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.

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.

Small hidden gem in the South Seaport area. We had the braised lamb on naan, big chicken plate and the lamb samsa. Plenty of food for 2 people. The lamb was tender and the hand pulled noodles were the perfect texture. The samsa was piping hot and amazing. A mix between chinese and middle eastern spices. It is a small family owned business so be patient with the food coming out. Yes it may take a little while but it is so worth it. Your server is also your host and bus boy. Always nice to support a family run business. The prices are so reasonable too. The dishes are served on beautiful decorated plates. The utensils, cups and plates are plastic but who cares when the food is so good. Just a reminder that no alcohol is served or should be brought into the restaurant.

Recommend: stir fried noodles decent portions friendly staff long wait for food even if it's empty, do not come for a quick bite, order ahead if you can Cannot speak to the authenticity of their food, since it was my first time having Uyghur cuisine but it was flavorful; the noodles had a nice chew and there was bit of spiciness to the dish will be back to try their samsas (was not ready when I went) the hours are...inconsistent at best, I tried twice before actually catching them open also tried ordering for pick up thru yelp/grubhub and they weren't open when I was supposed to pick up...had to cancel and get a refund. Wouldn't risk it. Call if you're placing a pick up order.