Kashgar Uyghur Dining, the Albany Park restaurant known for hand-pulled noodles and samsa, is looking to open a second location in the northwest suburbs of Palatine. Co-owners Rahila Reshid and chef Waris Ablimit confirmed the expansion plans, though a timeline for opening remains unclear and the project would still need sign-off from village officials before it could move forward.
From Albany Park to the Suburbs
Reshid opened the original Kashgar at 4830 N. Pulaski Rd. on July 7 alongside her husband, chef Ablimit, according to Block Club Chicago. The Albany Park spot sits at the heart of a neighborhood known for its global food scene, and the outlet reported that Reshid said the couple are also planning to open another Kashgar location in Palatine. As of now, there is no confirmed opening date for the Palatine restaurant.
Any new location would require approval from the Palatine Village Council before it could open its doors. Per the Village of Palatine, a special use requires permission from the Village Council, with recommendations from Village Staff and the Zoning Board of Appeals feeding into that decision. The village's Planning and Zoning Commission also plays a role in the process, serving as a hearing and advisory body for land-use proposals and special-use petitions, and acting as the public hearing body for the Village Council under state law, according to the commission's own description of its duties.
What's On the Menu
At the Albany Park location, Kashgar is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, per Block Club Chicago's reporting. The menu leans on dishes rooted in Uyghur tradition, including lagman noodles, samsa, and lamb, chicken and ground beef kebabs, alongside soups and other mainstays. Everything that can be made in-house is, the outlet notes, including the noodle and pastry doughs that go into Kashgar's signature dishes.
Prices at the Chicago location stay accessible: salads, kebabs and soups hover around $10 each, while noodle dishes and main courses run about $15 to $20, according to the same Block Club Chicago report. Kashgar's own website describes the restaurant as sharing the authentic flavors and rich traditions of Uyghur cuisine, inspired by the historic Silk Road city of Kashgar, according to Kashgar Uyghur Dining's website. Whether the Palatine location would mirror those same hours, prices or menu items has not been established.
A Growing Footprint
Ablimit's restaurant experience extends well beyond Albany Park. He owns multiple other Uyghur restaurants, including three locations in New York and one in suburban Rolling Meadows, Block Club Chicago reported. A Palatine location would mark another step in building out that footprint, following the Albany Park opening earlier this year.
As reported by WhatNow, which cited a recent Daily Herald report on the Palatine plans, the project is still working its way through local review, and WhatNow said it has reached out to the Kashgar Uyghur team for comment and is awaiting a response. For now, diners curious about lagman, samsa and hand-pulled noodles closer to the northwest suburbs will have to wait for more concrete word on when, and where, the next Kashgar might open.
