FOOD GUIDE TO TASHKENT
THE BEST LOCAL FOOD GUIDE TO TASHKENT
In true "The Mouth" fashion, sights and statues are left to seek in other realms, we concentrate mostly on the satisfation of the stomach. Tashkent, decidedly falls into that category of disappointing culinary scene overall, but has a couple of noteworthy places to dip your toes in.
Don't expect to be blown away by the cuisine unless this is your first venture outside of North America, it is heavy, greasy and meant to fuel a full day in the field pulling turnips. There is little nuance and umami in Uzbek cuisine, but if you're only spending a couple of weeks here you can survive.
For vegetarians, it's quite a difficult trek to find anything edible. Therefore the following guide is based on their classic cuisine, with a couple of "Must-Do' thrown in for good measure.
PLOV CENTRE
This aircraft hangar sized temple to all things Plov is a curiosity worth satisfying. Walk around watching plov sizzle in vessels bigger than a UFO, take your pick, head to the gigantic dining room and tuck in.
NATIONAL FOOD
If you only have one day in Tashkent then head here to choose between a wide variety of Uzbek dishes. Nothing is exceptional, but nothing in Uzbekistan really is... so this place will prepare you for what will turn out to be a 6/10 on the culinary scene overall.
HOTEL UZBEKISTAN
Few buildings on earth command such instant recognition and respect as the symmetrically confusing facade of the Hotel Uzbekistan. It's located conveniently downtown, so if you're not staying here, you should at least take a few photos.
JUMANJI
The late, great Anthony Bourdain ate here, which is probably their main selling point. Food wise it's a weird hybrid of Asian-Uzbek that's moderately successful, atmosphere wise it's plush and pseudo-decadent. Worth visiting if you're at the tail end of your trip and couldn't stand the sight of another sashlik or somsa.
TASHKENT METRO STATIONS
Rarely have we ever recommended people to perpetually ride the subway, but Tashkent is one of those places you should. The stations are all decked out in all manner of clothing, from the classic palatial glance, to the art-deco hallucinations, to downright oddity. Spend a few hours spanning the city underground, and you'll see what we mean.
