Caravan Uyghur Cuisine

The food was quite tasty and the portions were reasonable. But the service was very slow. The restaurant itself can be hard to find, and is on the back side of the 200 Water Street building, on Pearl Street. We ordered at the counter and it wasn't clear if we had a server. It's relatively new so maybe they need to work out the kinks. But I would come back for the food though.

Even though the Uyghur population is estimated to be over 12 million, it's surprising that there are few restaurants here in New York, the most global of all cities, that feature its cuisine. Located near the Seaport, Caravan is the first Uyghur restaurant to open in Manhattan, and it's a humble, family-operated affair. Lamb features prominently on the menu, and the braised lamb on naan proved to be a super-hearty entrée. The lamb was served bone-in, which made for a bit of a mess coming out of a takeout container, but when combined with veggies and the naan, made for a tender mix of textures and tastes. If you find bone-in meats messy too, then not to worry: they offer plenty of meats in kebab form, plus plenty of noodle dishes. Note: it's best to call ahead for a number of reasons: 1) to make sure they're open, as their hours can be inconsistent; 2) to see if there's a significant wait if you're in a rush for takeout or delivery; and 3) to ask if the dishes you want have bones in them, if that's a concern.

This is a gem of a restaurant and a rare find. We really enjoyed our meal and the vibe at this spot. The freshness and succulence of the tannour roasted lamb, samsa, and polo were awesome. The mix salad went really well with both.

Hole in the wall, staff wasn't as welcoming, almost everything I tried to order was not available. The noodles I went with were pretty good though.

I have been meaning to try this place for a long time. Finally got around to it. The food was delicious and nice portions. The Uyghur Polo their rice pilaf, was great a lot of flavor, the meat was little burnt bits but it worked. It was actually very good. The Naan bread tasted like it was a week old. Their lamb kabobs was great. The manta dumplings was great. The milk tea was okay, I was hoping for better. They have a great selection of non alcoholic beers from Lebanon. There is a big sign outside saying they don’t serve alcohol and they don’t allow BYOB.The service was pretty bad. Kind of got the feeling if you’re not a family friend they don’t want to serve you. They were quick to give us water but no matter how many times I asked for more water it never came. Asking about drinks they said they have flavored seltzer which after many times asking for any drink, never came.I’m glad I came here. It was a different experience but doubt I’ll go back.