Arman Uyghur brings new cultural flavors to Oxford
When it opened three months ago, Arman Uyghur in Oxford became one of just a handful of Uyghur restaurants in the country.
Oxford never seems to have a shortage of new restaurants, and on the outside Arman Uyghur is just another new place to try.
The restaurant, which opened its doors three months ago, resides in a corner space on Beech Street that was previously home to B.T. Chicken, a Korean restaurant.
Ashley Ricker, a Miami University senior, said she’s seen the specific location change hands frequently in the past several years. “I've DoorDashed three different places in the same spot before throughout my time here,” she said.
But the food at Arman is unlike anything Oxford has ever seen.
Daniel Kudusi is a Uyghur immigrant who moved to America eight years ago. He has owned and worked in multiple restaurants around the East Coast since then. Now he and his wife Umar own Arman Uyghur in Oxford.
Uyghur people are an ethnic group with their own language from western regions of Asia, particularly in China and Turkey, and most are Muslim. Less than 20,000 people with Uyghur ancestry currently live in the U.S.
“I think opening a restaurant is the only way that we can start our life here,” Kudusi said.
The restaurant menu features traditional Uyghur dishes like lamb kebab, yogurts and meat and vegetables over rice and noodles. Photos by Gina Roth
Arman serves traditional Uyghur food like Langham, a flavorful mix of meat and vegetables over rice or noodles. Other foods on the menu like salads, lamb kebab and yogurts are a daily staple.
“Everything is what we eat daily in our hometown,” Kudusi said.
The food brings new flavors to Oxford and the whole region. According to one estimate in 2021, there were only about 20 Uyghur restaurants in the whole country, most of them in larger metropolitan areas like Washington, D.C. and Columbus, Ohio.
“It’s good to have new options close to campus,” said Shane Criss, a Miami student. He had never tried Uyghur cuisine before going to Arman Uyghur and said it’s a unique flavor.
Ricker says she's just happy to see a new place.
“I also really love to support the local businesses,” said Ricker.
As far as Kudusi, he’s glad to call Oxford his home.
