The human rights atrocities committed against China’s mainly Muslim Uyghur minority, numbering around 12 million, have long been condemned by the United States — yet few refugees have been admitted into the country, despite the passage of the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act of 2020. There are currently an estimated 5,000 Uyghur refugees living in New York City, and I know of only seven restaurants that specialize in Uyghur fare — though another serves the food of the related Dungan people, and the menus of Central Asian restaurant often overlap.
Nevertheless, the cuisine, with its lamb pastries, kebabs, flatbreads, enormous bulging dumplings, pilafs, and handmade noodles have become popular in other parts of China, which is why we see the fabled “big tray chicken” (aka dapan ji) at Spicy Village and other Chinese restaurants. Yet, the menus of these seven establishments are unique for their simple combinations of lamb, chicken, root vegetables, noodles, and Chinese-influenced dishes of cloud ear mushrooms and cabbage laced with chile oil.
Health experts consider dining out to be a high-risk activity for the unvaccinated; it may pose a risk for the vaccinated, especially in areas with substantial COVID transmission.
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