Being disappointed with all these restaurants made popular with social media, I decided to try a restaurant within walking distance from my apartment and found Lao Dao, a Xinjiang (think Chinese-Russian) restaurant. Because it was a Friday and the restaurant handles groups, LD wasn't able to seat me as I didn't have reservations. Who would have thought that a Xinjiang restaurant would be packed? Obviously and regrettably, not me. Since I couldn't be seated, the hostess suggested take away. Of course! Because I already knew what I wanted and I wasn't that hungry, I gave her my order of 3 lamb skewers and beef dumplings. I wish I had room to order their hand-pulled noodles and chicken stew. Being that the dumplings are handmade, the hostess/server said there will be a 15 min wait, but was closer to 30 minutes. Regardless, the wait was worth it and the food was still warm when I arrived back at the apartment. Not only was the lamb meat tender, spicy, and flavorful, but the handmade dumplings were equally worthwhile. With my flight leaving tomorrow afternoon, there would be no chance to eat here a second time as the restaurant serves dinner only from 5pm to 11pm daily. Tip: Make Reservations! read more