Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
5
¨Eating
You'll eat better in Tashkent than anywhere
else in Uzbekistan and perhaps even than
most of Central Asia as a whole. This is no
great reason to get excited though, but af-
ter a long journey through the region, arriv-
ing in Tashkent is something of a culinary
event.
Tashkent's burgeoning middle class loves
to drink good coffee and eat cakes, is crazy
for sushi and particularly Italian food, and
also enjoys more traditionally popular cui-
sines such as Russian, Caucasian and Cen-
tral Asian. The large Korean population in
Tashkent means that there's plenty of au-
thentic Korean food to be had, while street
food from shashlyk to
laghman
(noodles,
also a noodle soup) can be tried almost
anywhere.
Western-style supermarkets and mini-
markets are now abundant, but for fresh
produce you are much better off at a farm-
ers market. Most restaurants add on a 15%
to 20% service charge.
Kafe¨Kafe¨
CAFe $
(Shakhrisabz;
h
8am-10pm;
m
oybek)
A slice of
Bohemia in the centre of decidedly unbo-
hemian Tashkent, this hip outfit has eclec-
tic, comfortable furniture, writing all over
the walls, and fun and friendly staff, not to
mention the best coffee and cake in town.
Smoothies and a breakfast menu featuring
such Central Asian rarities as eggs benedict
(10,000S) are also available.
Franz¨Bäckerei¨
BAKeRY $
(Nukus ko'chasi; cakes from 5000S;
h
8am-8pm
Mon-Sat;
m
Toshkent)
This Austrian-run
bakery has brought a much-needed com-
bination of baked goods and real coffee to
Tashkent's deprived expats. You can drop
in to pick up the city's best fresh bread, or
stop by for a coffee and pastry at the airy
and bright cafe.
o
Jumanji¨
iNTeRNATioNAL $$
(www.jumanji.uz; Yusuf Khos Khodjib 62/2; mains
5,000-15,000S;
h
noon-11pm Mon-Sat, 5-11pm
Sun;
WvEc
;
m
Kosmonavtlar)
A charming,
laidback and family-friendly environment
reigns here. There's a varied and interesting
menu that runs from Georgian specialties to
Asian dishes and traditional Uzbek soups,
while the coolly efficient staff ensure that
this is one of Tashkent's most perenially en-
joyable eating experiences.
o
National¨Food¨
UZBeK $$
(Milliy Taomlar; gafur gulom 1; dishes 5000-
15,000S;
h
6am-10pm;
m
gafur gulom)
You'll be
hard pressed to find a restaurant with more
local colour than this bustling eatery oppo-
site the Circus. Walk through the entrance,
overhung with goat parts, and be greeted
by giant
kazan
(cauldrons) filled with vari-
ous national specialities. In addition to the
requisite
plov,
and
laghman,
you can sam-
ple
beshbarmak,
dimlama
(braised meat,
potatoes, onions and vegetables)
,
halim
(meat porridge) and
naryn
(horsemeat
sausage served with cold noodles), the
PLOV¨GLORIOUS¨PLOV
Few things excite the Uzbek palate like
plov,
that delicious conglomeration of rice, veg-
etables and meat bits swimming in lamb fat and oil. This Central Asian taple has been
elevated to the tatus of religion in Uzbekitan, the country with which it's mot closely
associated. Each province has its own tyle, which locals loudly and proudly proclaim
is the bet in Uzbekitan - and by default the world. That
plov
is an aphrodisiac goes
without saying. Uzbeks joke that the word for 'foreplay' in Uzbek is '
plov'
. Men put the
bet cuts of meat in the
plov
on Thursday; not coincidentally, Thursday is when mot
Uzbek babies are conceived. Drinking the oil at the bottom of the
kazan
(large
plov
cauldron) is said to add particular spark to a man's libido.
To sample the city's bet
plov
- and drink the oil if you dare - head to the celebra-
tion of
plov
that is the
Central¨Asian¨Plov¨Centre
(cnr Abdurashidov & ergashev; plov
5000S;
h
lunch). Walk pat the mob of people crowding around teaming
kazans
and
take a seat inside, where a waitress will eventually come and serve you. Your group's
order will arrive Uzbek-tyle on a single plate from which everybody will eat. The bet
day to come? Why Thursday, of course! Other worthy
plov
options include a lunch-time
retaurant jut north of the Chorsu Bazaar atrium, and National Food opposite the
Circus on Gafur Gulom.
