It was a cold wintry day when I visited Kroran, a small and cosy Uyghur restaurant in Scarborough…read more We were promptly greeted and seated by the lone server, who was friendly and helpful. Aside from teaching us how to pronounce Uyghur correctly (kind of like Vee-Grr), he recommended 3 dishes, the Legmen, Quruq Qorima, and Somen. We started with a Uygur salad, followed by some Manta (dumplings) and then the Somen. I'm happy to report that all of it was excellent!
The very fresh salad is composed of tomatoes, cucumbers, garlic and onions. There was not a leaf of lettuce in site, which pleased me (I'm not a lettuce fan), and the cucumbers very fresh and tasty, with pleasantly powerful chunks of garlic complementing the salad well. At first, I thought that the Manta were a bit overpriced at $21, but when they arrived, I saw that they were enormous, and we had 6 of them! To my delight, the generous lamb dumplings were filled with lamb soup! Be warned! It will come bursting out all over your plate if you are careless, and you'll lose all the goodness of the soup! (I usually bite a hole in the side and try to sip it out). These were so excellent! The best soup dumplings I've ever had!
Kroran had already set high expectations when the Somen arrived, and we were not disappointed. Somen is a sauced beef and noodle dish, with hand pulled noodles, savory pieces of beef, and various vegetables, including wood-ear mushrooms. It was a fine example of comfort food, and the noodles had a satisfying bite. Despite the whole chillies, it was quite a mild dish, but hot sauce was at the table so that you can spice it up if you prefer a more heat. It was very comforting and warming on a chilly winter's day, but I'd enjoy it year-round!
Kroran is a bit pricy compared to similar restaurants, but the quality of the food and generous servings make up for that. Happily, they take all common methods of payment. Parking can be a bit tight, but there is some street parking available on the sidestreets.
Uygur food is relatively uncommon in the GTA, but worth seeking out, especially for lamb and beef enthusiasts. I look forward to return to Kroran soon and try some other dishes, particularly the Lamb Kawap (kebabs), Samsa and Legmen.