeed, so take this into account when choosing.
Recommended, but let’s hope you’re up to it.
