An Outstanding Uzbek Dining Experience at Samarkand Nights I…read morewent to Samarkand Nights tonight, and I have to say...it was excellent. I've eaten at many Uzbek restaurants in the NYC area, and after my longtime favorite sadly closed due to a fire, I've been on a serious quest to find the best Uzbek restaurant around. This place may very well be it. First, a special shout-out to Kamola, who was doing everything; serving tables, bussing, answering the phone, and somehow still delivering outstanding service with a great attitude. She handled the entire dining room flawlessly. No complaints whatsoever, though after this review they'll probably need to hire more staff! What We Ordered: Starters & Salads: Lagman Soup Achichuk Salad Avocado Salad Combination Dip Platter (Hummus, Baba Ganoush, Ikra, Morkovcha, Labeneh) Kebabs & Mains: Salmon Kebab Chilean Sea Bass Kebab Shrimp Kebab Chicken Kebab Chicken Lulya Beef Lulya Beef Kebab Beef Napoleon Drinks: Compote Seltzer (We paired everything with Beluga Vodka, which they happily allow you to bring...nice touch.) The Verdict: This was EXCELLENT. The salads were okay, and while the hummus and baba ganoush were decent, next time I'll order the Ikra and Morkovcha on their own, they stood out much more. Everything else, however, was outstanding! The Lulya kebabs deserve special mention, both chicken and beef were extremely juicy, literally dripping with fat, spices, and flavor. Absolutely cooked the way Lulya should be. Beef Kebab is a must have!!! Beef Napoleon was something I had never tried before: alternating thin layers of meat and fat, unbelievably flavorful, and absolutely delicious. Chilean Sea Bass Kebab was the best I've ever had, perfectly cooked and incredibly tender. Salmon Kebab was solid and well-executed. I didn't personally try the Shrimp Kebab, but two people at the table said it was excellent and beautifully seasoned with Uzbek spices. Atmosphere & Vibe What really surprised me was the atmosphere. Whether it was the food, the music, or the overall energy, it brought people together in a way you don't usually see at a restaurant. Kids from different tables started dancing with each other, it honestly felt like something you'd normally only see at a wedding. Warm, joyful, and genuinely communal. Unfortunately, they were out of Plov. We had ordered it in advance with our reservation, and they did call us ahead of time to let us know, which I appreciated. I'm very much looking forward to trying it on my next visit. Final Thoughts: Chaim, the owner, was warm, personable, and welcoming. Between the food, the service, and the atmosphere, this is hands down the best Uzbek restaurant I've eaten at. There's plenty of parking, reservations don't currently seem necessary, and I'll absolutely be back...most likely to rent out the place for a party. Highly, highly recommended.

Came after the viral Action Bronson video! We've had a lot of other Uzbek in the area and were…read moreexcited to try this spot. Good thing we made a resy since it's pretty small and packed on Sunday evening for dinner. We got a bunch of stuff to share, but unfortunately some stuff was sold out... we were only able to order a half portion of plov and some of the specialty kebabs we wanted were sold out. Either way, we loved the bread. Other stand outs include the mini samsa, plov, lamb ribs kebab, potatoes with mushroom. The mixed salad appetizer was OK. Our waitress was super nice!

Grabbed lunch at urgut osh markazi in Kensington, Brooklyn NYC. It's Uzbeki and Halal. Think…read morecentral Asian cuisine with soviet influence. Ordered a pitcher of compote, plov combo, pelimini, lagman, virezka beef, bread and salad. Inexpensive. All in $80 and lots of leftovers for a party of two. Cash discount. Food was fantastic. Ambiance is low key and basic as is the table service. Food came out quickly. Really enjoyed our meals. Saw a friend that I haven't seen for ages and they didn't rush us out. Plenty of street parking, but we walked here. Sat immediately. 24 hours service all week long.

This place was pretty disrespectful. They spent let us sit on the main area although it was empty …read more Do to no women seemed like . The other area also sat us down like outcast right by the door , forgot the menu , water , fort one item that was ordered. Definitely wouldn't come here again. Local guys praying literally right in front of us. Not sure it's because they'd noticed our Jewish stars but whatever . Meat was not bad though , same with salad.

Honestly! The BEST! We come here and order multiple x a week, the food is clean, fresh , not over…read moreseasoned or salted like most places which is very hard to find. It is the closest to clean home cooking that you will find! The to go orders are always packaged well and the restaurant always reads my uber notes and sends as asked. Literally BEST place in Sheepshead bay and close 2nd in Brooklyn! Oh and their borscht is phenomenal!

Not a good place, rude staff, overpriced. Keep your money as there's plenty of decent restaurants…read morein the area to spend it!

our server was so kind and sweet and walked us through the menu with lots of patience. I liked the…read moreoverall food and kababs and trying kazahstan for the first time. the place had nice ambiance and overall was easy to get reservations. I appreciated the decor and the cleanliness.

If you have any connection to Central Asia or want to try cuisine from that part of the world, head…read moreto Farida. Walk down the stairs in a central part of Manhattan and enter a different world with colored lights on the ceiling and windows painted with scenes from Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. To feee a family of three, including our nine-year-old daughter, we ordered the chicken plov, langman, beet caviar, and the kids mini dumplings. Everything tasted great, but the winner was the langman. The passion fruit and mango lemonade was refreshing. (Note: It's carbonated.) At the end, order the chak chak for a traditional dessert of fried dough with honey

Cafe Kashkar is a well known restaurant in the neighborhood and for good reason. They have quality…read moreCentral Asian cuisine at reasonable prices. The space is very bare bones and feels like you're dining at someone's home. The cuisine is very tasty and flavorful. I've gotten the assorti kebabs, rice and lagman noodles both to go and dine in. All are highly recommended.

My friend grew up eating here with her family so I was excited to try a slice of her childhood…read more We ordered: - the soup lagman noodles and the fried lagman noodles: I feel like you have to get both as they are so different in styles but both so good - lamb dumplings: these were huge! - lamb liver skewer: get those minerals in - meat and rice stuffed dumplings: these were my favorite, but you must eat them in the style of giving them a douse of the clear chili vinegar on the table and laying a fresh tomato onion slice on top. Perfection! Wash it all down with the tangy bottled yogurt drink. Logistics: - indoor seating only - limited street parking nearby - just the heads up the service can be a bit brusque but that's how you know it's authentic

This review is a bit overdue, as I planned to write it a while ago but forgot. Opps, but here…read moregoes... Did I stumble here by chance? Absolutely not. I was brought here by my friend (and her family) as she recommended the place, and she came pretty often. I would say that my friend sometimes has interesting taste, but so far her recommendations have been really solid. Since my friend brought me here, I just took whatever she recommended, as she took command of all ordering. This was great for me, since I opened the menu and was like... wow, I don't even know what is good. So I just sat back and *attempted* to listen to what was going on. We ended up getting hot tea with lemon, beef skirt kebab, lamb kebab, samsa, cheburek with meat, and a few other things I'm not quite sure about. She just ordered, and honestly, I just ate everything she threw at me. The samsas were delicious! They were super flaky, and the meat was well seasoned and super juicy. The samsa were also quite hefty, they fill you up if you eat too many. It reminded me of the homemade ones my friend used to give me. Next up, the cheburek with meat. This was a first for me, and my friend said it was a must get. She was completely right... we ended up getting a 2nd order of this. It was super light, compared to everything else we ordered, as it is only filled with a bit of meat. The dough is fried to perfection, it was a bit crispy, soft, and didn't feel oily. It came with what I assume is a tomato sauce, which pairs well with it. We also got a few of the beef and lamb kebabs, and they were also delicious. The beef tasted better than the lamb, but my friend says that is just depends on the day. So I guess it depends on who is cooking that day? But the beef was super juicy, and it was well seasoned. The lamb was also good, but it just wasn't as yummy as the beef skirt. Overall, I really like everything here and I look forward to my next trip back to NY.

The best kebab I've ever had. The beef was soooo juicy! But-…read morelive music on a Sunday night was VERY LOUD. I've never had music that loud played at a restaurant, especially in a "family-styled" restaurant. Food also does take a while because of grilling. I will be back, but not on a weekend.

Been there couple times, food and service was amazing, would go again! Plov, soup, shish kebab,…read moresalads!

Came here for her birthday, left here with a happy stomach. We started off with some cold…read moreappetizers first we got the raw fish and it was really good really fresh. Then we got some salads. One of them was a chicken salad and the chicken was really good and the dressing was also really nice prepared really well together and we also got a Greek salad which was just a classic standard salad. They also have avocado bruschetta which was also really good. The avocado was nice and ripe. We also got samsa and it was really good. The dough was nice and flaky and crispy and on the inside the meat was really nice and juicy. It was my favorite, but it was definitely still good. For the main, we got a huge mixed grill platter that came with a bunch of different meats like chicken, shish kebab and lamb kebab and it was so good. The meat was really nice and juicy and flavorful and it was cooked really well and all of this also came with a side of chips which were a great pairing and a little bit of a different twist compared to regular french fries. The kompot was great it was nice and sweet and flavorful. The service was nice the waiters were really attentive. The ambiance was just a classic Russian/uzbek restaurant. For birthdays they play a nice funny happy birthday song. Overall, it's a nice, heartwarming experience.

I regret not coming here earlier as I pass by this place so many times! I came here with a friend &…read morewe both finally got to try this rare Korean Uzbek place. We ordered to share: 1) Kuksi, 2) Fern w/ Meat, 3) Lyulya, 4) Pigodya. Kuksi - cold noodle soup w/ shredded carrots + egg pieces, beef pieces and vegetable. This was definitely a uzbek korean dish. It looked like a korean cold noodle but it wasn't. Taste & things on it was different. The broth was light, sour and refreshing. The beef pieces was my least favorite - it was a bit hard to chew. It was interesting, but not my most favorite. I still prefer the korean cold noodles more. Fern w/ meat - This item was our most favorite & it was very unique. We both have never had fern or a dish like this. The fern was so crunchy and chewy in a good way. The meat gave the flavoring to the fern, however, it was a bit too salty. The spice was ok. Lyulya - ground beef & lamb shish kebab. It was very meaty and delicious. I liked it eaten w/ the bread they give you & some fern in it. Pigodya - steamed beef bun - this reminded me of the chinese steamed meat buns. It was so fluffy & delicious. The special sauce they give you was very interesting - it tasted like satay, soy sauce & had a little spice in it. They give you a basket of breads w/ butter & they were delicious. Service was excellent. Tons of seating inside. We were the 1st ones in & within 45 minutes it was almost full on a Saturday evening. P.S - They accept cash or credit card. If you pay w/ credit card, they charge an extra fee (I think it was 4%). Highly recommend to use cash!

My friends wanted to check out Café Lily after seeing it on IG, so I tagged along. Heads up the…read morestreet parking is tough to find. You don't need reservations though, since there was plenty of seating on a Friday night. The service was honestly horrible. When we asked for bowls, they gave us ones that were still wet like they had just been rinsed and not dried. Prices weren't too bad, but the food was a mix of Korean and Uzbek cuisine and most of it was disappointing. We got the dumplings, and when we asked about the meat, the staff guessed it was just beef, but it was actually beef and lamb. My friend noticed right away since it tasted gamey. Employees should really know what's in the dishes they're serving (and maybe even taste them). The rest of the food was subpar, and to top it off, they told us five minutes before closing that they were done for the night and started clearing the table while my friends were still eating. Definitely not the best experience.

This is my second time at this place and let me tell you it was an incredible experience. I came…read morehere on the last night of Ramadan and then yesterday night one hour before they close but the customer service was still top notch. We were given a nice clean table that four people could sit on. We ordered the Mixed Grill that cost $103 but according to the menu it's good for three people. It had all the items on the menu (lamb, beef, chicken, fish, sausages etc). We got fresh garden salad, well made white rice and the grill was delicious. It was so good that we ate half of it and half of it we had to take it home. The bill was very pricey around $155 but adding the ambiance, customer service, food and clean bathrooms makes this place worth it. It's great for families and hang out with friends. Highly Recommend.

The service could be better they forgot to bring us knifes for the dishes .Honestly we've had a…read morebetter Shashlik, this one was a bit chewy.