Signature Feast

Two dishes carry the reputation of an entire cuisine, and both are made for the middle of the table. Big Plate Chicken — dapanji, 大盘鸡 — is a slow-braised stew of chicken, potato and pepper in a deeply spiced sauce, finished with wide hand-pulled belt noodles that soak up everything left on the plate — the noodles come with it, and an extra portion is there for the table that runs out first. Choose bone-in for tradition or boneless for convenience, in small or large — though "small" here still feeds two to three people.

Uyghur Polo is the other pillar: long-grain rice cooked down with caramelized onion, sweet carrot and your choice of chicken, lamb, beef chuck or lamb leg, every grain glossy and distinct. If your family calls it plov, pilav, or osh, you already know this dish — ours is the version cooked the Uyghur way, topped if you like with a boiled egg, yogurt (dip or plain), or the classic polo salad.

Order one of each with naan for the table, and you have the meal most regulars come back for.