Kashgar Restaurants

The streets are where life happens, and here the food is hot, fresh and greasy. Kebabs come with skewers of meat and fat; samsa and sambursa (dough filled with meat, onions and sometimes other ingredients and cooked in the tandoori ovens) are excellent, but try, with all food, to go to a place that either has a lot of people (high turnover of food) or doesn't have huge piles of cooked food sitting out. Langman (langmen/laghman) are long, pulled noodles with vegetables, often eggplant (aubergine) and peppers, onions... so good. There is other food, but be prepared for unapologetic greasiness. Eat and enjoy!

Cold tea is also quite nice, but they serve hot tea at most restaurants. Usually it seems boiled, and hopefully it's hot enough to kill whatever lurks in the tea bowl...

I might suggest getting Hepatitis A and B before eating here in China... lots of poorly washed plates and chopsticks and lots of unwashed hands after using the bathrooms... I'm amazed, by the way, that China hasn't had a massive plague or something... human immune systems must be stronger than we think...

While there's western food and nice places to sit, I have, thus far, been fairly disappointed with the information or quality or availability of information at John's Information Cafe's wherever I've been to them in China. It's a great idea, but poor execution. The food's okay, they have beer and all that, internet and offer a comfortable place to hide from the locals, I suppose, but I don't suggest looking for too much more from them.

Update... I went back to John's, wanting to use the internet. The woman who runs the joint said they were closed, and I should come tomorrow morning, but how long did I need? 20 minutes. No, come back tomorrow morning. She wasn't supposed to close for another 45 minutes. But she said no one was there, so she closed early. Two people sat at a table, I was there to use the computer, she was going to be there for at least 20 minutes more. All she had to do was give me 20 minutes. This is a simple service... and she's there to serve me, the visitor and guest. But she couldn't give me 20 minutes. The next morning we had to leave early, so I couldn't go then.

I knocked two chairs over on the way out. Didn't hurt anything. And she started yelling, cussing at me (kind of funny, actually). I admit it was childish on my part, but I've been dealing with this sort of rigidiocy (new word!) in China for eleven months. It's more money for her, it's a happy customer, a good review... but no. So we yelled, she in good, customer service fashion (cussing and all- I didn't cuss at her) and I stopped yelling and tried to explain my side of things. Apparently she "has no use for [me]" and doesn't understand customer service, closing time and in short, I really can't recommend John's. She, like a lot of my female students, seems incapable of reason and would prefer pouting to get her way.

Fubar, outside the hotel, has better food and staff. The Business Center in the main lobby has more and better computers. The staff at John's isn't helful or very friendly- and their attitude is just wrong. So, if you have the opportunity to visit Kashgar and stay at the Chini Bagh hotel, I suggest the food, atmosphere and wide selection of beer and other drinks at Fubar or the various other sources for internet at the Business Center or in the British Consulate building. John's is easier, possibly, and maybe she had a bad day that day. But there are better places to go.

Dirty and grubby, the flies are one of the biggest problems... I know many people have probably eaten here and been just fine... for us, we ordered two dishes and an order of chapati. We got three of one dish, two of another and five pieces of chapati. Then we ordered two teas and got three. We didn't know how they served dishes, but they brought the other chapati without our asking for it, so it seems like they were trying to rip us off... the dishes, we thought, were divided for us to share, especially since the servings were small... but they charged us for all of them. We should have just paid for what we ordered, but alas, we didn't. Why would we order three of one dish and two of another for three people?

I don't know, but I cannot recommend the place. Dirty and grubby is about par for China and isn't so much a problem for me. Ripping people off seems to be so endemic that it's more fitting for this situation.

Oh, they have an English menu, subpar tea and good chapati, so I hear. I didn't eat anything as I wasn't feeling well.

Just opened on July 28, 2008, and replacing the Caravan Cafe, which went out of business about a year ago, apparently, the Fubar is well worth a visit, for good tacos, hamburgers, or even fish and chips, as well as Stella Artois and other beer not commonly found here in China, this is the place. John's Information Cafe at the Seman or the Chini Baugh don't quite have it- I'm disappointed with the John's Information Cafes... Anyway, Fubar is run, it seems, by an Irish man who is quite helpful and a possible source of good information, especially once he gets a bigger foothold on the area. Fubar is located just outside of the Chini Baugh Hotel, to the left as you exit the grounds, though the sign is a bit hard to see now. Highly recommend it.

Favorite Dish: Fish and chips and tacos were quite good, especially being thousands of clicks from the Ocean and Mexico...

This branch of John's Information Cafe is based at the QiniBak hotel. There are other branches (i.e. at the Seman Hotel in Kashgar, in Dunhuang, Turpan and Lhasa).

It provides both Western and Chinese food, and makes travel arrangments and arranges tours. There is also a noticeboard where people looking for others to make up a group for a particular trip can leave messages.

Favorite Dish: We enjoyed the sweet and sour beef, but be warned that it arrives very hot (in temperature, not flavour). Vegetarians might wish to take note that the mixed stir-fried vegetables contained some chicken.

They also serve delicious peach juice.

This restaurant is in a rather grand building. The decor looks slightly less classy however when you discover that the glass column next to your seat lights up.

Uighur musicians perform while you eat, and the food is prepared in an open kitchen in the centre.

Favorite Dish: We had noodles with beef and green beans, shashlik and melon.

it is the best Restaurant in town which serve you the veriouse kind of Uygur dishes ,and Uygur musicans perform the local Musics of Uygur people.

Favorite Dish: (food) Uygur food has long history and various kinds. Uygur people like to eat beef and mutton . because they believe Islam, The special food like Kabob, grilled whole sheep, Nan, thin-skin stuffed bun, sanzi(oil fried wheaten food)and laman (noodles) has unique flavor and rich nutrition.
this Restaurant serve various kind of dishes of uygur people .

You can get all kinds of food on the street around Kashgar, like bagel-like bread, "nan" bread, soup, yogurt, barbeque, and more. Just try out something you like. It's also good for a break from bazaar shopping.

Favorite Dish: Try some yogurt while you're in town.