Nurlan Uyghur Restaurant
Asian restaurant · Flushing
43-39 Main St, Flushing, NY 11355
Highlights
Nurlan brings hearty, authentic Uyghur eats to Flushing with hand-pulled noodles, cumin-spiced lamb skewers, and savory samsa in a cozy spot.
Nurlan brings hearty, authentic Uyghur eats to Flushing with hand-pulled noodles, cumin-spiced lamb skewers, and savory samsa in a cozy spot.
"Nurlan is among our top choices for Uyghur food, especially laghman and meat skewers. The former comes with fried fatty beef and bouncy, chewy noodles that you won’t want to stop slurping. Order the slightly sweet saffron tea, and add as many $3 skewers as your appetite can handle (but skip the onion-and-lamb samsa). If you can't choose between dining in among the tapestries, crochet tablecloths and ceramics, or taking your food to the Queens Botanical Garden across the street, just let the weather decide. " - carina finn koeppicus, kenny yang, neha talreja, bryan kim, molly fitzpatrick
"The advent of Uyghur restaurants run by Uyghurs, a persecuted minority in China, was big news a few months ago in Flushing, and this is the one still open. Feast on charcoal grilled kebabs (shown), the lamb pilaf here called polo, the triangular turnovers called samsa, and pearl noodles — little farinaceous nuggets interspersed with beef and tomato, a tuck-in of marvelous proportions. Call (347) 542-3324 to order." - Robert Sietsema, Eater Staff
"A noodle pull here reaches heights rarely achieved in other noodle spots. The lagman are stretched and twisted over and over until the right thinness is achieved. The meat dishes also shine. The lamb-stuffed samsa is juicy, and the lamb, serve on sword-like skewers, are dressed cumin, which gives a yellow tinge that can be mistaken for turmeric. Owner Adil Nurdun brought most of these recipes from Toksun County in the autonomous Uyghur region of Xinjiang — though prefers to call it Turkestan — in northwest China to Flushing when he opened Nurlan in June 2019." - Caroline Shin, Robert Sietsema
"Nurlan is a small spot located on busy Main Street in Flushing with some really spectacular food. The owners serve complimentary green tea as a start to the meal and it hits the spot before the food is brought out - it’s made with loose tea leaves that are fragrant with a good bitterness. The lamian (another word for lagman) stir-fried noodles with lamb are made fresh to order and have a nice chewy bite to them, and the dish itself is packed with savory juiciness from all the meat (if you like a little kick, make sure to order yours spicy). The polo - which is traditional Uyghur fried rice with lamb, carrots, and raisins - is super filling and a great thing to split along with a few tender chicken and lamb kebabs. And with kebabs, samsa, and breads at $2 each, it’s an easy place to try a lot without spending a ton of money." - jiniya azad, tahirah baksh, sameen choudhry
"This lively spot on lower Main Street not far from the Queens Botanical Garden is furnished with tiny Uyghur musical instruments and Silk Road market scenes, and features a handful of pastas not usually seen in Xinjiang restaurants here. One is pearl noodles, dressed with minced beef, slivers of carrot, and lots and lots of chile oil that produces a surprisingly mellow burn. The eclectic grilled-kebab list, which runs from eggplant to hot dogs, is another plus." - Robert Sietsema
