Dilara

Uyghur food: probably not known by most but to those that do, it is something magical. Shaped by its location at the crossroads of Asia and the religion of its people. It is a spectrum of influences coming together to form incredibly dishes. I’ve been twice and twice I have ordered Big Plate Chicken. It is spicy and numbing - eat the dried chillis if you dare! The chicken falls off the bone. The potatoes have lost all structural integrity being held together by the intense viscous broth. Said viscosity enables the coating of the thick hand-pulled noodles which have a perfectly chewy texture. What a dish! The lamb kofte are also very good with a classic flavour from the mangal. The same can be said for the cumin and chilli splatted lamb skewers served on fresh naan. These are a bit chewy for my liking but increases the length of time the flavour lasts in your mouth. The lamb buns (name forgotten) are straight out of the tandoor and have the attitude (flavour) to prove it. Then, a classic Pan-Chinese cucumber salad seasoned with the romantic pairing of soy and black vinegar. Finally, I insist you finish with the Uyghur milk tea. It tasks like unsweetened salted caramel. Litres could be drunk if not for the previous onslaught. I asked how they made it but they gave a cheekily guarded answer ie they know I’ll be back for more. A must.

Halal Order: (Medium) Large Plate Chicken, Dumplings, Uyghur Milk Tea Large portions, as shown in photo- could serve up to 4 people. Popular for couples/families. Noodles are handmade(?). Unique cuisine. Comfortable, cushioned chairs and well-decorated interior. As previous reviews mentioned, Staff aren't the friendliest/welcoming and service is slow-forgot one of our items. Note: the 'Uyghur Milk Tea' is sour (unsure why- sour cream?).

Blackstock Road, a rough area, leading off from Finsbury Park. An interesting mix of restaurants which close at ten, at least close at ten midweek. And yet barber shops not only open but packed. Wednesday night last week I found nearly everywhere closed and ended up at JoJo Kitchen, an Ethiopian restaurant. The food was disgusting. The next night, a very cold night, I looked in an Italian restaurant. The door was open and inside it was as cold as outdoors. Owner refused to close the door. I did not fancy anything on the menu and walked out. No surprise the restaurant was empty. I walked by back up Blackstock Road, and ended up it Dilara, which I had looked in earlier. BBC Travel (guide to Blackstock Road) - quote - Dilara, a Uyghur restaurant and takeaway run by husband-and-wife team, Abdul and Rose Axmu. Escaping persecution in Xinjiang, an autonomous territory in north-west China, they came to the UK and opened this business seven years ago. Uyghur food is a tantalising melting-pot of Central Asian cultures; here you'll find hand-pulled flat noodles, meat samosas, dumplings, aubergine stew, pilaf rice, chilli chicken and spiced lamb kebabs – "the best!" asserted Rose. "It's exhausting work to prepare all these dishes. But we like our customers who even come from far outside London." - end quote - If think Chinese, wrong, closest would be Afghan. I asked of soup. No soup, only in the morning. In the morning, I have muesli. It was recommended that I crossed the road to a grill, where I would find soup. This I did. Lentil soup. Then returned. I asked what the dishes were. I picked what I think was lamb and aubergine. But I may be wrong. It was served with couscous and rice. To my suprise, I was also brought a plate of salad. Portion size very generous. Very tasty. The down side, very very oily. Too oily. I asked a table what they were drinking. Effe. I too ordered a bottle.

I had a delightful experience at Dilara Uyghur Restaurant in Finsbury Park. The food was exceptional, and it was a unique and enjoyable opportunity to savor Uyghur cuisine, which I hadn't tried before. One of the standout features was the affordability; it was pleasantly inexpensive. What added to the experience was that we didn't need to make advance reservations, making it convenient for a spontaneous dining choice. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking to explore new flavors without breaking the bank.

Hidden gem. From the outside you may be tempted to keep walking, which would be a mistake! Inside you will experience some top notch Uyghur food. We loved the legmen, the homemade noodles are divine. Uyghur kebabs were flavourful, the Lampung unique and worth trying. I am keen to come back soon to try manti, polo (plov) and the large plate chicken or lamb Good for groups. Good priced meals.