UZBEKISTANA MEDITERRANEAN CUISINE, BOONTON
Where is Uzbekistan was my first question to the charming waitress at this storefront restaurant specializing in ethnic Uzbek food and Indian Uzbek-fusion cuisine. She rattled off lots of names of countries ending in “stan,” which confused us even more, so we checked on Google maps. Uzbekistan is a doubly landlocked country in Central Asia bordered by Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan and Turkmenistan. Between 1924 and 1991, it was part of the Soviet Union. While we can barely pronounce all of these geographical names, we are thrilled Uzbekistan is in New Jersey: what a find. This is a restaurant where you want to gather a large group so that you can taste they myriad of interesting dishes.
Uzbek food is similar to Middle Eastern or Mediterranean cuisine, and you will find dishes such as hummus, babaganush, falafel and yogurt on the menu. We started with chochvera: boiled, handmade dumplings filled with seasoned lamb and topped with a tangy yogurt and a slightly spicy tomato sauce. The ethereal dumplings, served room temperature, tasted homemade and reminded us of the manti we had at Toros in Paterson. Yogurt and a spicy tomato sauce were also present on the grilled eggplant, which was beautifully presented on a black plate with a gold flowers. Kazan chicken consisted of chunks of juicy chicken with a fresh tomato sauce and a hint of spiciness, plus a gravy boat of thinned out yogurt and a large portion of rice. Laghmaan, a stew of lamb, mushrooms, green beans, onions and red pepper, comfort food at its best, came with extremely long and thick Uzbek noodles, similar to spaghetti. Other intriguing dishes we would like to try on out next visit are borscht, marinated shredded carrots with red chilies, Uzbek’s homemade pickles, stuffed lamb belly, quail, and oxtail Qorma made with chickpeas and served with rice or naan.
Lamb dumplings.
We were so full that we declined to have dessert, and there were only three offered: baklava, goat cheese or ricotta with a sweet syrup. A variety of loose leaf teas are available including Uzbek green, as well as ayran, which is a cold yogurt beverage mixed with salt.
Eggplant with yogurt and tomato sauce.
Uzbekistana Mediterranean Cuisine is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM and 4:30 to 10 PM and Sunday from 1 to 9 PM.
Noodles and lamb.
Photos courtesy of Lowell Saferstein
Uzbekistana Mediterranean Cuisine
622-624 Main St
Boonton
973-263-0495
BYO
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