Our dishes - a guide to Uzbek food

Samarkand pilaf: the flagship of Uzbek cooking and the heart of the menu

Pilaf, in its Samarkand form, is the flagship dish of Uzbek cooking. Rice simmers slowly with spiced carrot, onion, tender meat and a warm blend of spices (cumin, coriander and more). What makes it Samarkand style is that the layers are not stirred together: the rice stays light and separate, with the carrot and meat served on top. Rich, fragrant and filling, at a family celebration or an ordinary lunch. Ours is cooked fresh every day.

The green pilaf, generous with fresh herbs

Bakhsh is a special kind of pilaf, green in colour thanks to a generous amount of fresh coriander, dill and parsley cooked together with the rice and the meat. It is a signature Uzbek dish: deep, herby and surprisingly delicate. If you only know regular pilaf, the freshness of bakhsh comes as a happy surprise.

A crisp baked pastry filled with meat

Samsa is a baked pastry with a crisp shell and a juicy filling of seasoned meat and onion, scattered with sesame. It was originally baked in a blazing tandoor oven and is found right across Central Asia. Perfect as a starter, as a hot snack or alongside a rice dish.

The pumpkin version, gently sweet and delicate

Pumpkin samsa is the much loved vegetarian take on the classic: the same crisp baked pastry, this time filled with spiced pumpkin and a soft sweetness. It comes shaped as a triangle and topped with pumpkin seeds, so it is easy to tell apart from the meat one. A lighter, festive choice.

A crisp fried turnover filled with meat

Cheburek is a thin dough pocket fried to a golden crunch and filled with juicy, well seasoned meat. The contrast between the crisp shell and the soft, juicy filling made it a street food favourite across Central Asia and the Caucasus.

Large steamed dumplings filled with meat

Manti are large, soft dumplings filled with meat and onion and cooked in steam. They are bigger and juicier than pelmeni and are served hot, on their own or with a sauce. Comfort food that children and grown-ups agree on.

Hand-pulled noodles with meat and vegetables

Lagman is built on long noodles pulled by hand, served with meat, vegetables and a rich, spiced broth. It comes from Uighur cooking and travelled the length of the Silk Road. Enjoy it as a warming soup or as a full, satisfying meal.

A round fried bun filled with beef

Belyash is a round yeast-dough bun, fried until golden and filled with juicy beef. Hot, generous and satisfying: a classic from the kitchens of Central Asia and Eastern Europe.

The Uzbek bread that opens every meal

Obi non is a round flatbread baked in a tandoor: a puffed golden rim, a thin centre carrying the traditional stamped pattern, and a generous scattering of white sesame and nigella seeds. In Uzbekistan it reaches the table first and is torn by hand rather than cut with a knife. Have it alongside pilaf or lagman, or on its own with tea: soft inside, crisp outside.

Hand-shaped Bukharian dumplings in a fragrant broth

Dushbara are tiny hand-shaped dumplings with a meat filling, simmered in a fragrant, rich broth and served with fresh herbs. A traditional dish of Bukharian Jewish cuisine, often served as a light soup or ahead of the main meal. Because of their miniature size, shaping dushbara takes a lot of time and skill, which is why the dish is traditionally considered special and festive.