The Uyghur food scene in the GTA currently has “fewer-and-further-between” status.  It’s like you gotta know a guy or something.  Well, consider the Toronto Food Blog that guy.  There are some absolute gems if you know where to look.  And look no further than Kroran if you’re on the east-side of town.  You can thank us later!

The Uyghurs are Turkic, sharing ancestral lineage with the Turkish-speaking population of contemporary Turkey.  Their language exhibits a significant degree intelligibility with Turkish, and their practice of Sunni Islam, particularly the Hanafite school with Sufi influences, bears resemblance to the religious traditions found in Turkey.

The majority of Uyghurs live in the autonomous Xinjiang region of far-western China, located on the ancient silk road close to the border with the ‘Stans.  Their cuisine, therefore, is Halal, heavy on the lamb and heavy on the spices.  Picture a menu that closely resembles Turkish food rather than Chinese.

And we picture Kroran’s menu often.  Lamb Kawap come four skewers to an order, served with Nangbing (flatbread) and onions for sandwich making.   They’re served sizzling-hot off the BBQ and are absolutely doused in cumin (a trick to preserve meat before the days of refrigeration).  Kidneys are also available if offal is more your thing.  Uyghurs typically employ a zero-waste approach to their Halal butchery.

Manta are softball-sized lamb dumplings that burst with broth at first bite.  It can take a few tries to master them. These happen to be some of our favourite dumplings in town due to their size and how gamey the lamb is.

To round out the lamb feast, we always order Laghman for the table.  Often considered the Uyghur’s national dish, hand-pulled noodles are tossed with cumin lamb, peppers, chillies and wood-ear mushrooms.  Eaten family-style, the gravy packs a punch and really sticks to the starchy noodles.  Great dish!

Kroran has long been one of the Toronto Food Blog’s favourite Scarborough spots.  And while it might not be the best place for a vegetarian, this is a fantastic dining experience for those who aren’t shy to venture off the beaten path to try something new.