September 2006
Ethnic Eats
by Celia Cheng
Pilaf
CAFÉ KASHKAR
1141 Brighton Beach Ave
(Brighton 14th & Brighton 15th St)
Brighton Beach, Brooklyn
718-743-3832
map/subway
A visit to Brighton Beach for Uighur food at Café Kashkar has made me a richer person not only because I have fallen in love with Uighur cuisine but also because the food has been a gateway for me learn a little about its culture. Admittedly, it was ignorant of me to be surprised when I asked the waiter what his country of origin was and he replied, “China.” He didn’t look Chinese to me, and the language he spoke sounded similar to Turkish. When I conducted a search on the Uighur online, I discovered the history behind the sensitivities between the Chinese and the Uighur.
The Uighur is a Turkic ethnic group who live in the northwestern Chinese province of Xinjiang. While the Uighur are one of China’s 56 recognized nationalities, they have strived for independence, like the Tibetans. In writing this feature, I wasn’t sure if I should use the Chinese or the Uighur flag to represent this culture. I discovered that the Chinese strictly forbid the use of the Uighur flag because of the independence movement it symbolizes.
The Uighur are fond of barbequed lamb, rice pilaf and different forms of dumplings. In turn, I am very fond of Uighur cuisine, as I love all of what they eat. Interestingly, the Uighur food is truly a cross between Chinese and Turkish foods, which in my book is a match made in heaven. Many of the noodle dishes have familiar northern Chinese flavors. But the Uighur’s love of meats and barbeque results in great kebabs.
Like the Turkish manti, the Uighur have a manty too. But the Uighur manty (slightly bigger than a golf ball) is extremely large in comparison. It’s a dumpling filled with the tenderest lamb, onions, cumin and spices. The skin of the dumpling is thicker than wanton skins but thinner than ravioli, and the texture and proportion of skin to filling is just right. Khanum, large steam dumplings with potato filling, are also delicious ó the potato is shredded and the dumplings are dressed with a tomato-like sauce.
The salads are like Chinese cold-dish appetizers of mixed batches of vegetables, not like the green salads from the West. The eggplant salad is tasty with cubes of sautéed eggplant with red peppers, carrots, garlic, oil and vinegar.
The lagman noodles are homemade and whether pan-fried, served in lamb broth or without broth, each has a unique texture; all are scrumptious. All three versions are mixed with the same meat and vegetables and star anise flavors. The pan-fried noodles are thicker and shorter, while the noodles in broth are also short but flatter, and the regular noodles are like Chinese lo-mien, long and thin. Ugra, lamb broth with noodles and small meatballs and, chuchwara, little lamb dumplings in broth, were also heavenly. The question here is just which one of these noodles/soup/dumpling dishes to choose.
My favorite thing on the menu is the pilaf, fried rice with carrots, lamb and spices. The pilaf is neither like the dry long-grain pilafs we find in the U.S. nor like traditional Chinese fried rice. The rice seems to be steamed with spices first to give it a bright yellow-orange hue, then fried to give it a nice slightly crunchy texture. The Uighur cook lamb better than anyone else, based on what I’ve tasted. The lamb in the pilaf comes in pieces on the bone, and it’s so succulent with the luscious rice and soft carrot shreds that everything just slides down your throat without effort. There’s also chickpeas in the rice, which add to the texture and flavor, too. After sharing the pilaf with friends, I ordered one to take home so I could savor the dish by myself.
If Café Kashkar were located in Manhattan, I would surely visit it once a week. It’s a great home-style neighborhood restaurant. Everything I’ve tried hits the spot, but since it’s a bit of a trip, I end up gorging rather than enjoying each dish properly. Regardless, the pilaf is in my dreams, and I plan to go to Brighton Beach, rain or shine, to fulfill this new craving. Just think how good the lamb will taste in the winter!
